Patents by Inventor David J. Enz

David J. Enz has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12059332
    Abstract: An absorbent article is described that includes leg elastics that form the outermost edges of the product. The leg elastics can include an increased number of elastomeric strands and can extend outboard of the chassis. In this manner, the leg elastics can form a proper seal with the legs of the wearer without interference and can be visually inspected by a caregiver. Placing the leg elastics outboard of the chassis also provides for an efficient manner of producing the garment by attaching multiple elastic components to the garment along a vertical bonding seam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: David J. Enz, James P. King, Sarah A. Kleuskens, Pat Abney, Kevin Dolan, Qianxiang Feng, Andrew T. Hammond
  • 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: 11712377
    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: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: David J. Enz, Patrick R. Lord, Kroy D. Johnson, Matthew R. Jones, Daniel J. Grassl, Kyle M. Barriger
  • Publication number: 20200022848
    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: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: David J. Enz, Patrick R. Lord, Kyle M. Barriger
  • Publication number: 20190388282
    Abstract: An absorbent article is described that includes leg elastics that form the outermost edges of the product. The leg elastics can include an increased number of elastomeric strands and can extend outboard of the chassis. In this manner, the leg elastics can form a proper seal with the legs of the wearer without interference and can be visually inspected by a caregiver. Placing the leg elastics outboard of the chassis also provides for an efficient manner of producing the garment by attaching multiple elastic components to the garment along a vertical bonding seam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventors: David J. Enz, Jim P. King, Sarah A. Kleuskens, Pat Abney, Kevin Dolan, Amy Feng, Andrew T. Hammond
  • Publication number: 20190380885
    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: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: David J. Enz, Patrick R. Lord, Kroy D. Johnson, Matthew R. Jones, Daniel J. Grassl, Kyle M. Barriger
  • Patent number: 9895274
    Abstract: The present invention provides a body adhering absorbent article which is capable of absorbing bodily fluids. In this particular embodiment of the present invention, provided is an absorbent article which is specifically designed for attachment to a wearer's skin in the vulva region of the wearer's torso.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas William VanDenBogart, Adrienne Rae Loyd, Garry Roland Woltman, David J. Enz, Renee Sue Booms, Carmen Lira, Katie Ann Boland, Ann Louise McCormack, Deborah S. Hannah, Mary Lou McDaniel
  • Patent number: 9265673
    Abstract: A folded absorbent article is provided. The folded absorbent article includes an absorbent assembly having a liquid permeable inner layer, an outer layer, and an absorbent body between the inner and outer layers. The folded absorbent article further includes a pair of ears extending outward from absorbent assembly in the back waist region, with each ear including a loop fastening component, and a pair of spaced-apart hook fastening components on the outer layer in the front waist region. A pair of longitudinally extending foldlines are also provided in the front waist region. An outboard-most longitudinal edge of each of the hook fastening components is spaced apart from a respective side of the absorbent assembly, and an inboard-most longitudinal edge is spaced apart from a respective longitudinally extending foldline at least a distance equal to a predetermined process range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Sara Jane Wille Stabelfeldt, David F. Bishop, David J. Enz, Alanna Haessler, Catherine Hancock-Cooke, Robert Lee Popp, Thomas H. Roessler, Wendy Lynn VanDyke
  • Patent number: 9265674
    Abstract: An absorbent article is provided. The absorbent article includes a bodyside liner, an outer cover, and an absorbent core between the liner and the outer cover. The absorbent article further includes a pair of ears extending outward from the opposite sides of the absorbent article, and a fastening system having a primary fastening system and a secondary fastening system. The primary fastening system includes a primary first fastening component disposed on each of the pair of ears and a primary second fastening component disposed on the outer surface of the article. The secondary fastening system includes a secondary second fastening component on each of the pair of ears and a corresponding secondary first fastening component on the outer surface of the article. Each of the secondary first fastening components has a stiffness in the longitudinal direction of the article of less than 185 milligrams according to a Gurley Stiffness Test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Catherine Hancock-Cooke, David F. Bishop, Jeffrey DeBroux, David J. Enz, Alanna Haessler, Robert Lee Popp, Sara Jane Wille Stabelfeldt, Wendy Lynn VanDyke
