Patents by Inventor Maurizio Tirimacco

Maurizio Tirimacco has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20090065160
    Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to paper products having great softness and strength and methods of making the paper products. The paper products are formed from one or more paper webs that can be made according to various methods. In one embodiment, the paper web is an uncreped through-air dried web. According to the present invention, at least one side of the paper web is treated with a bonding material according to a preselected pattern and creped from a creping surface. Through the process, a two-sided tissue web is formed having a smooth side and a textured side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Mike T. Goulet, Mark Hassman, Rebecca C. Mohr, Jeffrey J. Johnson, Maurizio Tirimacco, Jeffrey Dean Lindsay
  • Patent number: 7462258
    Abstract: Paper towels are produced by printing a binder material, such as certain latex binders, onto one side of a basesheet and creping the binder-treated sheet. The resulting products have exceptional wipe dry properties and a unique pore structure and wicking properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Maurizio Tirimacco, Mike Thomas Goulet, Michael William Veith
  • Patent number: 7449085
    Abstract: Absorbent paper products, such as paper towels, are disclosed which have a combination of high absorbent capacity and a moderate to low rate of absorbency for hand protection. These properties can be produced, for example, using a throughdried basesheet, such as an uncreped throughdried sheet, in which at least one surface of which has been printed with a patterned moisture barrier coating and creped. The presence of the moisture barrier coating on the surface retards the absorbent rate for that side of the sheet while allowing a significant amount of liquid to pass through to the center of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Richard Joseph Behm, Mike Thomas Goulet, Mark John Hassman, Jeffrey Janne Johnson, Jeffrey Dean Lindsay, Rebecca Catherine Mohr, Maurizio Tirimacco
  • Patent number: 7435312
    Abstract: An improved paper and the process of making an improved paper web are disclosed. The improved paper is characterized as having two regions; one is a network (or open grid) region and the other is a plurality of domes. At least a portion of either region of the paper web contains a bonding material that penetrates at least partially through the paper's thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Dean Lindsay, Michael Alan Hermans, Mike Thomas Goulet, Mark John Hassman, Maurizio Tirimacco, Jeffrey Janne Johnson, Rebecca Catherine Mohr
  • Patent number: 7422658
    Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to paper products having great softness and strength. The paper products are formed from one or more paper webs that can be made according to various methods. In one embodiment, the paper web is an uncreped through-air dried web. According to the present invention, at least one side of the paper web is treated with a bonding material according to a preselected pattern and creped from a creping surface. Through the process, a two-sided tissue web is formed having a smooth side and a textured side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Mike T. Goulet, Mark Hassman, Rebecca C. Mohr, Jeffrey J. Johnson, Maurizio Tirimacco, Jeffrey Dean Lindsay
  • Patent number: 7419570
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a process and a method providing a high bulk tissue which is both strong and soft. Specifically, it has been discovered that certain low pressure printing technologies may be used to deliver a bonding material to the surface of a high bulk paper web such as an uncreped, through-dried web. The bonding material may be applied to the web either before, during or after the web is softened with a mechanical straining process which will decrease the web bulk by no more than 20% of the initial bulk in order to increase the web softness. The web may be softened by any of a variety of mechanical straining processes such as, for instance, microcreping, microstraining, rush transfer, or other low-compressive softening methods. The cured bonding material on the web may not only increase the bulk of the web when dry and wet, but also increase the wet resiliency and the wet strength of the web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Fung-Jou Chen, Jeffrey D. Lindsay, Thomas F. Hunt, Maurizio Tirimacco, John J. Urlaub
  • Patent number: 7361253
    Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to paper products having great softness and strength. The paper products are formed from one or more paper webs that can be made according to various methods. In one embodiment, the paper web is an uncreped through-air dried web. The web can contain softwood fibers in combination with high-yield fibers. For example, the high-yield fibers can be contained in the middle layer of a stratified fiber furnish. In accordance with the present invention, a first bonding material is applied to a first side of the web and optionally a second bonding material is applied to a second side of the paper web. The bonding materials are applied according to preselected patterns. At least one side of the paper web is creped after one of the bonding materials is applied. The bonding material applied to the creped side of the web can be an adhesive selected that allows the web to be creped at relatively low temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventor: Maurizio Tirimacco
