Patents by Inventor Thomas Gerard Shannon

Thomas Gerard Shannon 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: 20170101739
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to tissue webs and products, which generally have a basis weight less than about 80 grams per square meter (gsm) and a sheet bulk greater than about 5 cubic centimeters per gram (cc/g) comprising a blend of conventional papermaking fibers and high carbohydrate fillers. Surprisingly, the fillers may displace a relatively large amount of conventional papermaking fibers, such as hardwood kraft pulp, without negatively affecting important tissue properties such as caliper, bulk, slough, absorbent capacity and softness. In fact, in certain instances the use of fillers actually improves tissue properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Bo Shi
  • Patent number: 9499941
    Abstract: Novel pulps comprising conventional papermaking and macroalgae fibers are provided. By combining conventional papermaking fibers with never-dried macroalgae fibers, rather than dried macroalgae fibers, the disclosure provides pulp sheets having improved characteristics such as tensile and burst strength, with minimal deterioration in freeness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Bo Shi, Michael William Veith, Candace Dyan Krautkramer, Thomas Gerard Shannon
  • Patent number: 9410291
    Abstract: The disclosure provides tissue webs, and products incorporating the same, where the webs comprise wood and bamboo fibers. More specifically the disclosure provides soft and durable through-air dried tissue webs comprising at least about 10 percent bamboo fiber by weight of the web. In the through-air dried tissue webs of the present disclosure, bamboo typically replaces high average fiber length wood fibers, which increases the bulk of the through-air dried web without negatively effecting softness or durability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventor: Thomas Gerard Shannon
  • Patent number: 9365376
    Abstract: Coreless tissue rolls can be produced without having to use an adhesive to form a hollow center. Instead, moisture can be used to promote light hydrogen bonding between the layers of the tissue web that line the hollow center. The hydrogen bonding provides sufficient structure to maintain the shape of the hollow center without rendering the tissue web surrounding the passageway unusable. Passageways can also be formed in accordance with the present disclosure that are substantially circular so that the rolls will easily spin on a spindle. In an alternative embodiment, moisture is not used in constructing the wound tissue roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven James Wojcik, Mark R. Verburgt, Joel Banda, Jr., Kenneth Allen Pigsley, Christine Ann Armstrong, Dennis Marvin Jobs, Thomas Gerard Shannon, James Leo Baggot
  • Publication number: 20160138224
    Abstract: The disclosure provides tissue webs, and products incorporating the same, where the webs comprise two or more layers and have refined fibers selectively incorporated into one of the layers to provide a sheet that is both durable and soft. More specifically the disclosure provides soft and durable tissue webs comprising at least about 1 percent refined fiber by weight of the web incorporated into the air contacting layer of a multi-layered tissue web.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Jeffrey James Timm
  • Publication number: 20160069029
    Abstract: The disclosure provides tissue webs, and products incorporating the same, where the webs comprise wood and bamboo fibers. More specifically the disclosure provides soft and durable through-air dried tissue webs comprising at least about 10 percent bamboo fiber by weight of the web. In the through-air dried tissue webs of the present disclosure, bamboo typically replaces high average fiber length wood fibers, which increases the bulk of the through-air dried web without negatively effecting softness or durability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventor: Thomas Gerard Shannon
  • Patent number: 9222224
    Abstract: The disclosure provides tissue webs, and products incorporating the same, where the webs comprise wood and bamboo fibers. More specifically the disclosure provides soft and durable through-air dried tissue webs comprising at least about 10 percent bamboo fiber by weight of the web. In the through-air dried tissue webs of the present disclosure, bamboo typically replaces high average fiber length wood fibers, which increases the bulk of the through-air dried web without negatively effecting softness or durability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Gerard Shannon
  • Patent number: 9074324
    Abstract: The disclosure provides tissue webs, and products incorporating the same, where the webs comprise macroalgae fibers. More specifically the disclosure provides soft and durable tissue webs comprising at least about 1 percent macroalgae fiber by weight of the web. In the tissue webs of the present disclosure, macroalgae fibers may preferably replace high average fiber length wood fibers, which increase the strength and durability of the web without negatively affecting stiffness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Jeffrey James Timm
  • Publication number: 20150144280
    Abstract: The disclosure provides tissue webs, and products incorporating the same, where the webs comprise macroalgae fibers. More specifically the disclosure provides soft and durable tissue webs comprising at least about 1 percent macroalgae fiber by weight of the web. In the tissue webs of the present disclosure, macroalgae fibers may preferably replace high average fiber length wood fibers, which increase the strength and durability of the web without negatively affecting stiffness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Jeffrey James Timm
  • Patent number: 8940323
    Abstract: Wiping products, such as facial tissues, contain a temperature change composition that can provide a cooling sensation when contacted with the skin of a user. The temperature change composition, for instance, can contain one or more phase change agents that undergo a phase change at slightly elevated temperatures. The phase change agents, in one embodiment, can have a relatively high heat of fusion. When undergoing a phase change, the phase change agents absorb heat and thereby provide a cooling feeling to the skin of a user. In one embodiment, the phase change agent comprises a straight chain hydrocarbon. Hydrocarbons useful as phase change agents include an octadecane, a nonadecane, a heptonoate, or mixtures thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Frank P. Abuto
