Patents by Inventor Thomas Gerard Shannon
Thomas Gerard Shannon 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).
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Publication number: 20230407574Abstract: Soft, durable and bulky tissue products comprising non-wood fibers and more particularly high yield hesperaloe pulp fibers are disclosed. The tissue products preferably comprise at least about 5 percent, by weight of the product, high yield hesperaloe pulp fiber and have relatively modest tensile strengths, such as a geometric mean tensile (GMT) greater than about 1,000 g/3?, and improved durability and cross-machine direction (CD) properties, such as a CD Stretch greater than about 10 percent. Additionally, at the foregoing tensile strengths the products are not overly stiff. For example, the tissue products may have a Stiffness Index less than about 10.0.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2023Publication date: December 21, 2023Inventors: Kayla Elizabeth Rouse, Richard Louis Underhill, David John Paulson, Felicia Marie Sauer, Thomas Gerard Shannon
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Patent number: 11773539Abstract: Soft, durable and bulky tissue products comprising non-wood fibers and more particularly high yield hesperaloe pulp fibers are disclosed. The tissue products preferably comprise at least about 5 percent, by weight of the product, high yield hesperaloe pulp fiber and have relatively modest tensile strengths, such as a geometric mean tensile (GMT) greater than about 1,000 g/3?, and improved durability and cross-machine direction (CD) properties, such as a CD Stretch greater than about 10 percent. Additionally, at the foregoing tensile strengths the products are not overly stiff. For example the tissue products may have a Stiffness Index less than about 10.0.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2022Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Kayla Elizabeth Rouse, Richard Louis Underhill, David John Paulson, Felicia Marie Sauer, Thomas Gerard Shannon
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Patent number: 11746473Abstract: The present invention provides mufti-layered tissue webs, and tissue product comprising the same, comprising long, high-coarseness wood pulp fibers selectively deposited in one or more outer layers of the multi-layered web. Surprisingly disposing long, high-coarseness wood pulp fibers in one or more outer layers, even in relatively modest amounts, may improve certain product properties, such as durability, without negatively affecting softness. In certain instances, both the softness and durability may be improved by selectively incorporating long, high-coarseness wood pulp fibers in one or more of the outer layers.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2022Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Stephen Michael Lindsay, Brent Merrik Thompson, Richard Louis Underhill
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Publication number: 20230122650Abstract: Soft, durable and bulky tissue products comprising non-wood fibers and more particularly high yield hesperaloe pulp fibers are disclosed. The tissue products preferably comprise at least about 5 percent, by weight of the product, high yield hesperaloe pulp fiber and have relatively modest tensile strengths, such as a geometric mean tensile (GMT) greater than about 1,000 g/3?, and improved durability and cross-machine direction (CD) properties, such as a CD Stretch greater than about 10 percent. Additionally, at the foregoing tensile strengths the products are not overly stiff. For example the tissue products may have a Stiffness Index less than about 10.0.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2022Publication date: April 20, 2023Inventors: Kayla Elizabeth Rouse, Richard Louis Underhill, David John Paulson, Felicia Marie Sauer, Thomas Gerard Shannon
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Patent number: 11566379Abstract: Soft, durable and bulky tissue products comprising non-wood fibers and more particularly high yield hesperaloe pulp fibers are disclosed. The tissue products preferably comprise at least about 5 percent, by weight of the product, high yield hesperaloe pulp fiber and have relatively modest tensile strengths, such as a geometric mean tensile (GMT) greater than about 1,000 g/3?, and improved durability and cross-machine direction (CD) properties, such as a CD Stretch greater than about 10 percent. Additionally, at the foregoing tensile strengths the products are not overly stiff. For example the tissue products may have a Stiffness Index less than about 10.0.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2021Date of Patent: January 31, 2023Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Kayla Elizabeth Rouse, Richard Louis Underhill, David John Paulson, Felicia Marie Sauer, Thomas Gerard Shannon
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Publication number: 20220290378Abstract: The present invention provides mufti-layered tissue webs, and tissue product comprising the same, comprising long, high-coarseness wood pulp fibers selectively deposited in one or more outer layers of the multi-layered web. Surprisingly disposing long, high-coarseness wood pulp fibers in one or more outer layers, even in relatively modest amounts, may improve certain product properties, such as durability, without negatively affecting softness. In certain instances, both the softness and durability may be improved by selectively incorporating long, high-coarseness wood pulp fibers in one or more of the outer layers.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2022Publication date: September 15, 2022Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Stephen Michael Lindsay, Brent Merrik Thompson, Richard Louis Underhill
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Patent number: 11384484Abstract: The present invention provides multi-layered tissue webs, and tissue product comprising the same, comprising long, high-coarseness wood pulp fibers selectively deposited in one or more outer layers of the multi-layered web. Surprisingly disposing long, high-coarseness wood pulp fibers in one or more outer layers, even in relatively modest amounts, may improve certain product properties, such as durability, without negatively affecting softness. In certain instances, both the softness and durability may be improved by selectively incorporating long, high-coarseness wood pulp fibers in one or more of the outer layers.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2019Date of Patent: July 12, 2022Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Stephen Michael Lindsay, Brent Merrik Thompson, Richard Louis Underhill
