The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 18, 2003
Filed:
Aug. 03, 2000
Anthony John Wisneski, Kimberly, WI (US);
Yong Li, Appleton, WI (US);
Michael Franklin Kalmon, Atoka, TN (US);
Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and process for forming an absorbent web ( ) includes an airlaying of a first fibrous stratum ( ) which has a first quantity of absorbent fibers; an airlaying of a second fibrous stratum ( ) which has a second quantity of absorbent fibers; and an airlaying of a third, intermediate fibrous stratum ( ) which has a third quantity of absorbent fibers. The intermediate fibrous stratum has a location that is interposed between the first fibrous stratum and the second fibrous stratum. A liquid, wet-strength agent is distributed onto the fibers of the intermediate fibrous stratum ( ) during the airlaying of the intermediate fibrous stratum to thereby render the intermediate fibrous stratum substantially non-dispersible. The process and apparatus are configured to operatively form or join the intermediate fibrous stratum ( ) with at least the first fibrous stratum ( ), and in desired aspects, the invention can integrally form or join the intermediate fibrous stratum ( ) with both of the first and second fibrous strata ( ) and ( ), respectively. In a particular aspect, the invention can configure the first and second fibrous strata ( ) and ( ) to be substantially dispersible in an aqueous liquid, and in a further aspect, the composite strata of the web ( ) can be operatively compressed prior to a curing of the wet-strength agent.