Patents by Inventor Georgia Lynn Zehner
Georgia Lynn Zehner 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).
-
Publication number: 20020138059Abstract: A personal care article including a resiliently stretchable outer cover and a substantially nonelastomeric grasping panel attached to the front portion of the article. The outer cover is resiliently stretchable in at least the cross-direction to conform to the body of a wearer. The grasping panel has a sufficient stiffness to allow a user to properly fasten a fastening apparatus onto a landing zone. The stiffness of the grasping panel is sufficient to prevent roll-up or wrinkling of the grasping panels or the front portion of the personal care article. The stiffness of the grasping is not too large such that the comfort of the wearer is compromised. In one embodiment the absorbent structure is secured to the outer cover by extendible attachment elements and the bodyside liner is not secured to the outer cover. In another embodiment the bodyside liner is extensible in at least the cross-direction and secured about the periphery to the outer cover.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2002Publication date: September 26, 2002Applicant: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Paul Theodore Van Gompel, Yung Hsiang Huang, Georgia Lynn Zehner
-
Patent number: 6428526Abstract: Disclosed is an improved process for attaching and protecting a mechanical fastener on a disposable absorbent article and a disposable absorbent article produced by the same. The process comprises the following steps: (1) providing a disposable absorbent article which includes an outer cover, a bodyside liner, and an absorbent core disposed between the outer cover and the bodyside liner; (2) providing a mechanical fastener which includes a first fastening element; (3) attaching the first fastening element of the mechanical fastener to the disposable absorbent article; (4) releasably engaging the first fastening element with the disposable absorbent article to protect the first fastening element; and (5) subsequently packaging the disposable absorbent article for commercial sale. The first fastening element and a portion of the disposable absorbent article may be releasably engaged by constrictively passing them between a pair of rotatable nip rolls.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 1997Date of Patent: August 6, 2002Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Timothy Raymond Heindel, Tim Joseph Janssen, Scott Lee Pennings, Gary Mack Reynolds, Paul John Serbiak, Bruce Michael Siebers, Robert Eugene Vogt, Georgia Lynn Zehner
-
Patent number: 6406467Abstract: Disclosed is an improved fastening tape for use on a disposable absorbent garment. The fastening tape comprises a first substrate and an interlocking material attached to said first substrate. The interlocking material extends the entire width of the fastening tape, and the interlocking material is longitudinally spaced from both transverse edges of the fastening tape. Also disclosed is a process for manufacturing the fastening tape. The process involves providing a continuous length of an interlocking material having a width and traveling in a first direction. The interlocking material is attached to a first substrate to form a composite. The composite is then cut along a second direction to form fastening tapes suitable for attachment on a disposable absorbent garment. The second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 1995Date of Patent: June 18, 2002Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Rebecca Lyn Dilnik, Allen Todd Leak, Mark Michael Mleziva, Michael A. Snyder, Patrick Sean McNichols, Scott Leslie Williams, Robert John Leveille, Scott Lee Pennings, Paul John Serbiak, Bruce Michael Siebers, Robert Eugene Vogt, Georgia Lynn Zehner, Thomas David Ehlert, John Gerard Hein, Timothy Raymond Heindel, Tim Joseph Janssen, Kathleen Ann Peterson
-
Patent number: 6406466Abstract: A fastener system for use with personal care articles includes a substrate formed by a bodyside liner and an outer cover. Fastening tabs are secured to the substrate at opposing sides of the rear portion of the article. The fastening tabs include friction zones that, when the tabs are mounted to the article, provide substantially no securement to the article, and securing zones that secure the respective fastening tabs to the outer cover at a front portion of the article. The friction zones prevent surface-to-surface radial shifting or bending of the front portion with respect to the fastening tabs of the article during regular usage. In one embodiment, a tab substrate provides a mounting surface for a friction element and a securing element which form the respective friction zone and securing zone. In another embodiment, the friction element functions as a substrate supporting the securing element.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2000Date of Patent: June 18, 2002Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Jennifer Elizabeth Pozniak, Thomas Harold Roessler, John Philip Vukos, Georgia Lynn Zehner
-
Patent number: 6387085Abstract: A personal care article including a resiliently stretchable outer cover and a substantially nonelastomeric grasping panel attached to the front portion of the article. The outer cover is resiliently stretchable in at least the cross-direction to conform to the body of a wearer. The grasping panel has a sufficient stiffness to allow a user to properly fasten a fastening apparatus onto a landing zone. The stiffness of the grasping panel is sufficient to prevent roll-up or wrinkling of the grasping panels or the front portion of the personal care article. The stiffness of the grasping is not too large such that the comfort of the wearer is compromised. In one embodiment the absorbent structure is secured to the outer cover by extendible attachment elements and the bodyside liner is not secured to the outer cover. In another embodiment the bodyside liner is extensible in at least the cross-direction and secured about the periphery to the outer cover.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 1997Date of Patent: May 14, 2002Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Paul Theodore Van Gompel, Yung Hsiang Huang, Georgia Lynn Zehner
