Patents Represented by Attorney Scott A. Baum
  • Patent number: 7354598
    Abstract: A co-packaged product and containers for co-packaging two different substrates is disclosed. The co-packaged product comprises a first substrate wound into a roll having an interior space, and a second substrate is located within at least a portion of the interior space. In one embodiment, a paper towel roll has a wet wipe container located within the core of the paper towel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel Fraser Masting
  • Patent number: 7344104
    Abstract: By designing a belt-driven unwind to have two distinct belt tension areas, the belt pressure against the unwinding roll can be decreased. The belt-driven unwind can have a higher belt tension section for proper belt tracking and to prevent slippage at the drive roller, and the belt driven unwind can have a lower belt tension section for the portion of the belt in contact with the unwinding roll. In this manner, the belt-driven unwind can be used with soft, bulky tissue rolls without damaging the rolls like a conventional belt-driven unwind.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Stephen Hada, James Leo Baggot, Brian James Gingras, Vivek Karandikar
  • Patent number: 7322489
    Abstract: By reducing the overlap distance O of the interfolded sheets in the upper layer of a stack of interfolded sheets, sheet tears and/or multiple dispensing can be avoided for the initial sheets dispensed. By increasing the overlap distance O of the interfolded sheets in the lower layer of a stack of interfolded sheets, fallback of the subsequent sheets can be avoided. To maximize the number of sheets that can be placed into the same sized dispenser, the folded width of all sheets in the stack should be substantially the same. The interfolded stack is especially useful in an upright dispenser to improve sheet dispensing, but can also be utilized in a flat dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventor: Leslie Thomas Long
  • Patent number: 7303092
    Abstract: A wet wipes package including an outer carton having an opening. Disposed within the carton is an interior tub having a baffle and an aperture located in the baffle. A rigid flip top is disposed over the carton opening for access to the interior tub and a plurality of wet wipes is disposed within the interior tub beneath the baffle. Because the exterior of the wet wipes package is similar to a facial tissue carton, similar graphical treatments as applied to facial tissue cartons can be used to design an attractive package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Charles Sarbo, Walter George Bauer, Wen Zyo Schroeder, Ryan Leslie Fulscher, Wichnart Ann Imsangjan
  • Patent number: 7293738
    Abstract: A freestanding dispenser for dual dispensing of a wet substrate and a dry substrate includes: a base for supporting the freestanding dispenser on a substantially horizontal surface; a support member connected to the base, the support member holding a roll of a dry substrate in a substantially vertical position; and a source of a wet substrate supported by the freestanding dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Loïc Grébonval, Kenneth Graham Russell, Danny Fraser Masting, Tammy Jo Balzar, William John Maskell, Jason Morenikeji, Gerard Michael O'Brien, David Eugene Salmon
  • Patent number: 7273156
    Abstract: A dispenser for sheet materials includes a top portion, a bottom portion, and a restraining member preventing the top and bottom portion from separating. The top portion and the bottom portion can telescope to vary the dispenser's overall height. In one embodiment, by designing a dispenser having bottom sidewalls and top sidewalls of approximately the same length, problems with access to the exposed sheet or excessive manipulation to change the dispenser's height can be avoided. In another embodiment, by designing the dispenser such that the height of the dispenser can automatically reduce as the sheet material is depleted or where the height can be adjusted by simply pushing down on the dispenser's top makes the dispenser convenient to use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Hongxia Gao, Gary Douglas Williams, Patricia Ann Samolinski, Scott Allen Baum, Sara Marie Vermillion, Daphne Lynn VanBuren, Tammy Jo Balzar, Cynthia Watts Henderson
  • Patent number: 7232040
    Abstract: A dispenser is disclosed which is capable of dispensing articles from two locations. The dispenser includes first and second members pivotally connected together by a first hinge to form a first entrance into the dispenser. The first and second members are capable of housing a plurality of wet or dry, sheet-like articles. The first entrance provides reach-in access wherein multiple sheet-like articles can be withdrawn at one time. The second member also has a second entrance formed therein from which the sheet-like articles can be individually withdrawn. The dispenser further includes a third member secured to the second member at a first location and has a second hinge spaced apart from the first location. The first and second hinges are situated on opposite sides of the dispenser. The third member is capable of pivoting on the second hinge to cover the second entrance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Vincent Decker, Stephen Robert Kehn, Cleary E. Mahaffey, Herb Flores Velazquez, John Martin Wydeven
  • Patent number: 7219815
    Abstract: Different embodiments for adapting a package, such as a tissue carton or wet wipes container, for placement into a cup holder or for being secured by a cup holder are disclosed. By adapting existing packages containing disposable articles to fit into a cup holder, the package can be kept securely in place in an automobile. By adapting the existing package design, existing packaging machinery can be used to produce the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Scott Allen Baum, Duane Lyle McDonald
  • Patent number: 7073310
