Patents Assigned to Kimberly-Clark Wolrdwide, Inc.
  • Patent number: 7582098
    Abstract: The invention describes a percutaneous gastrointestinal anchoring kit having an anchor, an introducer, a guide, an inflator, and a retainer. The anchor contains a ballooned region and a shaft portion. The retainer secures the anchor within the stomach when the ballooned region is inflated by seating against an exterior surface of the patient body and placing a tractive force on the ballooned region so as to pull the gastric lumen to an interior abdominal wall of the patient body. The introducer is used to insert the anchor initially within the stomach. The guide positions the ballooned region of the anchor within the stomach by enabling manipulation from an exterior surface of the patient body. The inflator is used to selectively inflate or deflate the ballooned region as needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Wolrdwide, Inc.
    Inventor: Fred Göbel
  • Patent number: 7380747
    Abstract: A method of unwinding material in a process system for producing a product includes the steps of loading a roll of material in an unwind system, programming a controller with an unwind equation, the controller in communication with the unwind system, computing a material feed rate based on a predetermined product circumference and an average stretch-to-stop roll profile, and putting a diameter of the roll of material and the material feed rate in the unwind equation of the controller, and unwinding a varying amount of material from the roll of material at a varying unwind speed, the controller being responsive to the unwind equation to vary the unwind speed for forming a plurality of products, each product defining a respective circumference substantially equal to the predetermined product circumference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Wolrdwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Fromm, Paul Christoffel
  • Publication number: 20080103469
    Abstract: An absorbent article has an outer cover adapted to stretch upon application of a load by a first amount. A liquid and vapor permeable bodyside liner defines a bodyfacing surface of the article and is generally superposed and coextensive with the outer cover. The bodyside liner is adapted to stretch upon application of the load by a second amount. An absorbent body is located between the bodyside liner and the outer cover and is generally movable with the outer cover upon stretching of the outer cover. The first amount of stretch of the outer cover is greater than the second amount of stretch of the bodyside liner whereby a gap is formed between the bodyside liner and the absorbent body facilitating the flow of air and vapor through the bodyside liner in a loaded condition of the absorbent body. The bodyside liner is relatively more resilient when stretched than the outer cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Applicant: Kimberly-Clark Wolrdwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Lisa Bushman, Kay Konieczny, Brenda Nelson, Lisa Nickel