-
Publication number: 20020052590Abstract: An absorbent article which minimizes or avoid component bonding within the interior area thereof is provided to improve or increase the independence of the components which constitute the article.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2001Publication date: May 2, 2002Inventors: Georgia Lynn Zehner, John Philip Vukos, Duane Girard Uitenbroek
-
Publication number: 20020052591Abstract: An absorbent article having a leg elastic member captured between a biaxially extensible outer cover and a biaxially extensible bodyside liner.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2001Publication date: May 2, 2002Inventors: Georgia Lynn Zehner, Duane Girard Uitenbroek, John Philip Vukos
-
Patent number: 6336922Abstract: An absorbent article includes at least one fit panel which is located in one of the waist sections of the absorbent article adjacent an end edge of the absorbent article. The fit panel extends laterally beyond both of the side edges of an absorbent chassis of the absorbent article. The fit panel may include a center bridge panel and a pair of laterally opposed side panels which are connected to opposed lateral edges of the bridge panel. Desirably, the bridge panel and side panels provide individual zones of elasticity across the width of the fit panel which have different elastic properties.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 1996Date of Patent: January 8, 2002Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Paul Theodore VanGompel, Timothy James Blenke, Nancy Ellen Dawson, Yung Hsiang Huang, Carl Gerard Rippl, Barbara Oakley Sauer, Georgia Lynn Zehner
-
Patent number: 6193701Abstract: A personal care article includes a resiliently stretchable outer cover. In a first embodiment, a first zone of the outer cover is embossed forming a pattern of embossments providing a first set of desired properties pertaining to stretch of a portion of the outer cover. A second zone of the outer cover is not modified to provide the first set of properties and thus has different stretch properties than the first zone. In a second embodiment, a first panel is secured to a resiliently extensible second panel. A first zone of the second panel can have a pattern of embossments securing the second panel to the first panel. The embossments cause the first zone to have different stretch properties than a second zone of the second panel that is not embossed thereby to impart the set of stretch properties. In a third embodiment the second panel is pre-stretched to a predetermined degree of elongation before securement to the first panel.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 1997Date of Patent: February 27, 2001Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Paul Theodore Van Gompel, Yung Hsiang Huang, Georgia Lynn Zehner
-
Patent number: 6099516Abstract: A fastener system for use with personal care articles includes a substrate formed by a bodyside linear and an outer cover. Fastening tabs are secured to the substrate at opposing sides of the rear portion of the article. The fastening tabs include friction zones that, when the tabs are mounted to the article, provide substantially no securement to the article, and securing zones that secure the respective fastening tabs to the outer cover at a front portion of the article. The friction zones prevent surface-to-surface radial shifting or bending of the front portion with respect to the fastening tabs of the article during regular usage. In one embodiment, a tab substrate provides a mounting surface for a friction element and a securing element which form the respective friction zone and securing zone. In another embodiment, the friction element functions as a substrate supporting the securing element.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 1997Date of Patent: August 8, 2000Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Jennifer Elizabeth Pozniak, Thomas Harold Roessler, John Philip Vukos, Georgia Lynn Zehner
-
Patent number: 6045543Abstract: A fastener system for use with personal care articles including a substrate formed by a bodyside liner and an outer cover. Fastening tabs, including securing elements, are secured to the substrate at opposing sides of the rear portion of the article. First alignment indicia are located on the front portion of the substrate. Second alignment indicia are optionally located on the respective fastening tabs. In use, a user aligns the fastening tabs with the first indicia on front portion, preferably aligning second indicia with the first indicia, and secures the tabs thereto. In this manner, the personal care article is properly fitted to the wearer, with the fastening tabs a predetermined distance from the front edge of the personal care article. The first indicia can comprise e.g. lines extending across the width of the personal care article, or outlines of the distal edges of the fastening tabs. Second indicia can comprise lines extending across at least a portion of the lengths of the fastening tabs.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 1997Date of Patent: April 4, 2000Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Jennifer Elizabeth Pozniak, John Philip Vukos, Georgia Lynn Zehner
-
Patent number: 6030373Abstract: A distinctive fastening tab comprises a fastener substrate having a construction-bond portion, a user-bond portion, a fastening surface and a user surface. The user-bond portion includes a leading region and at least one trailing region thereof, and the leading region is separated from the trailing region by a substantially non-securing spacing section which can extend over a selected, lateral spacing distance, such as a distance of at least about 5 mm. A securing mechanism connects to the fastening surface of the substrate along the leading and trailing regions of the user-bond portion, thereby providing a securing mechanism leading region and a securing mechanism trailing region which are separated apart by the spacing distance.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 1995Date of Patent: February 29, 2000Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Paul Theodore VanGompel, Georgia Lynn Zehner, Thomas Harold Roessler, Yung Hsiang Huang
