Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Ken K. Patel
  • Patent number: 6703537
    Abstract: An absorbent article including a liquid pervious topsheet, a liquid impervious backsheet joined to at least a portion of the topsheet, an absorbent core disposed between at least a portion of the topsheet and the backsheet, and a waste management element disposed in at least a portion of a crotch region. The waste management element preferably includes an acceptance element having an effective open area of at least about 30 percent and a storage element having a compressive resistance of at least about 70 percent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Donald C. Roe, Cheryl D. Fox, Aleksey M. Pinyayev
  • Patent number: 6703536
    Abstract: An absorbent article, at least a portion of which comprises a skin care composition that comprises an enzyme inhibitor and is at least partially transferred from the article to the skin of a wearer of the article as a result of normal contact, wearer motion and/or body heat. The enzyme inhibitor is transferred to the skin with the skin care composition and is available at the skin/urine and skin/feces interfaces to inhibit enzymatic activity on the skin and to reduce or prevent the occurrence of inflammation. Repeated application of similar treated articles to the wearer's skin provides an available source with which the enzyme inhibitor transfers onto the skin continuously over time and accumulates to provide a proactive defense against harmful enzymes for the treatment and/or prevention of diaper dermatitis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Donald Carroll Roe, Francis James Rourke, Scott Edward Osborne
  • Patent number: 6695476
    Abstract: A bag made of flexible sheet material having an opening defined by a periphery. Juxtaposed with the periphery is a closure zone. The closure zone has induced extensibility in a direction perpendicular to the opening of the bag so that handle ties may be conveniently formed upon extension of the closure zone material. The handle ties are bound together to form an integral closure for the bag. The closure remains bound in response to forces upon it. The induced extensibility is provided by a network of dual regions having different modes of extensibility. The dual region network also provides the advantage of an increased gripping surface for forming the handle ties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Beverly Ann Julian Jackson, Daniel Raymond Cerone, Daniel Edward Buenger
  • Patent number: 6683041
    Abstract: Disclosed are disposable cleansing articles (1) which comprise a multi-phase, multi-component emulsion (5) and an activation web (2) that facilitates activation of the emulsion during use. In a preferred embodiment, the multi-phase emulsion is a high internal phase inverse emulsion having a continuous external lipid phase and a discontinuous internal polar phase. During use, the activation web facilitates breakage of the emulsion's external phase, thereby releasing the internal phase for its desired use. Because the internal liquid phase may account for up to about 97% of the emulsion, significant levels of fluid (e.g., water or a polar liquid) may be delivered from a “dry” wipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Nicholas James Nissing, John Billings Burchnall
  • Patent number: 6683229
    Abstract: The present invention provides an absorbent article such as a diaper, a training pant, an adult incontinence article, a bed mat, or the like which is capable of evenly storing urine in a first storage region and in a second storage region. In particular, the fraction of the amount of liquid stored in the first storage region to the amount of liquid stored in the second storage region remains relatively unchanged over a wide range of loadings of the article. The present invention further provides a process for handling urine in the absorbent article which comprises a step of storing liquid in a first storage region and of storing, liquid in a second storage region such that the ratio of the amount of liquid stored in the first storage region to the amount of liquid stored in the second storage region remains relatively constant over a wide range of loadings of the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Bruno Johannes Ehrnsperger, Mattias Schmidt
  • Patent number: 6680422
    Abstract: A disposable absorbent article, such as a diaper. The disposable absorbent article has a topsheet with apertures large enough for low-viscosity fecal material to pass through to a fecal material storage element. The fecal material storage element immobilizes the fecal material in position for dewatering, so that the liquid components of the fecal material are absorbed by the core and the solid components of the fecal material are separated from the liquid components. This arrangement provides for easier cleaning of the wearer when the soiled disposable absorbent article is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Donald Carroll Roe
  • Patent number: 6677294
    Abstract: Disclosed are cleansing compositions comprising one or more surfactants selected from the group consisting of: i) anionic surfactants, ii) amphoteric surfactants, iii) nonionic surfactants, iv) cationic surfactants and v) mixtures thereof, where the dynamic viscosity of the compositions at 25° C. is at least about 100,000 centipoise and where the cleansing composition results in no or minimal eye sting. Also disclosed disposable articles comprising water insoluble substrates releasably containing the cleansing compositions, a process for making the disposable articles and a method of use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Gretchen Linnea Shaw, Nicola Jacqueline Phipps, Edward Dewey Smith, III, Frank Neumann, James Anthony Staudigel
  • Patent number: 6672475
    Abstract: Disclosed is a dispensing carton (200) containing a clip of interfolded sheets of a paper product, comprising: (a) a top wall (100) having a dispensing opening (180) through which the sheets (280) are withdrawn from the carton; (b) two pairs of opposing side walls (120, 140); (c) a bottom wall; (d) a dynamic friction reduction material (20) affixed to at least a portion of the inner surfaces of at least one of the pairs of opposing side walls; wherein the dispensing force required to dispense a sheet from the carton is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Monica Ho, Diana Jobson Cheshire, James Edwin Cartledge, Jr., Sumie Goto
