Patents Assigned to Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11970305
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for manufacturing products having custom graphic designed are disclosed. A method may comprise printing a first order identifier graphic on a substrate material, the first order identifier graphic associated with a first order for a first set of products, printing a first set of one or more graphic designs on the material, the first set of one or more graphic designs associated with the first order, and combining the material with one or more product components to form a first set of products, each of the first set of products being associated with the first customer order and at least one of the products of the first set of products comprising the first order identifier graphic. The method may further comprise packaging the first set of products in a first package wherein the first order identifier graphic is visible through the first package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Tim G. Dollevoet, Jeffrey R. Heller, Steven T. Moore, Manan Gill, Jason A. Verboomen
  • Patent number: 11969323
    Abstract: Absorbent articles of the present disclosure may be constructed with a secondary liner sheet placed on top of a body facing liner of the articles configured to form a pocket. The pocket provides a barrier, thereby separating a front region of the absorbent articles from a rear region. In this manner, the absorbent articles of the present disclosure may reduce the spread of bodily exudates throughout the articles. The reduced spreading of exudates may help to keep skin healthy by reducing the amount of skin exposed to the skin irritants within the exudates and/or by preventing additional skin irritants from being created by preventing the mixing of BM and urine, at least in proximity to the skin of the wearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: David J. Enz, Patrick R. Lord, Kyle M. Barriger
  • Patent number: 11965083
    Abstract: A polyolefin material that is formed by solid state drawing of a thermoplastic composition containing a continuous phase that includes a polyolefin matrix polymer and nanoinclusion additive is provided. The nanoinclusion additive is dispersed within the continuous phase as discrete nano-scale phase domains. When drawn, the nano-scale phase domains are able to interact with the matrix in a unique manner to create a network of nanopores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Vasily A. Topolkaraev, Ryan J. McEneany, Antonio J. Carrillo
  • Patent number: 11963856
    Abstract: An absorbent article which can have an improved feeling of comfort next to the skin of the wearer and a reduction in the feelings of wetness and rewet. An absorbent article can have a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction, and a depth direction. The absorbent article can have a topsheet layer, a backsheet layer, and an absorbent core positioned between the topsheet layer and the backsheet layer. The topsheet layer can have a hydrophilic central layer, a semi-hydrophilic first side layer, and a semi-hydrophilic second side layer. Each of the semi-hydrophilic side layers can be bonded to the central layer utilizing an embossing technique in the regions of overlap of each of the semi-hydrophilic side layers with the central layer. The area of the body-facing surface of each of the regions of overlap can contain from about 10% to about 35% of at least one embossment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: JuHyung Lee, KueYoung You, SungSu Kim, SeoYeon Son, HakJae Kim
  • Patent number: 11957553
    Abstract: An absorbent garment that includes a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis. The absorbent garment also includes a front region, a back region and a crotch region, with the crotch region being disposed between the front region and the back region. The crotch region includes an absorbent assembly. The absorbent garment further includes a front panel in the front region, wherein the front panel includes an inner layer, an outer layer and a front longitudinal end; a back panel in the back region, wherein the back panel includes an inner layer, an outer layer and a back longitudinal end. The front panel and the back panel each include a stranded elastic area between their inner and outer layers. The front panel also includes a stretch banded area disposed between the inner and outer layers. The stretch banded area is disposed adjacent the front longitudinal end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Sang Hyun Lee, DongSoo Choi, Allyssa Marie Herrmann
  • Patent number: 11937741
    Abstract: A system comprising a plurality of dispensers each configured to dispense a respective hygienic consumable product during a dispense operation and each including a processor and memory; a distributed computing program configured to receive data defining a computational task comprising work streams and generate data assigning the work streams to at least two of the plurality of dispensers, wherein each of the at least two of the plurality of dispensers are configured to use their respective processor and memory to work on their respective work streams; and a data processing apparatus configured to run the distributed computing program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Cleary E. Mahaffey, Stephen Becker
