Patents by Inventor Heather Schenck Mortell
Heather Schenck Mortell 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).
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Patent number: 9700079Abstract: A boxer-style pant and a method of making a boxer-style pant having side seams, a contracted crotch region, and hanging legs. A web is provided. The web is cut along transversely opposed edges of the web to define leg openings. The leg openings may be formed by cutting slits along the transversely opposed edges of the web. The web is contracted in a selected area between the leg openings. Front and back regions are then joined together to form the side seams. An absorbent structure may be attached to the web.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2004Date of Patent: July 11, 2017Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.Inventors: Mark Steven Franke, Kathleen Irene Ratliff, Heather Schenck Mortell, Robert Lee Popp, Joseph Daniel Coenen
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Patent number: 8361049Abstract: A boxer-style pant and a method of making a boxer-style pant having side seams and hanging legs. Expandable material is used to provide a conforming fit and to expedite high-speed manufacture. The pant is made from a web and includes a garment shell having a front region, a back region, and a crotch region positioned between the front and back regions. The side seams connect the front region to the back region. The garment shell may be essentially composed of an expandable material that is selectively expanded in certain areas of the garment, and/or an expandable material may be attached to the garment shell in the crotch region and/or in the back region.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2004Date of Patent: January 29, 2013Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Joseph Daniel Coenen, Robert Lee Popp, Heather Schenck Mortell
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Patent number: 8292868Abstract: A pant has a garment shell. The garment shell includes a front region, a back region, a contracted crotch region, side seams connecting the front region to the back region, two leg openings, and hanging legs. At least a portion of each of the front region, the back region, the contracted crotch region and the hanging legs include portions of a single flat web. The hanging legs include no elasticization around a full periphery of the leg openings and are adapted to hang loosely about a wearer's thigh.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2009Date of Patent: October 23, 2012Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Heather Schenck Mortell, Joseph Daniel Coenen, Robert Lee Popp
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Patent number: 8176573Abstract: A boxer-style pant and methods of making a boxer-style pant having side seams and hanging legs. At least a portion of each of the hanging legs may be non-planar in an uncontracted state prior to formation of the side seams. The methods each involve providing at least one web. In some methods, a crotch panel is bonded to first and second regions of the web between two leg openings, and a distance between bonded regions of upper and lower edges of the crotch panel, measured parallel to a longitudinal axis of the pant, is shorter along a central region of the crotch panel and longer in distal regions of the crotch panel, such that the bonded region results in a bow-tie-shaped crotch panel. In some methods, a crotch region of the web is folded and stabilized along a longitudinal centerline of the web. In some methods, leg extensions are attached to at least a portion of each of two leg openings. Front and back regions may be joined together to form the side seams.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2004Date of Patent: May 15, 2012Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Robert Lee Popp, Joseph Daniel Coenen, Heather Schenck Mortell, James Bassey Pinkney, Lars Nilsen Nordang, James Richard Schermerhorn
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Patent number: 8147642Abstract: A boxer-style pant and a method of making a boxer-style pant having side seams, a contracted crotch region, and hanging legs. A web is provided. The web may be a single pant assembly, or a continuous web of multiple pant assemblies connected to one another. The web may be folded against a support structure. In certain embodiments, a multi-lane production system may be used wherein the web is folded against multiple support structures each parallel to a direction in which the web is conveyed, with each lane or machine direction array of pant assemblies folded against just one support structure. The web is cut to define leg openings, and contracted in selected areas along the web between the leg openings. Front and back regions are then joined together to form the side seams. An absorbent structure may be attached to the web.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2004Date of Patent: April 3, 2012Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Mark Steven Franke, Heather Schenck Mortell, Joseph Daniel Coenen, Robert Lee Popp
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Patent number: 7637898Abstract: A disposable absorbent pant having refastenable seams that minimize the product's potential for tearing when forces are applied to separate the refastenable seams. More particularly, the refastenable seams have a shear separation strength that is less than a tensile or tear strength of the outer cover and/or side panels. Also, the bonding strength between a fastening component and the portion of the chassis to which the fastening component is bonded may be greater than the shear separation strength of the refastenable seams. Additionally, the shear separation strength of the refastenable seams may be greater than the peel separation strength of the refastenable seams to enable easy unfastening of the garment through the application of peel forces.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2002Date of Patent: December 29, 2009Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Wordwide, Inc.Inventors: David Arthur Kuen, Robert Lee Popp, Heather Schenck Mortell
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Publication number: 20090217442Abstract: A pant has a garment shell. The garment shell includes a front region, a back region, a contracted crotch region, side seams connecting the front region to the back region, two leg openings, and hanging legs. At least a portion of each of the front region, the back region, the contracted crotch region and the hanging legs include portions of a single flat web. The hanging legs include no elasticization around a full periphery of the leg openings and are adapted to hang loosely about a wearer's thigh.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2009Publication date: September 3, 2009Applicant: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Heather Schenck Mortell, Joseph Daniel Coenen, Robert Lee Popp
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Patent number: 7198688Abstract: A method of making a boxer-style pant having side seams, a contracted crotch region and hanging legs. A flat web is provided. Portions are removed from the flat web to define leg openings. The flat web is then contracted either elastically or inelastically in selected areas along the flat web between the leg openings. The flat web is cut into separate pieces, folded and side seams are formed. The pant may include an absorbent.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2005Date of Patent: April 3, 2007Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Heather Schenck Mortell, Joseph Daniel Coenen, Robert Lee Popp