-
Patent number: 5961761Abstract: Disclosed is an improved process for attaching and protecting a mechanical fastener on a disposable absorbent article and a disposable absorbent article produced by the same. The process comprises the following steps: (1) providing a disposable absorbent article which includes an outer cover, a bodyside liner, and an absorbent core disposed between the outer cover and the bodyside liner; (2) providing a mechanical fastener which includes a first fastening element; (3) attaching the first fastening element of the mechanical fastener to the disposable absorbent article; (4) releasably engaging the first fastening element with the disposable absorbent article to protect the first fastening element; and (5) subsequently packaging the disposable absorbent article for commercial sale. The first fastening element and a portion of the disposable absorbent article may be releasably engaged by constrictively passing them between a pair of rotatable nip rolls.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 1997Date of Patent: October 5, 1999Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Timothy Raymond Heindel, Tim Joseph Janssen, Scott Lee Pennings, Gary Mack Reynolds, Paul John Serbiak, Bruce Michael Siebers, Robert Eugene Vogt, Georgia Lynn Zehner
-
Patent number: 5899896Abstract: The present invention is directed to an absorbent article which is configured to prevent drooping and to improve fit. The article comprises attachment means for attaching the article about the waist of a wearer such that attachment points are located on the sides of the article and behind a transverse center plane of the article.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 1993Date of Patent: May 4, 1999Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Jody Dorothy Suprise, Georgia Lynn Zehner, Paulette Mary Rosch
-
Patent number: 5660666Abstract: Disclosed is an improved fastening tape for use on a disposable absorbent garment. The fastening tape comprises a first substrate and an interlocking material attached to said first substrate. The interlocking material extends the entire width of the fastening tape, and the interlocking material is longitudinally spaced from both transverse edges of the fastening tape. Also disclosed is a process for manufacturing the fastening tape. The process involves providing a continuous length of an interlocking material having a width and traveling in a first direction. The interlocking material is attached to a first substrate to form a composite. The composite is then cut along a second direction to form fastening tapes suitable for attachment on a disposable absorbent garment. The second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 1995Date of Patent: August 26, 1997Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Rebecca Lyn Dilnik, Allen Todd Leak, Michael A. Snyder, Patrick Sean McNichols, Scott Leslie Williams, Robert John Leveille, Scott Lee Pennings, Paul John Serbiak, Bruce Michael Siebers, Robert Eugene Vogt, Georgia Lynn Zehner, Thomas David Ehlert, John Gerard Hein, Timothy Raymond Heindel, Tim Joseph Janssen, Kathleen Ann Peterson
-
Patent number: 5656111Abstract: Disclosed is an improved fastening tape for use on a disposable absorbent garment. The fastening tape comprises a first substrate and an interlocking material attached to said first substrate. The interlocking material extends the entire width of the fastening tape, and the interlocking material is longitudinally spaced from both transverse edges of the fastening tape. Also disclosed is a process for manufacturing the fastening tape. The process involves providing a continuous length of an interlocking material having a width and traveling in a first direction. The interlocking material is attached to a first substrate to form a composite. The composite is then cut along a second direction to form fastening tapes suitable for attachment on a disposable absorbent garment. The second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 1995Date of Patent: August 12, 1997Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Rebecca Lyn Dilnik, Allen Todd Leak, Mark Michael Mleziva, Michael A. Snyder, Patrick Sean McNichols, Scott Leslie Williams, Robert John Leveille, Scott Lee Pennings, Paul John Serbiak, Bruce Michael Siebers, Robert Eugene Vogt, Georgia Lynn Zehner, Thomas David Ehlert, John Gerard Hein, Timothy Raymond Heindel, Tim Joseph Janssen, Kathleen Ann Peterson
-
Patent number: 5649919Abstract: An absorbent article has a lateral width, a longitudinal length, longitudinally extending side margins, a front waistband portion, a back waistband portion, and an intermediate portion which interconnects the front and back waistband portions. The article comprises a backsheet layer and an absorbent retention portion superposed on the backsheet layer. A liquid permeable topsheet layer is superposed on the retention portion to sandwich the retention portion between the topsheet layer and the backsheet layer. An elasticizing means form elasticized gathers at leg opening portions of the article. The elasticizing means include a front set of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending leg elastic members located in the article side margins in at least the intermediate portion of the article. The front elastic members are arranged asymmetrically with respect to the article length and have a selected offset toward the front waistband portion of the article.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 1996Date of Patent: July 22, 1997Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Thomas Harold Roessler, Paul Theodore Van Gompel, Georgia Lynn Zehner, Daniel Robert Schlinz, Apiromraj Srisopark
-
Patent number: D422078Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 1999Date of Patent: March 28, 2000Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: John Philip Vukos, Georgia Lynn Zehner, Duane Girard Uitenbroek, Timothy James Blenke