  • Publication number: 20140284010
    Abstract: The disclosure provides tissue webs, and products incorporating the same, where the webs comprise wood and bamboo fibers. More specifically the disclosure provides soft and durable through-air dried tissue webs comprising at least about 10 percent bamboo fiber by weight of the web. In the through-air dried tissue webs of the present disclosure, bamboo typically replaces high average fiber length wood fibers, which increases the bulk of the through-air dried web without negatively effecting softness or durability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventor: Thomas Gerard Shannon
  • Patent number: 8778505
    Abstract: The disclosure provides tissue webs, and products incorporating the same, where the webs comprise wood and bamboo fibers. More specifically the disclosure provides soft and durable through-air dried tissue webs comprising at least about 10 percent bamboo fiber by weight of the web. In the through-air dried tissue webs of the present disclosure, bamboo typically replaces high average fiber length wood fibers, which increases the bulk of the through-air dried web without negatively effecting softness or durability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Gerard Shannon
  • Patent number: 8771468
    Abstract: The disclosure provides tissue webs, and products incorporating the same, where the webs comprise macroalgae fibers. More specifically the disclosure provides soft and durable tissue webs comprising at least about 1 percent macroalgae fiber by weight of the web. In the tissue webs of the present disclosure, macroalgae fibers may preferably replace high average fiber length wood fibers, which increases the strength and durability of the web without negatively stiffness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Bo Shi, Candace Dyan Krautkramer, Michael William Veith
  • Publication number: 20140150339
    Abstract: The present invention provides high yield mixed species bamboo plantations and methods for planting the same. The invention comprises a method of planting two or more bamboo species in alternating rows or in other configurations. In some embodiments, the present invention provides a plantation comprising two or more bamboo species that are substantially uniform in regards to height, circumference and density at maturity are well suited for use in pulp and paper applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: Kimberly-Clark Worlwide. Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Louis Underhill, Thomas Gerard Shannon, Geoffrey Fenn Calow
  • Publication number: 20140034255
    Abstract: The disclosure provides tissue webs, and products incorporating the same, where the webs comprise macroalgae fibers. More specifically the disclosure provides soft and durable tissue webs comprising at least about 1 percent macroalgae fiber by weight of the web. In the tissue webs of the present disclosure, macroalgae fibers may preferably replace high average fiber length wood fibers, which increases the strength and durability of the web without negatively stiffness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Bo Shi, Candace Dyan Krautkramer, Michael William Veith
  • Publication number: 20130327876
    Abstract: Coreless tissue rolls can be produced without having to use an adhesive to form a hollow center. Instead, moisture can be used to promote light hydrogen bonding between the layers of the tissue web that line the hollow center. The hydrogen bonding provides sufficient structure to maintain the shape of the hollow center without rendering the tissue web surrounding the passageway unusable. Passageways can also be formed in accordance with the present disclosure that are substantially circular so that the rolls will easily spin on a spindle. In an alternative embodiment, moisture is not used in constructing the wound tissue roll.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven James Wojcik, Mark R. Verburgt, Joel Banda, JR., Kenneth Allen Pigsley, Christine Ann Armstrong, Dennis Marvin Jobs, Thomas Gerard Shannon, James Leo Baggot
  • Publication number: 20130312924
    Abstract: Novel pulps comprising conventional papermaking and macroalgae fibers are provided. By combining conventional papermaking fibers with never-dried macroalgae fibers, rather than dried macroalgae fibers, the disclosure provides pulp sheets having improved characteristics such as tensile and burst strength, with minimal deterioration in freeness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Inventors: Bo Shi, Michael William Veith, Candace Dyan Krautkramer, Thomas Gerard Shannon
  • Publication number: 20130312923
    Abstract: The disclosure provides tissue webs, and products incorporating the same, where the webs comprise macroalgae fibers. More specifically the disclosure provides soft and durable tissue webs comprising at least about 1 percent macroalgae fiber by weight of the web. In the tissue webs of the present disclosure, macroalgae fibers may preferably replace high average fiber length wood fibers, which increases the strength and durability of the web without negatively stiffness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Bo Shi, Candace Dyan Krautkramer, Michael William Veith
  • Publication number: 20130299107
    Abstract: The disclosure provides tissue webs, and products incorporating the same, where the webs comprise wood and bamboo fibers. More specifically the disclosure provides soft and durable through-air dried tissue webs comprising at least about 10 percent bamboo fiber by weight of the web. In the through-air dried tissue webs of the present disclosure, bamboo typically replaces high average fiber length wood fibers, which increases the bulk of the through-air dried web without negatively effecting softness or durability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Gerard Shannon
  • Patent number: 8574400
    Abstract: The disclosure provides tissue webs, and products incorporating the same, where the webs comprise macroalgae fibers. More specifically the disclosure provides soft and durable tissue webs comprising at least about 1 percent macroalgae fiber by weight of the web. In the tissue webs of the present disclosure, macroalgae fibers may preferably replace high average fiber length wood fibers, which increases the strength and durability of the web without negatively stiffness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon, Bo Shi, Candace Dyan Krautkramer, Michael William Veith