Patents by Inventor Franklin Mean-Chi Chen

Franklin Mean-Chi Chen 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).

  • Composite material with elasticized portions and a method of making the same
    Patent number: 5916203
    Abstract: A method of making a composite material having elasticized portions includes supplying a web of temperature sensitive elastic material, applying a microwave sensitive material to selected regions of the elastic material and subsecting the composite material to microwave energy. The microwave energy may be converted into heat by the microwave sensitive material thereby heating the microwave sensitive material and activating regions of the temperature sensitive elastic material adjacent the microwave sensitive material. The activated regions of the elastic material provide the elasticized portions in the composite material. Alternatively, the microwave sensitive material may reflect the microwave energy which may then directly heat and activate the regions of the elastic material opposite the selected regions to which the microwave sensitive material is applied. The method is particularly useful in the manufacture of garment-type articles such as disposable absorbent articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Griffiths Brandon, Franklin Mean-Chi Chen, Robert Eugene Vogt