Patents Represented by Attorney Sue C. Watson
  • Patent number: 6976605
    Abstract: A dispenser adapted to dispense sheets as a table top dispenser and convertible into a dispenser configured to dispense sheets from a conventional rolled product fixture is provided. The dispenser includes a housing having sheets provided therein and at least one opening oriented to dispense sheets therefrom. The housing is adapted to be positioned on a horizontal surface such as a table top and dispenses sheets therefrom. The housing includes a platform positioned thereover which is masked due to its appearance as providing at least a portion of the housing. The dispenser is converted into a dispenser for dispensing sheets from a conventional rolled product fixture when the platform is released. The platform is pivotably moved on an axis and a portion of the platform is positioned against the housing such that the housing is supported above the platform on a fixture for dispensing sheets therefrom when coupled thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Mitchell, Debra N. Welchel, Herb F. Velazquez, Tim J. Morton, Joel G. Delman, Melanie L. Andres, John B. Freese, Donna Ann Piacenza
  • Patent number: 6964395
    Abstract: A dispenser adapted to dispense sheet material therefrom is provided and includes a housing having an exit port configured to support a centerflow roll of sheet material therein. The dispenser also includes a first tubular member and a second tubular member, and the sheet of material flows over at least a portion of both the first and second tubular members on a circuitous path to the exit port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Paul Lewis, Paul Francis Tramontina
  • Patent number: 6959891
    Abstract: A dispenser for storing and dispensing rolled sheet material is provided. The dispenser has a housing which holds at least one roll of sheet material therein. The housing has a portion of an outer surface which is positioned against a support surface. The housing also has an opening defined by a perimeter configured to provide two hub positions. The dispenser also has a hub configured to receive at least one roll of sheet material. The hub has a first end and a second end. The first end is positioned to extend through at least a portion of one hub position. The hub has a flange which is positioned radially around at least a portion of the hub near the second end. The flange has a perimeter which is larger than the perimeter of the hub positions, and is supported against the outer surface of the housing. The hub is configured to be positioned to hold one of a jumbo roll, a mid-sized roll, and a stub roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: David W. Kapiloff, Stephen L. Phelps, William G. Haen, Troy E. Westcott, Paul A. Haase
  • Patent number: 6941949
    Abstract: A disposable face mask includes a mask body covering substantially a nose, mouth, and chin of a wearer, and an extension provided with the mask body. The extension is configured to encircle a back of a wearer's head and to substantially cover a wearer's cheeks, jaw, and ears. A substantial portion of the extension is formed from a resilient material treated with a repellant agent to prevent contaminants from entering or exiting such treated portion of the extension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Amante, Daryl S. Bell, Naveen Agarwal, Jeffrey M. Willis
  • Patent number: 6877634
    Abstract: A disposable dispensing carton for paper and nonwoven sheet materials is provided that can be made from paperboard blanks and includes a set or ridges, integral with the dispensing carton, that extend into the interior area of the dispensing carton adjacent the dispensing opening located in the bottom of the carton. The ridges off-set the weight of the overlying sheets to a degree that allows the dispensing carton to employ heights in excess of about 40 cm as well as hold and dispense stacked paper products having sheet counts between about 250 and about 1000 sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Francis Tramontina, Richard Paul Lewis
  • Patent number: 6779683
    Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing individual sheets of a paper product from a stack of sheets loaded in the dispenser includes a housing having an internal compartment configured to hold a stack of sheets, and at least one door coupled to the housing. The door provides access and closure to the internal compartment, and the door has at least a portion of a dispensing opening formed therein through which individual sheets are dispensed. The door is configured to move into the internal compartment to provide an opened loading position for loading a stack of sheets. The door is also configured to move into alignment with adjacent portions of the housing when in a closed dispensing position such that the door abuts adjacent portions of the housing to provide a closure and hides an entry point into the dispenser, thereby providing an illusory appearance of being an unmovable portion of the dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Antwain Demone Taylor, Victoria L. Bischoff, Robert C. Ziegenfuss
  • Patent number: 6769565
    Abstract: A dispensing system that includes a housing and a cartridge which is to be inserted into the interior area of the housing. The housing includes a plurality of intersecting exterior sidewalls, a first end wall defining a dispensing throat, a second end wall, and a means for securing a cartridge within the housing. The cartridge includes a flexible bag, a plurality of products compressed within the flexible bag in the dispensing direction, a means for restraining the cartridge within the housing, and a means for releasing the products from the flexible bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Francis Tramontina, Jan Byron Charles Spencer, Leonard Wesley Smith, Jr., Janet Lee Watson