  • Patent number: 6673057
    Abstract: The present invention is a liquid transport member with significantly improved liquid handling capability, which has at least one bulk or inner region with a high average permeability, completely circumscribed by a wall region. The wall region further comprises at least one port region with a lower permeability than the inner region, and with a ratio of its permeability to its thickness of at least 10−7 m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 6, 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: 6669618
    Abstract: A method for pre-fastening disposable absorbent articles having a slot-and-tab fastening system during manufacturing of the pre-fastened disposable articles, such as diapers, pull-on diapers, training pants, adults incontinence pads and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: George S. Reising, Michael D. Trennepohl, Darrell Ian Brown, John Carroll Molander, Jason Matthew Prosek
  • Patent number: 6666850
    Abstract: A disposable absorbent article having an expandable component. The expandable component can be inflatable, and includes a gas evolving material and an activating material separated from the gas evolving material by a breakable barrier. The barrier is broken to combine the materials and inflate the component at the point of use of the disposable absorbent article. The inflatable component can include a spacer for maintaining a fecal void space in a disposable absorbent article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Nicholas A. Ahr, Gary D. Lavon, Brandon E. Wise
  • Patent number: 6667425
    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 scrim backing and a sheet of fibers. The sheet of fibers have anchor portions in the scrim backing at spaced bonding locations and have arcuate portions of the sheet projecting from the backing between bonding locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Gabriele Stiehl, Jorg Muller
  • Patent number: 6664439
    Abstract: An absorbent article having an ultimate fluid storage region and a fluid distribution region, positioned between the ultimate storage region and the garment oriented surface of the article, in fluid communication with the ultimate fluid storage region, the ultimate fluid storage region includes a material which has: (1) a Capillary Sorption Desorption Capacity at 100 cm (CSDC 100) of at least 10 g/g; (2) a Capillary Sorption Desorption Capacity at 0 cm (CSDC 0) higher than the CSDC 100; (3) a Loosely Bound Liquid Capacity (LBLC); and (4) a Capillary Sorption Desorption Release Height when 50% of the LBLC are released (CSDRH 50) less than 60 cm. Further, the liquid distribution layer material has a Capillary Sorption Absorption Height at 30% of its maximum capacity (CSAH 30) of at least 35 cm. Disuibution material can be foam materials, particularly those derived from high internal phase water-in-oil emulsions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Silke Arndt, Bruno Johannes Ehrnsperger, Mattias Schmidt, Gary Dean Lavon, Frank Neumann, Andrea Lieselotte Link
  • Patent number: 6659992
    Abstract: An absorbent article such as a diaper, a training pant, an adult incontinence article, a bed mate, or the like is capable of rapidly transporting urine away from its acquisition zone. In particular the absorbent article stores a fraction of the acquired liquid outside of its acquisition region which fraction remains relatively unchanged between 20 percent and 100 percent load of the article. A process for handling urine in the absorbent article comprises a step of transporting a relatively constant fraction of the acquired liquid away from the acquisition zone of the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Mattias Schmidt, Bruno Johannes Ehrnsperger
  • Patent number: 6660129
    Abstract: A fibrous structure having at least a first region defining a first plane and having a first elevation, and a second region outwardly extending from the first plane to define a second elevation, wherein the second region comprises a plurality of fibrous pillows. At least some of the fibrous pillows comprise fibrous domes and fibrous cantilever portions laterally extending therefrom at the second elevation. The cantilever portions are elevated from the first plane to form pocket therebetween. In a cross-section perpendicular to the first plane the fibrous pillow has a cross-sectional base measured at the first elevation and a cross-sectional perimeter, wherein a ratio of the cross-sectional perimeter to the cross-sectional base is greater than 4/1. A laminated fibrous structure is also disclosed, comprising at least one fibrous sheet having a plurality of fibrous cantilever portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: David William Cabell, Paul Dennis Trokhan
  • Patent number: 6656312
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for applying discrete portions (10) of a web material onto a receiving web (7) comprising: a primary axis of rotation and an attachment zone to an average radial distance, R1, from the primary axis of rotation; transfer elements (6) rotatable about the axis, the transfer elements receiving a second web (2) at a radial distance, R2, from the primary axis wherein the radial distance R1, is greater than the radial distance R2; a means for displacing the transfer elements (6) so that the second web (2) is moved immediately adjacent to the attachment zone; and an attachment surface (10) rotatable about the primary axis and through the attachment zone, for transporting the receiving web (7) about the primary axis, whereby discrete portions (10) of the second web (2) are attached to the receiving web (7) in the attachment zone, forming a composite web comprising the receiving web (7) and discrete portions (10) of the second web (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Christoph Johann Schmitz, Uwe Schneider
  • Patent number: D483120
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Christian Klebba, Markus Rosar, Bret A. Sims, Jean-Paul Jansen
  • Patent number: D483486
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Christian Klebba, Markus Rosar, Bret A. Sims, Jean-Paul Jansen
  • Patent number: D483867
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Christian Klebba, Markus Rosar, Bret A. Sims, Jean-Paul Jansen
  • Patent number: D485461
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Stephen Sams, Bernard Sams, Kenneth Young, Heike Kammerer, Martin Zethoff