  • Publication number: 20080006381
    Abstract: Topically-applied binder materials for imparting wet strength to soft, absorbent paper sheets, such as are useful as household paper towels and the like, include an azetidinium-reactive polymer, such as a carboxyl-functional polymer, an azetidinium-functional polymer and, optionally, a component useful for reducing sheet-to-sheet adhesion (blocking) in the product. These binder materials can be cured at ambient temperature over a period of days and do not impart objectionable odor to final product when wetted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Inventors: Mike Goulet, Tracy Mathews, Stacey Pomeroy, Maurizio Tirimacco
  • Publication number: 20080006382
    Abstract: Topically-applied binder materials for imparting wet strength to soft, absorbent paper sheets, such as are useful as household paper towels and the like, include an azetidinium-reactive polymer, such as a carboxyl-functional polymer, an azetidinium-functional polymer and, optionally, a component useful for reducing sheet-to-sheet adhesion (blocking) in the product. These binder materials can be cured at ambient temperature over a period of days and do not impart objectionable odor to final product when wetted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Inventors: Mike Goulet, Tracy Mathews, Stacey Pomeroy, Maurizio Tirimacco
  • Publication number: 20070286987
    Abstract: Nonwoven materials having a pattern incorporated into the materials are disclosed. The nonwoven materials may be, for instance, tissue webs, meltspun webs such as meltblown webs or spunbond webs, bonded carded webs, hydroentangled webs, and the like. The pattern may be incorporated into the webs using various techniques. For instance, the pattern may be formed into the web by topically applying a bonding material. In an alternative embodiment, the pattern may be formed according to a thermal bonding process. The pattern contains individual cells that include two spaced apart expanded regions separated by a constricted region. By incorporating the pattern into the web, a material is produced having a relatively low Poisson ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2007
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Inventors: Ralph Anderson, Eugenio Varona, Charles Garneski, Maurizio Tirimacco, Douglas Stage, Mark Burazin, Kenneth Zwick
  • Patent number: 7303650
    Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to paper products having great softness and strength. The paper products are formed from one or more paper webs that can be made according to various methods. In one embodiment, the paper web is an uncreped through-air dried web. According to the present invention, at least one side of the paper web is treated with a bonding material according to a preselected pattern and creped from a creping surface. Through the process, a two-sided tissue web is formed having a smooth side and a textured side. In one embodiment, tissue webs made according to the present invention may also be splittable, allowing the web to be pulled apart in two substantially continuous webs with distinctly different properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Mike T. Goulet, Mark Hassman, Rebecca C. Mohr, Jeffrey J. Johnson, Maurizio Tirimacco, Jeffrey Dean Lindsay
  • Patent number: 7297231
    Abstract: Topically-applied binder materials for imparting wet strength to soft, absorbent paper sheets, such as are useful as household paper towels and the like, include an azetidinium-reactive polymer, such as a carboxyl-functional polymer, an azetidinium-functional polymer and, optionally, a component useful for reducing sheet-to-sheet adhesion (blocking) in the product. These binder materials can be cured at ambient temperature over a period of days and do not impart objectionable odor to final product when wetted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Mike Thomas Goulet, Tracy Ho Mathews, Stacey Lynn Pomeroy, Maurizio Tirimacco
  • Publication number: 20070194274
    Abstract: Topically-applied binder materials for imparting wet strength to soft, absorbent paper sheets, such as are useful as household paper towels and the like, include an epoxy-reactive polymer, such as a carboxyl-functional polymer, and an epoxy-functional polymer. These binder materials can be cured at ambient temperature over a period of days and do not impart objectionable odor to final product when wetted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Inventors: Mike Goulet, Tracy Mathews, Stacey Pomeroy, Maurizio Tirimacco
  • Publication number: 20070187056
