IP Library Granted Patent US 7,081,080
Granted Patent B2
US 7,081,080 · App. 10/161,166 · Granted Jul 25, 2006

Stack of fan folded material and combinations thereof

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,081,080
App. No.
10/161,166
Granted
Jul 25, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to a stack of fan folded material and related systems and processes. The stack includes at least two clips of fan folded material. Each clip includes a plurality of fan folded sheets, with each sheet joined to at least one adjacent sheet by a weakened line. Each clip is joined to an adjacent clip by a last sheet of one clip being interfolded with or adhesively joined to a first sheet of a succeeding clip.

Claims (25)

1. A process for forming a stack of fan folded material comprising:

providing an elongate web of material which travels in a length direction of the web of material;

weakening the elongate web of material along a plurality of lines formed in the length direction of the web of material to form a plurality of panels joined to adjacent panels along the plurality of lines;

folding the plurality of panels together;

cutting the plurality of panels to form at least two clips, each clip having a plurality of sheets wherein every sheet within the clip is joined to any adjacent sheet within that clip by a weakened line;

joining each clip to an adjacent clip by interfolding a bottom portion of one clip to a top portion of a succeeding clip; and

adding a liquid at an add-on rate of about 25 to about 600 weight percent based on a dry weight of the web of material.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein weakening comprises perforating along the plurality of lines.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein folding comprises folding the plurality of panels along the length direction of the web of material.

4. The process of claim 1 further comprising separably joining at least two clips in the stack of fan folded material with a non-interfolded relationship.

5. The process of claim 1 further comprising folding each sheet upon itself at least once.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein cutting the plurality of panels occurs in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the web of material.

7. A process for forming a stack of fan folded material comprising:

(a) providing a elongate web of material which travels in a length direction of the web of material;

(b) weakening the elongate web of material along a plurality of lines formed in the length direction of the web of material to form a plurality of panels joined to adjacent panels along the plurality of lines;

(c) folding the plurality of panels together to form a first ribbon of panels;

(d) repeating steps (a) to (c) for at least a second elongate web of material and thereby forming at least one succeeding ribbon of panels;

(e) joining the first ribbon to the succeeding ribbon by separably joining a top portion of the first ribbon to a bottom portion of the succeeding ribbon to form a ribbon stack wherein each panel within each ribbon of panels is joined to any adjacent panel within that ribbon of panels by a weakened line; and

(f) adding a liquid at an add-on rate of about 25 to about 600 weight percent based on a dry weight of the elongate web of material.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein weakening comprises perforating along the plurality of lines.

9. The process of claim 7 wherein folding comprises, folding the plurality of panels along the length direction of the web of material.

10. The process of claim 7 wherein separably joining comprises adhesively joining or interfolding.

11. The process of claim 7 further comprising folding each sheet upon itself at least once.

12. The process of claim 7 further comprising cutting the ribbon stack to form a plurality of clips of fan folded material.

13. The process of claim 7 wherein cutting the ribbon stack occurs in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the web of material.

Assignments (2)
NAME CHANGE Recorded Feb 3, 2015
From: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
To: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
Reel/Frame 034880/0742 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 30, 2002
From: SOSALLA, GERALD KEITH; AMUNDSON, JOHN DAVID; KUO, ANDREW
To: KIMERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
Reel/Frame 012976/0577 →