Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kimberly-clark Wordwide, Inc.

Other

Kimberly-clark Corporation

Michael Barth Venturino

Susan Joan Daniels

David W Heyn

Derek Paul Murphy

Joseph Michael Kugler

Paul Joseph Datta

John Timothy Hahn

James Martin Kaun

Steven P Milanowski

Daniel Robert Schlinz

Shannon Kathleen Melius

Michael John Niemeyer

Joseph John Sina

Paul E Olmstead

Mark Scott Lancaster

Leon Robert Flesburg

Greg Joseph DeGrave

Robert Eugene Vogt

Michael Scott Brunner

Jacqueline Ann Gross

James George Van Himbergen

Mark Charles Jacobs

Rodney Lee Miller, Jr

Brandon B Kussow

Tim Richard Cazzato

Steven Lambert Weyenberg

David B Walbrun

Eric Donald Johnson

Timothy James Blenke

David Arthur Fell

William Grover Reeves

Frank Paul Abuto

David Louis Zenker

Palani Raj Ramaswami Wallajapet

Seth M Newlin

Michael Joseph Garvey

Donald Joseph Sanders

Lorry F Sallee

Richard Francis Keller

Timothy James Rymer

Daniel Mark Duhm

Randy Keith Burr

Richard Mark Konetzke

James Alvin Boldra

Raymond Gerard St Louis

Heath David Van Wychen

Thomas George Olsen

Dennis John DeGroot

Steven John Shimon

John Wallace De Vos

Sara J Schewe

Carl G Schroth

Jennifer Lynn Dopke

Dixon John Kuchenbecker

Michael Mattioli

Bruce John Benson

Steven P Jones

Todd Christy Thoman

Gerald Frank Mischler

Bradley John Berken

Benjamin J Jensen

James Lawrence Kappell

Stephen R Everson

Joe Michael Kugler

Mary E Partridge

James M Kaun

Leon R Flesburg

Jennifer L Dopke

Susan J Daniels

Steven Shimon

Pulpless absorbent cores and methods of manufacture are disclosed. A method of forming an absorbent core may comprise moving a forming surface in a machine direction, creating a pressure differential across the forming surface, advancing a base carrier sheet on the forming surface in the machine direction, applying a first adhesive onto the base carrier sheet, and applying a first quantity of particulate material onto the first adhesive at a first cross-machine direction width. The method may further comprise depositing a matrix of material onto the first quantity of particulate material at a second cross-machine direction width, the matrix of material comprising a second quantity of particulate material and a second adhesive, wherein the second cross-machine direction width is smaller than the first cross-machine direction width, and wherein the second quantity of particulate material and the adhesive are pre-mixed prior to deposition onto the first quantity of particulate material.

Absorbent cores and methods for forming absorbent cores

Pulpless absorbent cores and methods of manufacture are disclosed. A method of forming a pulpless absorbent core may comprise moving a foraminous forming surface having un-masked portions and masked portions in a machine direction, the un-masked portions defining an absorbent core region. The method may further comprise depositing particulate material at a velocity of less than 1200 meters per minute in the absorbent core region while applying a vacuum. The absorbent core region may comprise: a front core region spanning a first half of the absorbent core region and a rear core region spanning a second half, wherein the front core region trails the rear core region in the machine direction, and the masked portions of the foraminous forming surface block airflow through the forming surface to cause greater than 60% of the particulate material deposited in the absorbent core region to locate in the front core region.

Pulpless absorbent cores and methods of manufacture are disclosed. A first exemplary absorbent core may comprise a carrier sheet having a first edge region, a central region, and a second edge region and particulate material disposed on the carrier sheet through the first edge region, the central region, and the second edge region. The absorbent core may additionally have an absorbent core width and the central region may have a central region width, and the central width may comprise between 33% and 75% of the absorbent core width. Further, the central region may comprise an average basis weight of particulate material that is at least 110% of an average basis weight of particulate material within at least one of the left edge region and the right edge region.