  • Patent number: 11939726
    Abstract: A multi-layered web is disclosed that is resilient and/or elastic in the Z-direction. Thus, when the web is compressed, the web assumes a compacted state and then expands to an expanded state when the compressive forces are removed. In one embodiment, the multi-layered web includes a middle layer made from a resilient blend of fibers positioned inbetween two outer layers. The middle layer, for instance, can contain elastomeric fibers, three-dimensional fibers, and/or debonded fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Lilley, Donald E. Waldroup, Charles W. Colman, Joseph K. Baker, Marvin E. Swails, Michael Payne, Vicky S. Polashock
  • Patent number: 11932988
    Abstract: A system comprising a pulper configured to (i) accept surfactant, a liquid and fiber stock and (ii) generate a foam that suspends the fiber stock, wherein the foam has a half-life; a headbox configured to receive the foam-suspended fiber stock from the pulper and displace the foam-suspended fiber stock onto a forming wire, wherein a time it takes the foam-suspended fiber stock to move from the pulper to the headbox is less than the half-life; and a foam return device that removes at least some of the foam from the forming wire and returns the at least some of the foam to the pulper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Marvin E. E. Swails, Vicky S. Polashock, Michael Payne, Joseph K. Baker, Charles W. Colman
  • Patent number: 11931468
    Abstract: A feminine care absorbent article comprising an absorbent member positioned between a topsheet and a baffle is provided. The absorbent member contains at least one layer that comprises superabsorbent particles containing nanopores having an average cross-sectional dimension of from about 10 to about 500 nanometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuriy Galabura, Austin N. Pickett, WanDuk Lee, Vasily A. Topolkaraev, Palani Raj R. Wallajapet, Cynthia S. Krueger, Mark M. Mleziva, Richmond R. Cohen
  • Patent number: 11931469
    Abstract: An absorbent article comprising an absorbent member positioned between a topsheet and a backsheet is provided. The absorbent member contains at least one layer that comprises porous superabsorbent particles, wherein the particles exhibit a relative humidity microclimate of about 67% or less after being exposed to an atmosphere having a temperature of about 23° C. and relative humidity of 80% for a time period of 20 minutes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuriy Galabura, Mark M. Mleziva, John Gavin MacDonald, Vasily A. Topolkaraev, Michelle McBride, Karien J. Rodriguez, Matthew Valaskey, Dave Soerens, Neil T. Scholl, WanDuk Lee
  • Patent number: 11920298
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for actively cooling a fluid, particularly a foamed fluid. The foamed fluid may comprise a foamed suspension of fibers that is used to form a web. The foamed suspension of fibers is fed around a recirculation loop and actively cooled using a heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventor: Aisan Khodaei
  • Patent number: 11910963
    Abstract: A dispensing system for dispensing consumable product comprising a dispenser including a body comprising a front side and aback side, and a product holding area defined by the front side and the back side, wherein the product storage area is configured to store the consumable product within the dispenser; a dispensing mechanism operatively coupled to the consumable product through a consumable product holder in the product storage area, and wherein the dispensing mechanism is configured to facilitate a dispensing cycle to dispense a portion of the consumable product; a first impact sensor configured to sense a first impact to the dispenser; a dispenser event sensor configured to sense an operational status of the dispenser; and a data processing device configured to store impact data describing the first impact and operational status data describing the operational status and associate the first impact data and the operational status data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul F. Tramontina
  • Patent number: 11911247
    Abstract: A thong-style absorbent article can have a waist region, a back extension extending from a back waist portion of the waist region, and a chassis extending between a front waist portion of the waist region and the back extension. The chassis can have a generally triangular shape and a pair of containment features positioned at the longitudinal direction side edges of the chassis. An exudate management system can be positioned between the pair of containment features and can have a first exudate management component and a second exudate management component. In various embodiments, the absorbent article can be adjustable in size and positioning about the wearer to provide for improved fit of the absorbent article and reduced leakage of exudate from the absorbent article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Heidi Bauerlein Hopkins, Suzanne Marie Schmoker
  • Publication number: 20240060222
