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:
May. 18, 2004
Filed:
Jul. 09, 2002
Robert J. Makolin, Neenah, WI (US);
David J. Nickel, Menasha, WI (US);
Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI (US);
Abstract
A process for splicing a first section of absorbent material to a second section of absorbent material to form a longer, continuous length ( ) of absorbent material suitable for a substantially uninterrupted sequential in-feed to a processing machine. The process includes a placing of a trailing end ( ) of a first portion ( ) of absorbent material in a position that substantially overlaps a leading end ( ) of a second portion ( ) of absorbent material to provide an overlapped splicing region ( ). The trailing end ( ) of the first portion ( ) is attached to the leading end ( ) of the second portion ( ) along at least a part of the overlapped splicing region ( ) with a thermal bond that provides a splice between the first portion ( ) of absorbent material and the second portion ( ) of absorbent material, and in a particular aspect, the absorbent material can be configured to provide an airlaid, nonwoven absorbent material. In another aspect, the trailing end ( ) of the first portion ( ) can be aligned with the leading end ( ) of the second portion ( ). In a further aspect, the splice has an operative tensile strength which is sufficient to support the sequential in-feed.