Pulpless absorbent cores and methods of manufacture are disclosed. A first method for forming an absorbent core may comprise advancing a carrier sheet on a foraminous forming surface in a machine direction, the foraminous forming surface having a width extending in a cross-machine direction, creating a pressure differential across the forming surface, applying a first adhesive onto the carrier sheet, advancing the carrier sheet within a particulate material delivery chamber, and dispensing particulate material from a particulate material inlet within the particulate material delivery chamber to deposit the particulate material onto the first adhesive, wherein the particulate material inlet has a width that is between 25% and 75% of the foraminous forming surface width, and wherein the particulate material is delivered from the particulate material inlet at less than 900 meters per minute.

Methods and apparatuses for conveying particulate material are described. A particulate material conveying apparatus may comprise a slide duct having a slide duct axis. The slide duct may comprise an interior region, and the interior region may have a top third interior region, a middle third interior region, and a bottom third interior region. The top third interior region is disposed above the middle third interior region and the middle third interior region is disposed above the bottom third interior region. The duct further defines an opening. An air movement mechanism may be connected to the duct an configured to move air through the opening into the slide duct in a direction of the slide duct axis such that a greater amount of air exits through the bottom third interior region than either of the top third interior region or the middle third interior region.

Air assisted particulate delivery system

A method of manufacturing an absorbent web includes moving a foraminous member in a machine direction. The foraminous member has at least one masking plate with a partitioned area including at least one partition defining a plurality of segments. The method further includes drawing air through the foraminous member and depositing fibrous material onto the foraminous member to form an absorbent web. The absorbent web has a bridged area with a reduced basis weight corresponding to the partitioned area of the masking plate. The bridged area has vertical interfaces separating web segments and fibrous material at least partly bridging the vertical interfaces.

Method of manufacturing bridged absorbent structures

Apparatus for transporting material in a manufacturing process are disclosed. A disclosed vacuum conveyer system may comprise a vacuum box extending between a first box end and a second box end, the vacuum box comprising a vacuum box vacuum chamber, a nose roll disposed adjacent to the first box end, the nose roll comprising a nose roll vacuum chamber, and a foraminous member disposed about both of the nose roll and the vacuum box. The vacuum system may further comprise a first airflow conduit connecting the vacuum box vacuum chamber to a vacuum source and a second airflow conduit connecting the nose roll vacuum chamber to the vacuum source.

Vacuum nose roll

An absorbent structure includes a first area of fibrous absorbent material and a second area of fibrous absorbent material. The first area has a greater basis weight than the second area. The second area includes a plurality of segments separated by vertical interfaces. Each of the vertical interfaces has a width less than 1 cm. Bridging of fibrous absorbent material extends across the vertical interfaces.

Bridged absorbent structure

An absorbent core includes a width, a length, an elongate liquid holding formation and an outer region of fibrous material located outward of the liquid holding formation. The outer region of the absorbent core has, in cross-section taken across the width of the absorbent core, a first thickness. The liquid holding formation has, in cross-section taken across the width of the absorbent core, second and third thicknesses. The second and third thicknesses of the liquid holding formation are greater than the first thickness of the outer region.

Absorbent core with an elongate liquid holding formation

An absorbent article includes a liquid pervious liner, a liquid impervious back sheet, and an absorbent composite located between the liner and the back sheet. The absorbent composite includes a first sheet, a second sheet, and a unitary absorbent core. The unitary absorbent core has a plurality of holes there through, wherein each hole has an area less than 200 mm. The unitary absorbent core has a uniform density and is positioned between the first sheet and the second sheet. The first sheet is directly joined with the second sheet at a plurality of bond points. The bond points are located within the holes and are substantially devoid of absorbent material.

Stabilized absorbent composite

Growing community of inventors

Appleton, WI, United States of America

Michael Barth Venturino