  • Publication number: 20150032076
    Abstract: A folded absorbent article is provided. The folded absorbent article includes an absorbent assembly having a liquid permeable inner layer, an outer layer, and an absorbent body between the inner and outer layers. The folded absorbent article further includes a pair of ears extending outward from absorbent assembly in the back waist region, with each ear including a loop fastening component, and a pair of spaced-apart hook fastening components on the outer layer in the front waist region. A pair of longitudinally extending foldlines are also provided in the front waist region. An outboard-most longitudinal edge of each of the hook fastening components is spaced apart from a respective side of the absorbent assembly, and an inboard-most longitudinal edge is spaced apart from a respective longitudinally extending foldline at least a distance equal to a predetermined process range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Sara Jane Wille Stabelfeldt, David F. Bishop, David J. Enz, Alanna Haessler, Catherine Hancock-Cooke, Robert Lee Popp, Thomas H. Roessler, Wendy Lynn VanDyke
  • Publication number: 20150032077
    Abstract: An absorbent article is provided. The absorbent article includes a bodyside liner, an outer cover, and an absorbent core between the liner and the outer cover. The absorbent article further includes a pair of ears extending outward from the opposite sides of the absorbent article, and a fastening system having a primary fastening system and a secondary fastening system. The primary fastening system includes a primary first fastening component disposed on each of the pair of ears and a primary second fastening component disposed on the outer surface of the article. The secondary fastening system includes a secondary second fastening component on each of the pair of ears and a corresponding secondary first fastening component on the outer surface of the article. Each of the secondary first fastening components has a stiffness in the longitudinal direction of the article of less than 185 milligrams according to a Gurley Stiffness Test.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Catherine Hancock-Cooke, David F. Bishop, Jeffrey DeBroux, David J. Enz, Alanna Haessler, Robert Lee Popp, Sara Jane Wille Stabelfeldt, Wendy Lynn VanDyke
  • Publication number: 20140243772
    Abstract: The present invention provides a body adhering absorbent article which is capable of absorbing bodily fluids. In this particular embodiment of the present invention, provided is an absorbent article which is specifically designed for attachment to a wearer's skin in the vulva region of the wearer's torso.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas William VanDenBogart, Adrienne Rae Loyd, Garry Roland Woltman, David J. Enz, Renee Sue Booms, Carmen Lira, Katie Ann Boland, Ann Louise McCormack, Deborah S. Hannah, Mary Lou McDaniel
  • Patent number: 8753324
    Abstract: The present invention provides a body adhering absorbent article which is capable of absorbing bodily fluids. In this particular embodiment of the present invention, provided is an absorbent article which is specifically designed for attachment to a wearer's skin in the vulva region of the wearer's torso.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas W. Vandenbogart, Adrienne R. Loyd, Garry R. Woltman, David J. Enz, Renee Sue Booms, Carmen Lira, Katie A. Boland, Ann Louise McCormack, Deborah S. Hannah, Mary McDaniel
  • Publication number: 20120089107
    Abstract: The present invention provides a body adhering absorbent article which is capable of absorbing bodily fluids. In this particular embodiment of the present invention, provided is an absorbent article which is specifically designed for attachment to a wearer's skin in the vulva region of the wearer's torso.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Inventors: Thomas W. VANDENBOGART, Adrienne R. Loyd, Garry R. Woltman, David J. Enz, Renee Sue Booms, Carmen Lira, Katie A. Boland, Ann Louise McCormack, Deborah S. Hannah, Mary McDaniel
  • Patent number: 7947027
    Abstract: The present invention provides a body adhering absorbent article which is capable of absorbing bodily fluids. In this particular embodiment of the present invention, provided is an absorbent article which is specifically designed for attachment to a wearer's skin in the vulva region of the wearer's torso.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas W. VanDenBogart, Adrienne R. Loyd, Garry R. Woltman, David J. Enz, Renee Sue Booms, Carmen Lira, Katie A. Boland, Ann Louise McCormack, Deborah S. Hannah, Mary McDaniel
  • Publication number: 20090171309
    Abstract: The present invention provides a body adhering absorbent article which is capable of absorbing bodily fluids. In this particular embodiment of the present invention, provided is an absorbent article which is specifically designed for attachment to a wearer's skin in the vulva region of the wearer's torso.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Inventors: Thomas W. VanDenBogart, Adrienne R. Loyd, Garry R. Woltman, David J. Enz, Renee Sue Booms, Carmen Lira, Katie A. Boland, Ann Louise McCormack, Deborah S. Hannah, Mary McDaniel