  • Patent number: 6758943
    Abstract: A toilet tissue product which having a cellulosic ply having at least one layer incorporating a repellant agent and a debonder which are each substantially dispersed throughout the layer. The layer is configured to provide a substantially homogeneous structure having increased absorbency rate and a reduced dry tensile strength. Methods of making a toilet tissue product having an increased absorbency rate and a reduced dry tensile strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Wesley James McConnell, Jay Chiehlung Hsu, Joseph Mitchell, Sheng-Hsin Hu
  • Patent number: 6758434
    Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing rolls of sheet material is provided. The dispenser has a housing which holds one or more rolls of sheet material. The housing has an opening which is defined by a perimeter. A hub which is configured to hold a roll of sheet material is positioned to extend at least partially through the opening, and is moveably retained within the perimeter. An arm supports the hub for pivotable movement on a first end thereof. A portion of the arm is pivotably coupled to a portion of the housing. A second end of the arm is also pivotably movable and configured to be releasably locked into one of a plurality of selected positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: David W. Kapiloff, Stephen L. Phelps, William G. Haen, Troy E. Westcott, Paul A. Haase
  • Patent number: 6746570
    Abstract: A highly absorbent tissue product is provided having a uniform density and a three-dimensional structure including at least first and second background regions separated by a visually distinctive transition region. The first and second background regions include a series of parallel ridges and depressions extending in the machine direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Alan Burazin, Kai F. Chiu, Jeffrey Dean Lindsay
  • Patent number: 6740021
    Abstract: Folding apparatus and systems are described for providing multi-folded products utilizing a folding board having at least one pressurized nip positioned proximate the folding operation. A folded product is directed through a first pressurized nip, comprising a roller and a first surface of a second folding board, positioned upstream of the folding operation and a second pressurized nip, comprising a roller and a second surface of the folding board, positioned downstream of the folding operation. Positioning pressurized nips proximate the folding operation improves the integrity of the folds created within the product and also creates distinct, uniformly oriented fold lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Kimberly Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: John H. Evans, Adam Glass, Leslie T. Long, Ronald R. Padak, Ricky W. Purcell
  • Patent number: 6629667
    Abstract: A dispenser adapted to dispense sheet material therefrom includes a housing configured to support a sheet material product therein which has an exit port. The dispenser also includes at least a removable orifice plate for controlling the movement of sheet material from the housing through the exit port. Methods of using and adjusting a dispenser having a removable orifice plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Corporation
    Inventor: Paul Francis Tramontina
  • Patent number: 6592001
    Abstract: A dispenser adapted to dispense sheet material therefrom is provided and includes a housing configured to support a sheet material product therein which has an exit port. The dispenser also includes at least an iris diaphragm for controlling the movement of sheet material from the housing through the exit port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide
    Inventors: Richard Paul Lewis, Cleary Efton Mahaffey, Paul Francis Tramontina
  • Patent number: 6575397
    Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing sheet material includes a housing having a chamber configured to hold sheet material and an access door configured to provide both access to the chamber and closure to the chamber. The housing includes a dispensing member supported by the access door. The dispensing member has a first panel and a second panel. At least one panel moves so that the opening in the first panel and the exit port in the second panel align to permit sheet material to be threaded therethrough for loading, and at least one panel moves so that the opening and exit port are moved out of alignment for dispensing the sheet material. A method of installing sheet material in a dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Francis Tramontina, Richard Paul Lewis
  • Patent number: 6550115
    Abstract: The present invention desirably provides a fabric including a synthetic fiber structure first zone, a synthetic fiber structure second zone, and a short fiber third zone. The first zone may include a spunbond web layer and a meltblown web layer. The synthetic fiber structure second zone may be positioned proximate to the synthetic fiber structure first zone and the short fiber third zone may be positioned substantially between the first and second zones. Desirably, the first and second zones are entwined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Henry Skoog, Fred R. Radwanski, Terry R. Cleveland, Frances W. Mayfield, Lawrence M. Brown
  • Patent number: D488655
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide
    Inventors: Paul Francis Tramontina, David Scott Rowley
  • Patent number: D499288
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Antwain Demone Taylor, Darrell R. Johnson