Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.

Monica Graciela Varriale

Robert John Lyng

Ning Wei

Susan Elaine Shawver

James Russell Fitts, Jr

Michael Tod Morman

Paul Theodore Van Gompel

Peiguang Zhou

Cristian M Neculescu

David Fleger Bishop

Charles John Morell

Michael Scott Brunner

Jacqueline Ann Gross

Kurtis Lee Brown

Bryon Paul Day

Prasad Shrikrishna Potnis

David Michael Matela

Matthew Boyd Lake

Gregory Todd Sudduth

Alexander J Neeb

Terry K Timmons

Eric Scott Kepner

Christopher Dale Fenwick

Cindy Lou Price

Leslie Warren Collier, Iv

Randall James Palmer

Chad Michael Freese

Raymond Jeffrey May

Monica Signoret Diaz

Rasha Wafik Zaki Guirguis

Warren L Collier, Iv

Monica S Diaz

An undergarment includes a body panel and an crotch member. The crotch member includes first and second terminal edges and laterally opposed side edges. The crotch member has a longitudinally extending length defined between the first and second terminal edges. The crotch member is connected to the body panel at an attachment location, which is longitudinally spaced along the length of the crotch member from the first terminal edge thereof. The crotch member includes an unattached end portion that extends between the attachment location and the first terminal edge and that is unattached to the body panel. Methods of using and manufacturing the undergarment are also provided.

Undergarment having crotch member with unattached end portion

Stretchable film laminates including a layer of elastomeric openwork, such as a plurality of elastic strands or an elastomeric mesh structure. The stretchable film laminates may include a film layer bonded to the layer of elastomeric openwork, with the film layer having cross-directional stretch and the laminate having a multi-phase stretchability profile. The stretchable film laminates may be made by extruding a film from a die, stretching the film, forming and stretching a layer of elastomeric openwork, conveying the stretched elastomeric openwork onto the film while the film is stretched, and passing the film and the elastomeric openwork through a nip. The invention also includes a machine capable of producing machine-direction, cross-direction, and biaxial stretch materials. The machine includes at least one extruder, at least one filament die and at least one film die both attached to the extruder(s), and at least one nip downstream of the extruder(s).

Stretchable film laminates and methods and apparatus for making stretchable film laminates

High loft, low density nonwoven webs suitable for use in a variety of applications requiring strong fabric layers are produced by forming substantially continuous, spunbond, crimped, bicomponent fibers of crimpable, e.g., side by side or eccentric sheath/core (A/B) configuration which are unheated prior to collection. The fibers are then heated and cooled in the absence of impeding forces to achieve maximum crimp in the Z-direction and produce a web of lofted material of greater uniformity than attained with comparable material whose fibers are drawn by a heated process. The resultant nonwoven material can then be pattern bonded or laminated for additional strength without interfering with the desired loft of the low density nonwoven. The additionally strengthened nonwoven may then be further processed such as by lamination or the like to further increase its utility.

Strong high loft low density nonwoven webs and laminates thereof

The present invention provides a multistage liquid filtering apparatus and a multistage process for filtering microorganisms and other unwanted impurities from the liquid. The invention employs a microorganism-removing filter stage prior to an activated carbon filter stage and especially adaptable for use with home water supplies.

Method and apparatus for multistage liquid filtration

A hydrophobic polymer fiber having a cationically charged coating thereon, in which the coating includes a functionalized cationic polymer, such as an epichlorohydrin-functionalized polyamine or an epichlorohydrin-functionalized polyamido-amine, which has been crosslinked by heat. The present invention also provides a fibrous filter which includes hydrophobic polymer fibers having the foregoing cationically charged coating thereon. The present invention further provides a method of preparing a fibrous filter. The method involves providing a fibrous filter comprised of hydrophobic polymer fibers; treating the fibrous filter with an aqueous solution of a functionalized cationic polymer crosslinkable by heat under conditions sufficient to substantially coat the fibers with the functionalized cationic polymer, wherein the solution includes the functionalized cationic polymer, a poly(vinyl alcohol), a polar solvent for the poly(vinyl alcohol), and water; and treating the resulting coated fibrous filter with heat at a temperature and for a time sufficient to crosslink the functionalized cationic polymer present on the hydrophobic polymer fibers. The present invention additionally provides a method of preparing a fibrous filter. The method includes providing a fibrous filter comprised of hydrophobic polymer fibers; passing a solution of a functionalized cationic polymer crosslinkable by heat through the fibrous filter under conditions sufficient to substantially coat the fibers with the functionalized cationic polymer, wherein the solution includes the functionalized cationic polymer, a poly(vinyl alcohol), and water; and treating the resulting coated fibrous filter with heat at a temperature and for a time sufficient to crosslink the functionalized cationic polymer present on the hydrophobic polymer fibers.

Cationically charged coating on hydrophobic polymer fibers with poly (vinyl alcohol) assist

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Woodstock, GA, United States of America

Monica Graciela Varriale