    Abstract: A method for making a high topography nonwoven substrate includes generating a foam including water and synthetic binder fibers; depositing the foam on a planar surface; disposing a template form on the foam opposite the planar surface to create a foam/form assembly; heating the foam/form assembly to dry the foam and bind the synthetic binder fibers; and removing the template from the substrate after heating the foam/form assembly, wherein the substrate includes a planar base layer having an X-Y surface and a backside surface opposite the X-Y surface; and a plurality of projection elements integral with and protruding in a Z-direction from the X-Y surface, wherein the projection elements are distributed in both the X- and Y-directions, and wherein the density of a projection element is the same as the density of the base layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Davis Dang H. Nhan, Cathleen M. Uttecht, Lori A. Eslinger, Neil T. Scholl, Jian Qin, Charles W. Colman, Deborah J. Calewarts, Vasily A. Topolkaraev, Antonio J. Carrillo Ojeda
  • Patent number: 11905110
    Abstract: A waste receptacle comprising a columnar body having a waste bin holding area configured to accept a waste bin, an upper body portion and a lower body portion, wherein the upper portion includes an waste opening through which waste can vertically enter the bin holding area; a front door having top and bottom portions, wherein the bottom portion is pivotally attached to the lower body portion; an opening restraint device connected to the body and the front door and configured to prevent the front door from pivoting away from the body more than about 45 degrees; and wherein the waste receptacle has a height, width and depth and has an omega value that is defined as a ratio of the depth over the height and is between 0.25 and 0.33.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Dok Chon, SungJin Moon, SungWoo Kim
  • Patent number: 11883268
    Abstract: Absorbent articles with front and rear opening features are disclosed. An article may comprise an insert comprising an outer cover, a liner, and a core between the outer cover and liner, a first waist panel coupled to the insert throughout a first attachment region, and a second waist panel coupled to the insert throughout a second attachment region, the second panel being coupled to the first panel proximate a first side edge of the article and the second side edge of the article and further comprising a weakened region. The second attachment may comprise a low-strength attachment zone and a high-strength attachment zone, the high-strength attachment zone disposed proximate the attachment region bottom edge. The low-strength attachment zone may further have a first peel strength and the high-strength attachment zone may have a second peel strength, the second peel strength greater than the first.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Beth Johnson, Sarah Kleuskens, James R Niedt, Kyle M Barriger, Marc A Morin, Jr., Thomas A Ray, Timothy A. Thorson, Victor Stevens
  • Patent number: 11878322
    Abstract: A system and process are disclosed for applying an adhesive composition to a moving web of material. During the process, a web of material is conveyed very rapidly adjacent to a nozzle of an adhesive applicator. A defecting device periodically deflects the web into contact with a surface of the nozzle. An adhesive flow control device is used to control the flow of adhesive through the nozzle. Adhesive flows through the nozzle and is timed with the deflection device. In one embodiment, the flow of adhesive is started prior to contact with the web. In this manner, treated discrete areas of the adhesive composition can be formed on the web. The treated discrete areas can have lengths that are minimized through the process of the present disclosure allowing for adhesive to be applied at extremely fast speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: James Niedt, Walter Hagy, Kyle M. Barriger, Joseph J. Sina, Daniel J. Grassl
  • Patent number: 11864985
    Abstract: Described herein are absorbent composites containing embossed superabsorbent materials and methods of manufacturing absorbent composites containing embossed superabsorbent materials. The absorbent composites have significantly improved rates of intake. Compositions and methods described herein are useful in a variety of absorbent products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Feng Chen, Wing-Chak Ng, Mark M. Mleziva
  • Patent number: 11857398
    Abstract: An apparatus for conveying and applying a discrete part to a substrate includes a plurality of transfer puck assemblies, a drive assembly, and a translation mechanism. The plurality of transfer puck assemblies is adapted to convey the discrete part to the substrate, and each transfer puck assembly includes at least one puck segment. The drive assembly is configured to rotate each transfer puck assembly about a drive axis. The translation mechanism is configured to translate the at least one puck segment in an axial direction as the plurality of transfer puck assemblies are being rotated about the drive axis to move the discrete part to a profiled configuration prior to application of the profiled discrete part to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Paul A. Weber, Michael L. Lohoff, Matthew J. Maigatter
  • Patent number: D1011074
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric M. Chalko, Alice S. Gordon, Alyssa G. Mellett, Julia B. Kemper, Suzuko Hisata