Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Ken K. Patel
  • Patent number: 7659440
    Abstract: The present invention provides an article to be worn about a wearer including features that glow in the dark, are illuminative, are light emitting, or are reflective. These features may assist in the identification, location, entertainment, or changing of the wearer, as well as assist in the location of a fresh diaper for changing in a low light environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Jose Rodriguez, William Joseph Toerner, Donald Carroll Roe
  • Patent number: 7651012
    Abstract: A toothpaste dispensing system includes a low-profile toothpaste dispenser with a housing, a pumping system disposed in the housing, the pumping system having a inlet and an outlet, the pumping system having a rest state and an active state, the pumping system ejecting toothpaste as it transitions from the rest state to the active state, and a low-force activator coupled to the pumping system to transition the pumping system from the rest state to active state. The system also includes a toothpaste refill coupled to the inlet of the pump. The dispenser and refill may be all or part of a dental hygiene kit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Arne Benjamin Colman, Lee Burrowes, Sarah Louise Thielman
  • Patent number: 6831050
    Abstract: Basic cleaning compositions using toxicologically-acceptable ingredients for cleaning fruits and vegetables are provided. Liquid formulations comprising detergent surfactant, such as oleate, alcohol ethoxylates, etc., and neutralized phosphoric acid are sprayed onto apples, lettuce and the like to remove soil and unwanted deposits, especially wax. Articles for applying the compositions to produce by spraying are disclosed. Use of the compositions for disinfectancy/sanitization of produce and cleaning/disinfectancy/sanitization of non-food inanimate surfaces are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Bruce Prentiss Murch, Brian Joseph Roselle, Kyle David Jones, Keith Homer Baker, Thomas Edward Ward, Toan Trinh
  • Patent number: 6822134
    Abstract: The present invention is a disposable absorbent article having a backsheet and a fecal management member joined to the backsheet. The fecal management member includes a backing and a sheet of fibers. The sheet of fibers have anchor portions in the backing at spaced bonding locations and have arcuate portions of the sheet projecting from the backing between bonding locations. The sheet of fibers includes additional fibers which are joined to at least some of the arcuate portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Gabriele Stiehl, Ludwig Busam, Jorg Muller
  • Patent number: 6821386
    Abstract: A smooth, high density tissue. The tissue has a relatively low caliper, as well as high smoothness and high density. The tissue is calendered from a multidensity, through air dried web. The tissue comprises micropeaks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Paul Thomas Weisman, Scott Thomas Loughran, Dean Phan, Paul Dennis Trokhan, Robert Stanley Ampulski
  • Patent number: 6814217
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for receiving parts traveling at a first speed through a receiving zone and applying the parts onto a carrier traveling at a second speed through an application zone. Transferring devices transport the parts between the zones. The transferring devices are coupled to programmable servo motors capable of varying the speed of the transferring devices to accommodate the receiving and application processes. The receiving and application operations may be performed at matched or mismatched surface speeds. The parts to be received and applied may be formed by a rotating knife, which may vary in speed. Adhesive may be used to hold the parts on the carrier web. In some embodiments, the transferring devices transfer the parts to a bonding anvil roll and the parts and a carrier web are compressed between the bonding anvil roll and a bonding pattern roll to bond the parts to the carrier web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter and Gamble Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey Hale Blumenthal, Michael Joseph Lamping, Donald Louis Wires
  • Patent number: 6815482
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a thin packaging film made out of a thermoplastic material with anti-UV properties, characterized in that its composition further comprises a combination of at least one organic compound with at least one inorganic UV-absorbent compound, for improved barrier against UV rays, and improved transparency. Preferably, the organic compound is a benzotriazole, and the inorganic compound is micronized zinc oxide. More preferably, the material for the film further comprises a binder compound, for example a benzophenone, in order to improve the compatibility between the organic component and the base-resin. Preferably, the film thickness is below 80 &mgr;m, more preferably below 35 &mgr;m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Thomas Wolfgang Friedrich Hirn, Rached Menif
  • Patent number: 6811842
    Abstract: The present invention is a Liquid transport member with significantly improved liquid handling capability, which has at least one bulk region and a wall region that completely circumscribes said bulk region, and which comprises a port region, whereby the bulk region has an average fluid permeability kb which is higher than the average fluid permeability kp of the port regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Bruno Johannes Ehrnsperger, Mattias Schmidt, Karl Michael Schumann, Fred Naval Desai, Gary Dean Lavon, Gerald Alfred Young, Donald Carroll Roe
  • Patent number: 6811019
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for receiving a material web traveling at a first speed in a receiving zone, forming discrete parts from the material web, and applying the discrete parts onto a carrier traveling at a second speed through an application zone. The apparatus has a cutting device for severing the material web to form the discrete parts. At least two shells for receiving the discrete parts in the receiving zone and applying the discrete parts in the application zone are used. The shells may be coupled to programmable motors for moving said shell in an orbital path. A roll may be positioned interior to said shells. The cutting device may be used to sever the material web between said shells and against said roll. The roll may be a vacuum roll that provides vacuum in order to hold the discrete parts against said shells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Rebecca Hansen Christian, Jeffrey Hale Blumenthal
  • Patent number: 6803496