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Patent number: 11261568Abstract: The disclosure provides a wet-pressed tissue product comprising Agave fiber and having improved sheet bulk and good cross-machine tensile, toughness and durability properties. Cross-machine properties are significant because tissue products often fail in the cross-machine direction because it is often the weaker of the two product orientations (cross and machine directions). Accordingly, in certain embodiments the present disclosure provides a three-layered single-ply wet-pressed tissue product comprising high-yield Agave fibers from the leaves of Agave tequilana, Eucalyptus Hardwood Kraft (EHWK) fibers and Northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK), wherein the high-yield Agave fibers comprise at least about 5.0 percent by weight of the tissue product, the product having a CD tensile greater than about 450 g/3? and sheet bulk greater than about 7.0 cc/g.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2016Date of Patent: March 1, 2022Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.Inventors: Kayla Elizabeth Rouse, Richard Louis Underhill, Thomas Gerard Shannon, John Matthew Reiser
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Publication number: 20210340710Abstract: The present invention provides multi-layered tissue webs, and tissue product comprising the same, comprising long, high-coarseness wood pulp fibers selectively deposited in one or more outer layers of the multi-layered web. Surprisingly disposing long, high-coarseness wood pulp fibers in one or more outer layers, even in relatively modest amounts, may improve certain product properties, such as durability, without negatively affecting softness. In certain instances, both the softness and durability may be improved by selectively incorporating long, high-coarseness wood pulp fibers in one or more of the outer layers.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 18, 2019Publication date: November 4, 2021Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Stephen Michael Lindsay, Brent Merrik Thompson, Richard Louis Underhill
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Publication number: 20210156093Abstract: Soft, durable and bulky tissue products comprising non-wood fibers and more particularly high yield hesperaloe pulp fibers are disclosed. The tissue products preferably comprise at least about 5 percent, by weight of the product, high yield hesperaloe pulp fiber and have relatively modest tensile strengths, such as a geometric mean tensile (GMT) greater than about 1,000 g/3?, and improved durability and cross-machine direction (CD) properties, such as a CD Stretch greater than about 10 percent. Additionally, at the foregoing tensile strengths the products are not overly stiff. For example the tissue products may have a Stiffness Index less than about 10.0.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2021Publication date: May 27, 2021Inventors: Kayla Elizabeth Rouse, Richard Louis Underhill, David John Paulson, Felicia Marie Sauer, Thomas Gerard Shannon
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Patent number: 10947673Abstract: Soft, durable and bulky tissue products comprising non-wood fibers and more particularly high yield hesperaloe pulp fibers are disclosed. The tissue products preferably comprise at least about 5 percent, by weight of the product, high yield hesperaloe pulp fiber and have relatively modest tensile strengths, such as a geometric mean tensile (GMT) greater than about 1,000 g/3?, and improved durability and cross-machine direction (CD) properties, such as a CD Stretch greater than about 10 percent. Additionally, at the foregoing tensile strengths the products are not overly stiff. For example the tissue products may have a Stiffness Index less than about 10.0.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2019Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.Inventors: Kayla Elizabeth Rouse, Richard Louis Underhill, David John Paulson, Felicia Marie Sauer, Thomas Gerard Shannon
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Publication number: 20210054572Abstract: The invention provides fibrous structures, such as tissue products, manufactured using non-compressive dewatering and drying methods, such as through-air drying, where the structures are multi-layered and have cross-linked fibers selectively disposed in one or more outer most layers. Compared to similarly prepared fibrous structures that are substantially free from cross-linked fibers the instant fibrous structures have improved surface properties, such as good softness and smoothness, as well as improved bulk. Further, by layering the cross-linked fibers and manufacturing the fibrous structures without compressive dewatering the tensile strength of the finished structure is not degraded.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2018Publication date: February 25, 2021Inventors: Michael Andrew Zawadzki, Stephen Michael Lindsay, Thomas Gerard Shannon
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Patent number: 10914039Abstract: The present invention provides soft, durable and bulky tissue products comprising non-wood fibers and more particularly hesperaloe fiber. The inventors have discovered that high yield hesperaloe pulp fiber, when incorporated in amounts of at least about 5 percent by weight of the tissue product, produces products having a GMT less than about 1000 g/3? and a GM Slope less than about 7.0 kg. At the foregoing tensile strengths and modulus the tissue products of the present invention are also generally soft, such as having a Stiffness Index less than about 10.0, and more preferably less than about 9.0, such as from about 7.0 to about 9.0.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2019Date of Patent: February 9, 2021Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Richard Louis Underhill, Kevin Leon LaBerge, John Matthew Reiser, Gilbert Darrell Gafford
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Publication number: 20200115853Abstract: The present invention provides soft, durable and bulky tissue products comprising non-wood fibers and more particularly hesperaloe fiber. The inventors have discovered that high yield hesperaloe pulp fiber, when incorporated in amounts of at least about 5 percent by weight of the tissue product, produces products having a GMT less than about 1000 g/3? and a GM Slope less than about 7.0 kg. At the foregoing tensile strengths and modulus the tissue products of the present invention are also generally soft, such as having a Stiffness Index less than about 10.0, and more preferably less than about 9.0, such as from about 7.0 to about 9.0.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2019Publication date: April 16, 2020Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Richard Louis Underhill, Kevin Leon LaBerge, John Matthew Reiser, Gilbert Darrell Gafford