    Abstract: Topically-applied binder materials for imparting wet strength to soft, absorbent paper sheets, such as are useful as household paper towels and the like, include an epoxy-reactive polymer, such as a carboxyl-functional polymer, and an epoxy-functional polymer. These binder materials can be cured at ambient temperature over a period of days and do not impart objectionable odor to final product when wetted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Inventors: Mike Goulet, Tracy Mathews, Stacey Pomeroy, Maurizio Tirimacco
  • Patent number: 7252870
    Abstract: Nonwoven materials having a pattern incorporated into the materials are disclosed. The nonwoven materials may be, for instance, tissue webs, meltspun webs such as meltblown webs or spunbond webs, bonded carded webs, hydroentangled webs, and the like. The pattern may be incorporated into the webs using various techniques. For instance, the pattern may be formed into the web by topically applying a bonding material. In an alternative embodiment, the pattern may be formed according to a thermal bonding process. The pattern contains individual cells that include two spaced apart expanded regions separated by a constricted region. By incorporating the pattern into the web, a material is produced having a relatively low Poisson ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph L. Anderson, Eugenio G. Varona, Charles J. Garneski, Maurizio Tirimacco, Douglas W. Stage, Mark Burazin, Kenneth J. Zwick
  • Publication number: 20070131367
    Abstract: Tissue and towel sheets having a pattern of spaced-apart elongated regions of relatively high basis weight oriented in the machine direction of the sheets are produced by forming a molded three-dimensional wet web having spaced-apart ridges and valleys substantially oriented in the machine direction and thereafter flattening the molded web such that the web is buckled upon itself. Upon drying, the resulting tissue sheet has a relatively flat surface texture, yet contains a high degree of cross-machine direction stretch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2005
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Inventors: Jeffrey Mathews, David Biggs, Jeffrey Johnson, Lacey Poole, Maurizio Tirimacco
  • Patent number: 7229529
    Abstract: Topically-applied binder materials for imparting wet strength to soft, absorbent paper sheets, such as are useful as household paper towels and the like, include an epoxy-reactive polymer, such as a carboxyl-functional polymer, and an epoxy-functional polymer. These binder materials can be cured at ambient temperature over a period of days and do not impart objectionable odor to final product when wetted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Mike Thomas Goulet, Tracy Ho Mathews, Stacey Lynn Pomeroy, Maurizio Tirimacco
  • Patent number: 7189307
    Abstract: Topically-applied binder materials for imparting wet strength to soft, absorbent paper sheets, such as are useful as household paper towels and the like, include an epoxy-reactive polymer, such as a carboxyl-functional polymer, and an epoxy-functional polymer. These binder materials can be cured at ambient temperature over a period of days and do not impart objectionable odor to final product when wetted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Mike Thomas Goulet, Stacey Lynn Pomeroy, Maurizio Tirimacco
  • Publication number: 20070051484
    Abstract: Absorbent paper products, such as paper towels, are disclosed which have a combination of high absorbent capacity and a moderate to low rate of absorbency for hand protection. These properties can be produced, for example, using a throughdried basesheet, such as an uncreped throughdried sheet, in which at least one surface of which has been printed with a patterned moisture barrier coating and creped. The presence of the moisture barrier coating on the surface retards the absorbent rate for that side of the sheet while allowing a significant amount of liquid to pass through to the center of the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2006
    Publication date: March 8, 2007
    Inventors: Michael Hermans, Richard Behm, Mike Goulet, Mark Hassman, Jeffrey Johnson, Jeffrey Lindsay, Rebecca Mohr, Maurizio Tirimacco
  • Patent number: 7182837
    Abstract: A process and method which ‘locks in’ three-dimensional texturing added to a paper web by virtue of an adhesive material which is printed onto the surface of the web is generally disclosed. The adhesive may be applied to the web either before, during, or after the web is molded to increase the surface texture. The adhesive may be applied at relatively low pressure so as to preserve surface texture without significant deformation of the web. The cured adhesive material inhibits the web from reassuming a two-dimensional state or may contribute additional texture by rising above the surface of the web. This process may not only increase the bulk of the web when dry and wet, but also increase the wet resiliency, the wet strength, and the tactile properties of the web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Fung-Jou Chen, Jeffrey D. Lindsay, Thomas F. Hunt, Maurizio Tirimacco, John J. Urlaub