Patents Assigned to Kimberly-Clark Worldwide
  • Patent number: 10538879
    Abstract: A dispersible moist wipe includes regenerated cellulose fibers in an amount equal to or less than 20 percent by weight and natural cellulose fibers in an amount equal to or greater than 80 percent by weight. At least 50 percent of the natural cellulose fibers are fibrillated. The regenerated cellulose fibers and the natural cellulose fibers are hydroentangled such that the web has a wet CD tensile strength of at least 200 grams per inch. A method of making a dispersible nonwoven sheet includes dispersing natural cellulose fibers and regenerated cellulose fibers in a liquid medium to form a liquid suspension and depositing the liquid suspension over a forming surface to form a nonwoven web. The natural cellulose fibers and regenerated cellulose fibers of the web are hydroentangled using a plurality of hydroentangling jets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph K. Baker, David A. Moline, Colin Ackroyd, Lynn P. Bresnahan
  • Patent number: 10532124
    Abstract: Farnesol analogs, along with their related products (e.g., treatment compositions, wipes, absorbent articles, etc.) and their methods of formation, are provided. The farnesol analog includes a hydrophilic end group (e.g., a hydroxyl end group or a carboxylic acid end group) attached to farnesol via a covalent linkage (e.g., an ester group or an ether group).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: David William Koenig, Mary Kay Foegen, Corey Thomas Cunningham, Aimin He, Yang Huang
  • Patent number: 10533096
    Abstract: A superhydrophobic non-fluorinated composition includes a hydrophobic matrix component free of fluorine, a hydrophilic filler particles, wherein the filler particles are metal oxide nanoparticles, and water, wherein the hydrophobic component is in an aqueous dispersion. Also, a superhydrophobic non-fluorinated composition includes a hydrophobic polymer free of fluorine, a titanium dioxide nanoparticle filler particle, and water. In addition, a superhydrophobic non-fluorinated composition includes a hydrophobic polymer free of fluorine, wherein the hydrophobic polymer includes a polyolefin, titanium dioxide nanoparticles as filler, wherein the titanium dioxide nanoparticles are rutile titanium dioxide, anatase titanium dioxide, or a mixture of rutile and anatase titanium dioxide, and water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Jian Qin, Donald Eugene Waldroup, Deborah Joy Calewarts, Constantine Michael Megaridis, Joseph Edward Mates
  • Patent number: 10531992
    Abstract: An absorbent article which has a one-piece chassis and integral side portions. The one-piece chassis can be a bi-laminate material and can have a liquid permeable layer and a liquid impermeable layer bonded together. The side portions can be integrally formed from the one-piece chassis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Daniel Coenen, Andrew Edward Neubauer, Michael Donald Sperl, Frederique Vignali
  • Publication number: 20200009174
    Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions, particularly compositions useful in maintaining and supporting healthy microflora in the female urogenital tract which could lead to inhibition of vaginal infections, as well as methods of treating and preventing vaginal infections. Compositions useful in supporting healthy microflora, disclosed herein, generally include a first therapeutic agent including ? methyl-D glucoside and a second therapeutic agent including a nitrogen containing compound at a therapeutic amount. In some embodiments, the nitrogen containing compound can be, for example, L-Cysteine, Cytidine, D-Asparagine, Pyrimidine, D-Alanine, D-Glucosamine HCL, and N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Applicant: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Jingru Li, Lindsay A. Peed, Paige N. Hollmaier, Rebecca A. Vongsa, David W. Koenig, Cheryce F. Joyner
  • Patent number: 10526752
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Kayla Elizabeth Rouse, Richard Louis Underhill, David John Paulson, Felicia Marie Sauer, Thomas Gerard Shannon
  • Patent number: 10519601
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Richard Louis Underhill, Kevin Leon LaBerge, John Matthew Reiser, Gilbert Darrell Gafford
  • Patent number: 10517779
    Abstract: An absorbent article (10) can include a pocket (64) disposed in the front waist region 12. The pocket (64) can include a first side edge (70), a second side edge (72), an upper lateral edge (74), and a lower lateral edge (76). The pocket (64) can be closed with respect to the absorbent assembly (44) at least at the first side edge (70) and the second side edge (72) and can be open with respect to the absorbent assembly (44) at least at the lower lateral edge (76). In one embodiment, at least a portion of the upper lateral edge (74) can be closer to the front waist edge (22) of the absorbent article (10) than is the first end edge (40) of the absorbent body (34).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Nicole J. Barna, Sara Stabelfeldt, David F. Bishop, Nancy E. Dawson, Robert M. Hill, Eric D. Johnson, Paul A. Weber, Georgia L. Zehner
  • Patent number: 10512566