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Publication number: 20200102705Abstract: Soft, durable and bulky tissue products comprising non-wood fibers and more particularly high yield hesperaloe pulp fibers are disclosed. The tissue products preferably comprise at least about 5 percent, by weight of the product, high yield hesperaloe pulp fiber and have relatively modest tensile strengths, such as a geometric mean tensile (GMT) greater than about 1,000 g/3?, and improved durability and cross-machine direction (CD) properties, such as a CD Stretch greater than about 10 percent. Additionally, at the foregoing tensile strengths the products are not overly stiff. For example the tissue products may have a Stiffness Index less than about 10.0.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2019Publication date: April 2, 2020Inventors: Kayla Elizabeth Rouse, Richard Louis Underhill, David John Paulson, Felicia Marie Sauer, Thomas Gerard Shannon
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Publication number: 20200040529Abstract: The disclosure provides fibrous structures and tissue products comprising a volatile agave compound selected from the group consisting of limonene, hexanaldehyde and 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-one. The volatile agave compounds may be provided by forming the structures at least in-part from agave fiber, such as Agave tequilana fiber. In other embodiments the volatile agave compounds may be incorporated in the fibrous structures by adding the compounds during formation of the fibrous structure, such as by adding the compounds to the furnish, or by topically applying the compounds to the fibrous structure after formation, in order to provide a lemon-like scent to the fibrous structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2016Publication date: February 6, 2020Inventors: Kayla Elizabeth Rouse, Richard Louis Underhill, John Matthew Reiser, Thomas Gerard Shannon, Priyadarshini Gadgil
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Patent number: 10550522Abstract: The present invention provides soft, durable and bulky tissue products comprising non-wood fibers and more particularly hesperaloe fiber. The inventors have discovered that high yield hesperaloe pulp fiber, when incorporated in amounts of at least about 5 percent by weight of the tissue product, produces products having a GMT less than about 1000 g/3? and a GM Slope less than about 7.0 kg. At the foregoing tensile strengths and modulus the tissue products of the present invention are also generally soft, such as having a Stiffness Index less than about 10.0, and more preferably less than about 9.0, such as from about 7.0 to about 9.0.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2018Date of Patent: February 4, 2020Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Richard Louis Underhill, Kevin Leon LaBerge, John Matthew Reiser, Gilbert Darrell Gafford
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Patent number: 10526752Abstract: Soft, durable and bulky tissue products comprising non-wood fibers and more particularly high yield hesperaloe pulp fibers are disclosed. The tissue products preferably comprise at least about 5 percent, by weight of the product, high yield hesperaloe pulp fiber and have relatively modest tensile strengths, such as a geometric mean tensile (GMT) greater than about 1,000 g/3?, and improved durability and cross-machine direction (CD) properties, such as a CD Stretch greater than about 10 percent. Additionally, at the foregoing tensile strengths the products are not overly stiff. For example the tissue products may have a Stiffness Index less than about 10.0.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2019Date of Patent: January 7, 2020Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.Inventors: Kayla Elizabeth Rouse, Richard Louis Underhill, David John Paulson, Felicia Marie Sauer, Thomas Gerard Shannon
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Patent number: 10519601Abstract: The present invention relates to tissue products comprising high yield hesperaloe fiber having improved wet performance, such as improved absorbency, CD Wet/Dry Ratio and CD Wet Durability. The addition of high yield hesperaloe pulp fibers surprisingly improves the CD Wet/Dry ratio without negatively affecting the absorbency of the tissue product. For example, tissue products of the present invention generally have an Absorbent Capacity greater than about 6.0 g/g, such as from about 6.0 to 8.0 g/g. As such the tissue products are durable when wet, but are still sufficiently absorbent. This balance of absorbency and wet strength is not found in the prior art without resorting to adding latex binders or the like to the tissue product.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2018Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Richard Louis Underhill, Kevin Leon LaBerge, John Matthew Reiser, Gilbert Darrell Gafford
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Patent number: 10501892Abstract: The present invention provides a tissue product formed from a fiber furnish consisting essentially of short cellulosic fibers, such as fibers having an average fiber length less than about 2.0 mm, and a synthetic fiber having at least one cross-section dimension less than about 20 microns. The invention also provides a tissue product comprising at least one wet laid multi-layered tissue web comprising a fiber furnish consisting essentially of synthetic fibers and short cellulosic fibers, the multi-layered tissue web having a first and second outer layer and a middle layer disposed there between where the synthetic fibers are selectively disposed in the middle layer. Generally the tissue product comprises less than about 30 percent, by weight of the tissue product, synthetic fiber. In a preferred embodiment the tissue product comprises non-fibrillated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers having a circular cross-section shape with a diameter less than about 5.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2016Date of Patent: December 10, 2019Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Bo Shi