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Patent number: 7156833Abstract: A pant-like absorbent refastenable garment adapted to easy application and removal has hook and loop fasteners on the front and back side panels and in particular embodiments frangible bonds connecting the front and back side panels. The frangible bonds connecting the front and back side panels can be easily broken by the user prior to use and the hook and loop fasteners can be engaged prior to, or during, donning. The hook and loop fasteners do not need to be prefastened at the time of manufacture.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2001Date of Patent: January 2, 2007Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Laurie Couture-Dorschner, Heather Schenck Mortell, David Arthur Kuen, Robert Lee Popp
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Patent number: 6984279Abstract: A method of making a pant having a front-to-back crotch seam includes providing a flat web. The flat web can be cut into separate pieces or cut to provide interconnected pieces and the center portion of each separate piece is removed. Slits are cut in each separate piece or each interconnected piece and the remaining attached segments are drawn away from each other in opposite directions to bring first and second seam edges together for the purpose of forming a garment shell with a crotch seam. The method may be applied to a single piece of material representing a single garment or to an interconnected web of garments. After forming the crotch seam, the garment shell can be folded and side seams formed. The pant may include an absorbent structure.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2002Date of Patent: January 10, 2006Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Heather Schenck Mortell, Joseph Daniel Coenen
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Publication number: 20040107481Abstract: A method of making a boxer-style pant having side seams, a contracted crotch region and hanging legs. A flat web is provided. Portions are removed from the flat web to define leg openings. The flat web is then contracted either elastically or inelastically in selected areas along the flat web between the leg openings. The flat web is cut into separate pieces, folded and side seams are formed. The pant may include an absorbent.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2002Publication date: June 10, 2004Inventors: Heather Schenck Mortell, Joseph Daniel Coenen, Robert Lee Popp
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Publication number: 20040102746Abstract: A method of making a pant having a front-to-back crotch seam includes providing a flat web. The flat web can be cut into separate pieces or cut to provide interconnected pieces and the center portion of each separate piece is removed. Slits are cut in each separate piece or each interconnected piece and the remaining attached segments are drawn away from each other in opposite directions to bring first and second seam edges together for the purpose of forming a garment shell with a crotch seam. The method may be applied to a single piece of material representing a single garment or to an interconnected web of garments. After forming the crotch seam, the garment shell can be folded and side seams formed. The pant may include an absorbent structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2002Publication date: May 27, 2004Inventors: Heather Schenck Mortell, Joseph Daniel Coenen
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Patent number: 6723034Abstract: A process for making prefastened and refastenable garments includes providing a plurality of discrete articles with mating fastening components disposed in the waist regions. First fastening components are separated from one another by an initial transverse distance. The waist region containing the first fastening components is modified to transversely displace these fastening components to a post displacement distance that is not equal to the initial distance. The process allows for convenient alignment of the fastening components to form refastenable seams.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2001Date of Patent: April 20, 2004Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Debra Hartley Durrance, Scott Gerald Chapple, David Michael Clemens, Jason Gene Csida, Kurt Garrett Krupka, Heather Schenck Mortell, Robert Lee Popp, Marcille Faye Ruman, Scott John Andrew Swanson, Charles Robert Tomsovic
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Publication number: 20040034327Abstract: A disposable absorbent pant having refastenable seams that minimize the product's potential for tearing when forces are applied to separate the refastenable seams. More particularly, the refastenable seams have a shear separation strength that is less than a tensile or tear strength of the outer cover and/or side panels. Also, the bonding strength between a fastening component and the portion of the chassis to which the fastening component is bonded may be greater than the shear separation strength of the refastenable seams. Additionally, the shear separation strength of the refastenable seams may be greater than the peel separation strength of the refastenable seams to enable easy unfastening of the garment through the application of peel forces.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2002Publication date: February 19, 2004Inventors: David Arthur Kuen, Robert Lee Popp, Heather Schenck Mortell
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Publication number: 20030125702Abstract: A pant-like absorbent refastenable garment adapted to easy application and removal has hook and loop fasteners on the front and back side panels and in particular embodiments frangible bonds connecting the front and back side panels. The frangible bonds connecting the front and back side panels can be easily broken by the user prior to use and the hook and loop fasteners can be engaged prior to, or during, donning. The hook and loop fasteners do not need to be prefastened at the time of manufacture.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2001Publication date: July 3, 2003Inventors: Laurie Couture-Dorschner, Heather Schenck Mortell, David Arthur Kuen, Robert Lee Popp
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Publication number: 20030111168Abstract: A method of making an undergarment having refastenable side seams (12, 14). The method includes a step of preconditioning a substantially two-dimension web (57) to include at least four refastening surfaces (82-85). The refastenable side seams (12, 14) can be incorporated into undergarments formed from a continuous web (57) in which the pre-forms (21) (that will ultimately result in individual undergarments) are oriented in either the machine direction or the cross-direction. The web (57) can be preconditioned to include refastening surfaces (82-85) on both of what becomes the exterior surface (30) and the body-contacting surface (28) of the undergarments.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2001Publication date: June 19, 2003Applicant: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Christopher Peter Olson, Joseph Daniel Coenen, Mary Jo Meyer, Paul Joseph Datta, Eric Donald Johnson, Sarah Jane Marie Freiburger, Jerome Steven Veith, Heather Schenck Mortell, Robert Eugene Vogt
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Publication number: 20020002358Abstract: A process for making prefastened and refastenable garments includes providing a plurality of discrete articles with mating fastening components disposed in the waist regions. First fastening components are separated from one another by an initial transverse distance. The waist region containing the first fastening components is modified to transversely displace these fastening components to a post displacement distance that is not equal to the initial distance. The process allows for convenient alignment of the fastening components to form refastenable seams.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2001Publication date: January 3, 2002Inventors: Debra Hartley Durrance, Scott Gerald Chapple, David Michael Clemens, Jason Gene Csida, Kurt Garrett Krupka, Heather Schenck Mortell, Robert Lee Popp, Marcille Faye Ruman, Scott John Andrew Swanson, Charles Robert Tomsovic