    Abstract: The present invention relates a method for maintaining or improving skin health by repeatedly applying lotion-treated absorbent articles to a wearer. When applied with sufficient frequency, the skin in the area covered by lotion-treated absorbent articles shows equal or improved skin health, relative to skin covered by untreated absorbent articles that do not comprise a skin care composition. The present invention also relates to methods for assessing skin health in the area covered by an absorbent article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Gretchen Louise Elder, Donald Carroll Roe
  • Patent number: 6797117
    Abstract: Disclosed is a composition for softening a wet laid cellulosic structure. A particularly preferred structure is an absorbent tissue. Further disclosed are tissue structures softened using the composition. The composition includes an effective amount of a softening active ingredient; a vehicle in which the softening active ingredient is dispersed; an electrolyte dissolved in the vehicle; and a bilayer disrupter. The electrolyte and the bilayer disrupter cooperate to cause the viscosity of the composition to be less than the viscosity of a dispersion of the softening active ingredient in the vehicle alone. Preferably, the softening active ingredient quarternary ammonium compound with the formula: (R1)4-m—N+—[(CH2)n—Y—R3]mX− the vehicle is water, the electrolyte is calcium chloride, and the bilayer disrupter is a nonionic surfactant. Also disclosed is a method of using the compound by adding it at a use concentration to the wet end of a papermaking process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: David D. McKay, John Ernest Rice, Kenneth Douglas Vinson, James Robert McFarland, Amy Jo Hamilton, Errol Hoffman Wahl, Gayle Marie Frankenbach
  • Patent number: 6793930
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an absorbent article having a stable skin care composition disposed on its skin-contacting surface. The skin care composition is readily transferable to the skin via normal contact, wearer motion, and/or body heat. Importantly, the skin care composition contains at least one skin care ingredient imparting visible skin benefits to the skin upon transfer to the skin and at least one rheological agent for stabilizing the composition such that agglomeration, stratification and/or settling of the composition are minimized. The present invention also relates to a process for making the absorbent articles having a stable skin care composition disposed thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Joseph Anthony Gatto, Thomas Robert Hanser, James Anthony Staudigel, Thomas James Klofta, Ronald Dean Cramer, Donald Carroll Roe
  • Patent number: 6786895
    Abstract: A disposable absorbent article, and a method of manufacture of the disposable absorbent article, which better contains fecal material within the article, and which prevents leakage of fecal material out of the article, and/or prevents movement of fecal material from the anal region to the genital region is described herein. The absorbent article utilizes barrier cuffs, an absorbent core, and a topsheet with at least one cut in the intermediate region of the absorbent article such that part of the intermediate region of the topsheet is lifted out of the plane of the rest of the topsheet by the barrier cuffs. The lifted portion forms a transverse barrier and a pocket between the topsheet and the absorbent core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Christoph Johann Schmitz
  • Patent number: 6786894
    Abstract: The present invention relates to absorbent articles for retaining body fluids such as urine, menses, or fecal material. In particular, the absorbent article of the present invention comprises a liquid handling member that collapses at a pressure between 2756 Pascal (0.4 psi) and 3447 (0.5 psi) in order to reduce the likelihood of causing skin marking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Michael Divo, Peter Dziezok, John Peter Lankhof
  • Patent number: 6772708
    Abstract: A wetness indicating composition comprising a colorant disposed in a carrier matrix. The colorant provides a visible signal when activated by urine. The colorant resists leaching from the carrier matrix by being chemically bound to a component of the carrier matrix. The colorant may be bound by ionic or covalent bonds, or by intermolecular forces. The colorant may be a pH indicator. The wetness indicating composition may be incorporated into a wearable article, such as a disposable absorbent article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter and Gamble Company
    Inventors: Thomas James Klofta, Brandon Ellis Wise, Donald Carroll Roe
  • Patent number: 6764476
    Abstract: The present invention provides liquid handling member which is capable of rapidly distributing the acquired liquid parallel to its surface. The present invention further provides a device for handling urine which comprises the liquid handling member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Bruno Johannes Ehrnsperger, Stephen Allen Goldman, Mattias Schmidt
  • Patent number: 6764478
    Abstract: Absorbent article having a containment assembly and highly extensible leg openings. The leg opening margins may have portions having differential properties, such as differential elastic extensibility. The absorbent article may also have highly extensible outer leg cuffs. Additionally, the absorbent article may have a narrow crotch region. The absorbent article may thus provide ease of application and removal, sustained dynamic fit, prevention of leakage, sustained wearer comfort, and desirable appearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Gregory Ashton, Eiro Fukuda, Frederick Michael Langdon
  • Patent number: 6763944
    Abstract: An array of disposable absorbent article configurations is provided comprising a sequence of designs corresponding to a wearer's stages of development. A merchandising system facilitates consumers' selection of an absorbent article configuration by appropriately matching an absorbent article configuration with a particular wearer's stage of development. The system includes indicia exhibiting pictorial representations of the absorbent article configurations fitted to wearer's at corresponding stages of development enabling a consumer to choose the appropriate absorbent article configuration for a particular wearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Karl P. Ronn, Barry R. Feist, Mary L. Carr, Kathy O. Ames-Ooten, Danielia T. Wilkins, Merlene A. Cummins, Ooma B. Rampersad-Cutler, Monica J. Mohlenkamp, Vicki L. Streithorst
  • Patent number: D494394
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Carol Anne Leong-Son, Chris Joseph Kazakeos
  • Patent number: D498061
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Bradley Michael Watts