    Abstract: By loading both upright and flat tissue clips into their respective cartons by pushing on one end of the clip along the clip's longitudinal axis, a simple flexible carton loading apparatus is possible. To load flat tissue clips, the buckets of the carton loading apparatus are configured to hold the clip such that a pusher head contacts one end of the clip while sliding the clip from the bucket into the carton. To load upright tissue clips, the buckets of the carton loading apparatus are configured to hold the clip such that a pusher head contacts one end of the clip, while the opposing end of the clip is moved either up or down such that the leading half of the clip is folded backwards about a transverse fold axis by a folding plate attached to the pusher head as the clip is advanced through the bucket towards the carton. Upon entering the carton, the clip is folded in a backwards C-shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Leslie Thomas Long, Emory Emil Luebke
  • Patent number: 7070143
    Abstract: There is provided a system for dispensing a plurality of perforated wipes having a perforation detach strength characteristic. The system includes a dispenser having a dispensing force characteristic and including a sealable chamber. The chamber is configured to retain the plurality of perforated wipes therein. A dispensing opening is in communication with the chamber. The opening is adapted to dispense wipes from the plurality of perforated wipes through the opening and out of the dispenser. A wiper blade is positioned in the dispenser to engage at least a portion of the wipes as the wipes dispense through the opening. When dispensing, a ratio of the perforation detach strength characteristic to the dispensing force characteristic is greater than 1:1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael John Faulks, Yung Hsiang Huang, William Robert Newman, Herb F. Velazquez, Ligia A. Rivera, Paige Annette Dellerman, Steven John Romme, Cherry Ann Bochmann, Gerald P. DeGreen, Jeffrey M. Kalman
  • Patent number: 7063245
    Abstract: There is provided a wet wipes dispensing system. The system includes a plurality of separably joined wet wipes and the plurality of separably joined wet wipes include a lubricant. The system also includes a dispenser including a sealed chamber, the sealed chamber housing the plurality of separably joined wet wipes therein. The dispenser also includes a flexible elastic sealing orifice through which wet wipes from the plurality of separably joined wet wipes can be dispensed from the sealed chamber. At least a portion of the lubricant is automatically transferable to the flexible elastic sealing orifice when wet wipes from the plurality of separably joined wet wipes are dispensed from the sealed chamber through the flexible elastic sealing orifice whereby a drag relationship between the wet wipes and the flexible elastic sealing orifice is reduced by at least about 20%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael John Faulks, Yung Hsiang Huang, Jennifer Cappel Larson, Steven John Romme, A. Todd Leak, Paige Annette Dellerman, Ligia A. Rivera
  • Patent number: 7033453
    Abstract: A process for reorienting the plies within a multi-ply web includes the steps of: providing at least two plies, each ply having a first and a second opposing surface; combining the at least two plies together to form a multi-ply web; treating either the first or the second opposing surface of at least one ply of the multi-ply web forming a treated multi-ply web; winding the treated multi-ply web into a roll; unwinding the roll; and changing the orientation of the treated surface within the multi-ply web as the roll is unwound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Lee Patrick Garvey, Marc David Couture, Andy D. Kleist
  • Patent number: 6991706
    Abstract: An improved paper and the process of making an improved paper web is 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: September 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    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: 6959834
    Abstract: A windowless tissue carton comprises, in one embodiment, a film aperture having a printed design such that the interior of the carton is not visible through a colorless transparent plastic window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventor: Duane Lyle McDonald
  • Patent number: 6921460
    Abstract: A tissue sheet is made using a modified wet pressed tissue machine employing an integrally sealed air press. The apparatus includes: a forming roll; a drying cylinder positioned downstream of the forming roll; an air press positioned between the forming roll and the drying cylinder; a molding fabric adjacent a first fabric such that both fabrics travel through the air press, and wherein the air press is installed to direct a pressurized fluid through the molding fabric first and then through the first fabric; and a pressure roll adjacent the drying cylinder for pressing the molding fabric against the drying cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Frank Stephen Hada
  • Patent number: 6911407
    Abstract: Disclosed is an absorbent article useful for the following purposes without limitation: as a bed pad, a baby changing pad, a bib, a table cloth, or a painter's drop cloth. The absorbent article includes a vapor-permeable liquid-impermeable bottomsheet having an interior surface and an exterior surface, an absorbent structure positioned adjacent the interior surface, and a non-adhesive skid-resistant coating applied to the exterior surface such that the bottomsheet remains vapor-permeable after application of the coating. The non-adhesive skid resistant coating improves the ability of the absorbent article to remain in position without leaving residue on surfaces while leaving the absorbent article breathable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Earle H. Sherrod, Daniel L. Ellingson, Stephen M. Campbell, Thomas H. Roessler
  • Patent number: D530223
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Christine Marie Mau, Duane Lyle McDonald
  • Patent number: D545097
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Samuel Schlaupitz, Herb Flores Velazquez, Meara Catherine Kelley, David James Wilks, David N. Woods, Scott G. Manke
  • Patent number: D548080
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Larry Edgerton Brown, Herb Flores Velazquez, Mark T. Cammarota
  • Patent number: D572019
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Ehrich J. Braunschweig, Charles J. Studiner, IV