    Abstract: An absorbent article includes a base-structure and an elevatable structure known as a flat-back protection feature, that is capable of rising above the base-structure during article use. The flat-back protection feature utilizes either differences in material length compared with the length of the adjacent base-structure, or elastic materials, to maintain the feature elevation above the base-structure, while the article is in an extended condition. The flat-back protection feature extends into the intergluteal cleft of a wearer during use. Embossment features on the absorbent article are used to facilitate folding of the absorbent article, enhance the functionality of the protection feature, and/or improve the ease of manufacture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: SoHyun S. Park, JaeEun Park
  • Patent number: 10501892
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Bo Shi
  • Patent number: 10493661
    Abstract: Improving the recovery from recycling a disposable absorbent article including superabsorbent polymer includes separating the article into a mixed polymeric material/cellulosic fiber stream and a superabsorbent polymer/fibers stream; and processing the mixed polymeric material/cellulosic fiber stream using an enzyme to release the cellulosic fibers from the polymeric materials. The method can also include shredding the disposable absorbent article; re-pulping the shredded disposable absorbent article; and dehydrating the superabsorbent polymer, wherein dehydrating includes belching fluid from swollen superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) by immersing swollen SAP in a gel state into a composition for removing moisture, wherein seawater and 0.5 to 3% by weight of calcium chloride based on the weight of seawater are mixed for 10 minutes to 4 hours.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: HoSun Lee, KyungShin Kim, HyungByum Kim
  • Publication number: 20190357533
    Abstract: Antibacterial compositions and methods for inhibiting bacterial growth are disclosed. The antibacterial compositions can include a carrier and an antibacterial agent including a benzoic acid ester. The benzoic acid ester can have a carbon chain having a length of two to ten. The benzoic acid ester can have a hydroxyl group on the carbon chain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Applicant: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Scott W. Wenzel, Corey T. Cunninghan, Andrew R. Kischnick, Vinod Chaudhary
  • Patent number: 10487454
    Abstract: The present invention provides tissue webs and products that are manufactured by non-compressive dewatering and/or drying methods, such as through-air drying, where the webs and products comprise cross-linked fiber. The non-compressively dewatered tissue webs and products have improved sheet bulk and z-direction properties. For example, in one embodiment, the invention provides through-air dried tissue products having good sheet bulk and resiliency, such as a sheet bulk greater than about 12 cc/g and Compression Energy (E) greater than about 1.30 N/m. Surprisingly the foregoing products have sufficient strength to withstand use, such as a GMT greater than about 1,200 g/3?, but are not overly stiff, generally having a Stiffness Index less than about 10.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Stephen Michael Lindsay, Michael Andrew Zawadzki, Cathleen Mae Uttecht, Mike Thomas Goulet, Kenneth John Zwick, Christopher Lee Satori, Donald Eugene Waldroup
  • Patent number: 10486136
    Abstract: A substrate includes a double-network polymer system including a cross-linked, covalently-bonded polymer and a reversible, partially ionicly-bonded polymer, wherein the substrate has a moisture level less than or equal to 15 percent of the total weight of the substrate, wherein the substrate is porous, and wherein the substrate includes a latent retractive force. A method for manufacturing a substrate includes producing a double-network hydrogel including a cross-linked, covalently-bonded polymer and a reversible, ionicly-bonded polymer; elongating by force the double-network hydrogel in at least one direction; treating the double-network hydrogel with an organic solvent with a volatile and water-miscible organic solvent to replace a majority of water within the double-network hydrogel; evaporating the organic solvent while the double-network hydrogel is still elongated to form a substantially-dried double-network polymer system; and releasing the force to produce the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventor: Xuedong Song
  • Patent number: D868594
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Ramona Zenkich, Kristi Jo Schroeder
  • Patent number: D868595
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Ramona Zenkich, Kristi Jo Schroeder
  • Patent number: D868596
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Ramona Zenkich, Kristi Jo Schroeder
  • Patent number: D869652
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Brad J. Berken, Levi J. Vandenboogart, Alyssa Kimberly DeYoung, Jessica Lynn Caravan
  • Patent number: D870276
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Brad J. Berken, Levi J. Vandenboogart, Alyssa Kimberly DeYoung, Jessica Lynn Caravan
  • Patent number: D871082
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Elizabeth Oriel Bradley, Melanie Samantha Chu, Jerrod Lee Kibbel, James Michael Hoying, Kevin Christopher Possell