Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kimberly-clark Corporation

Lavada Campbell Boggs

Charles John Morell

Nelson McRay

Marsha Lottie Vaughn

William Ralph Neff

Sonya Nicholson Bourne

James Russell Fitts, Jr

Michael Tod Morman

Susan Elaine Shawver

Kevin George Hetzler

Hannong Rhim

Raymond Jeffrey May

Glen Thomas Mildenhall

Leslie D Dobbins

Dan Kenneth Schiffer

Kenneth Michael Salter

Mark Michael Mleziva

Oomman Painummoottil Thomas

Howard Martin Welch

William Bela Haffner

Michael Charles Cook

John A Brewer

James Marcus Carr

Ronald H Wideman

Richard Harry Thiessen

Audrie Tomoko Ono

Donald V Willitts

Marion C Morris

Sandy Chi-Ching Tan

Adrian Roy Eggen

S Scott Friderich

Victor Charles Lang

Anita S Bell

Sandy Chi-Ching Ying

Jr James R Fitts

Michael C Cook

Kenneth M Salter

Disclosed herein is a single step sterilization wrapping material suitable for use, as an example, in wrapping surgical instruments and supplies for sterilization, transportation and storage. The material includes separate inner and outer wraps which, unlike previous wraps, are joined to one another. Common wrapping techniques involve wrapping items to be sterilized with two separate sheets of wrap. The present invention provides separate wraps which can be specially engineered to deliver specific properties for each sheet and then joined to one another so as to permit wrapping and opening in a neat single step process which increases efficiency and saves time and money. In special situations the outer wrap can be engineered with increased strength, the inner wrap with increased barrier properties and the inner and outer wraps can be made visually distinct from one another so that improper wrapping or opening is not a problem.

Single step sterilization wrap system

In the invention, a method is provided for producing a composite nonwoven fabric. A polymer is extruded into heated continuous filaments, possibly elastic, from the die head to a first chilled roller, wherein the extruder is configured to provide the continuous filaments to the chilled roller in a canted direction that is at a tangent or angle to the surface of the first chilled roller. The filaments are conveyed in a downward direction by way of chilled rollers to a nip. In a next step, the nonwoven web is sprayed with an adhesive and is laminated on the continuous filaments in the nip to form a composite nonwoven fabric. The continuous filaments move vertically downward approximately in line with the lamination process, facilitating automatic re-threading of filaments when they are broken or interrupted in their travel downward onto the chilled rolls.

Method and apparatus for producing laminated articles

A targeted elastic laminate material is provided having at least one low tension zone with first filaments having a first basis weight and at least one high tension zone having second filaments with a second basis weight greater than the first basis weight. The second basis weight is greater due to increased average thickness of the second filaments and/or increased frequency of second filaments relative to the first filaments. Methods and modifications of those methods are provided to produce a targeted elastic laminate material according to the preferred embodiments of this invention.

Targeted elastic laminate having zones of different basis weights

A blown film process for producing low gauge, latent elastic films with high cross-direction orientation includes preferentially regulating the temperature gradient of the film along the expansion length. The regulation of temperature along the bubble profile allows more effective &ldquo;down gauging&rdquo; of the film and improved melt strength of the hot film. The choice of raw materials is an important element in producing cross-direction-oriented, low gauge, latent elastic films. The method of this invention can be carried out as either a multiple-bubble process or a single-bubble process.

Method of producing latent elastic, cross-direction-oriented films

Composite nonwoven webs are provided having two distinct regions extending adjacent one another in the machine direction of the web; the first region is formed from first continuous filaments and the second region is formed from second continuous filaments. The interface of the first and second region is formed from a mixture the first and second continuous filaments in a confluent relationship with one another and such that the two distinct regions form a unitary nonwoven web. The respective first and second regions can have distinct physical attributes as a result of utilizing first and second filaments which are different from one another. The first and second continuous filaments can vary with respect to average fiber denier, cross-sectional shape, cross-sectional configuration, polymer composition, crimp level, and additive composition.

Regionally distinct nonwoven webs

A stretch edge elastic laminate having a plurality of elastic filaments substantially aligned in a machine direction and forming an elastic zone and at least one stretch edge positioned along a first lateral edge region of the stretch edge elastic laminate forming a first gasket zone. Desirably, an opposing second stretch edge is positioned along a second lateral edge region of the stretch edge elastic laminate to form a second gasket zone. A nonwoven facing material is bonded to at least one side of the elastic layer.

Stretch edge elastic laminate

Unitary films are provided having at least first and second film segments which extend adjacent one another and are permanently joined together. The first and second segments have different compositions whereby the unitary film includes distinct segments having varied physical properties such as, for example, varied levels of high water-vapor transmission rates and/or elasticity. The unitary films and laminates thereof are well suited for use as outer covers in personal care articles and various other barrier articles.

Segmented conformable breathable films

Laminate compositions with significantly improved retention of elastic and mechanical properties such as stress relaxation, permanent set, elongation modulus and hysteresis and modulus at temperatures slightly above body temperature, under actual use conditions, are formed from polymeric materials containing styrene copolymers and polymeric compounds blended with polyphenylene ether.

Elastic materials with improved performance at body temperature

Disclosed herein is a single step sterilization wrapping material suitable for use, as an example, in wrapping surgical instruments and supplies for sterilization, transportation and storage. The material includes separate inner and outer wraps which, unlike previous wraps, are joined to one another. Common wrapping techniques involve wrapping items to be sterilized with two separate sheets of wrap. The present invention provides separate wraps which can be specially engineered to deliver specific properties for each sheet and then joined to one another so as to permit wrapping and opening in a neat single step process which increases efficiency and saves time and money. In special situations the outer wrap can be engineered with increased strength, the inner wrap with increased barrier properties and the inner and outer wraps can be made visually distinct from one another so that improper wrapping or opening, is not a problem.

Method of sterilizing an article

An elastomeric nonwoven web is formed by meltblowing fibers composed of a polyetherester. Nonelastic fibers and/or particulate materials may also be included in the web.

Elastic polyetherester nonwoven web

Growing community of inventors

Marietta, GA, United States of America

Lavada Campbell Boggs