# US 11,090,197 B2 · Shaped nonwoven

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- Number: US 11,090,197 B2
- Document ID: US11090197B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/879,477
- Filed: 2018-01-25
- Published: 2018-08-02
- Granted: 2021-08-17
- Earliest claimed: 2017-01-31
- Assignees: The Procter & Gamble Company
- Applicants: The Procter & Gamble Company
- Inventors: Arman Ashraf; Paul Thomas Weisman; Adrien Grenier; Martin Ian James; Stefano Michele Sinigaglia
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11090197B2

## CPC

- A61F 13/15: Absorbent pads, e.g. sanitary towels, swabs or tampons for external or internal application to the body; Supporting or fastening means therefor; Tampon applicators
- A61F 13/15203: {Properties of the article, e.g. stiffness or absorbency (chemical aspects A61L15/00)}
- A61F 13/15577: {Apparatus or processes for manufacturing}
- A61F 13/513: {characterised by its function or properties, e.g. stretchability, breathability, rewet, visual effect;} having areas of different permeability
- A61F 13/51394: {creating a visual effect, e.g. having a printed or coloured topsheet, printed or coloured sub-layer but being visible from the topsheet, other than embossing for purposes of bonding, wicking, acquisition, leakage-prevention}
- A61F 13/51401: {characterised by the material}
- A61F 13/51456: {characterised by its properties}
- A61F 13/51476: {being three-dimensional, e.g. embossed, textured, pleated, or with three-dimensional features, like gathers or loops}
- A61F 13/51496: {having visual effects}
- A61F 13/537: characterised by a layer facilitating or inhibiting flow in one direction or plane, e.g. a wicking layer {(A61F13/538 takes precedence)}
- A61F 13/551: Packaging before or after use {(general packaging of absorbent pads B65D85/00)}
- A61L 15/52: Water-repellants
- D04H 3/007: Addition polymers
- D04H 3/018: characterised by the shape
- D04H 3/147: Composite yarns or filaments
- D04H 3/16: with bonds between thermoplastic filaments produced in association with filament formation, e.g. immediately following extrusion
- D04H 13/00: Other non-woven fabrics
- A61F 2013/15373: {Calliper, i.e. thickness}
- A61F 2013/1539: {being expandable}
- A61F 2013/15414: {Bulk thickness}
- A61F 2013/15422: {Density}
- A61F 2013/1543: {with a density gradient in the horizontal plane}
- A61F 2013/15455: {Volume-to-fibre surface area ratio}
- A61F 2013/15487: {Capillary properties, e.g. wicking}
- A61F 2013/15959: {by spunbond technique}
- A61F 2013/51088: {in very fine microtexture}
- A61F 2013/5149: {being embossed}
- A61F 2250/0056: differing in wettability, e.g. in hydrophilic or hydrophobic behaviours
- D10B 2401/02: Moisture-responsive characteristics
- D10B 2403/033: Three dimensional fabric, e.g. forming or comprising cavities in or protrusions from the basic planar configuration, or deviations from the cylindrical shape as generally imposed by the fabric forming process
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)
- A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K)
- D04H: MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL (weaving D03; knitting D04B; braiding D04C; net-making D04G; sewing D05B; tufting D05C; finishing non-woven fabrics D06); FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING {; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION}(non-woven fabrics having an intermediate or external layer of a different kind, e.g. of woven fabric, B32B)
- D10B: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES

## Abstract

A nonwoven fabric. The nonwoven fabric can include a first surface and a second surface and a visually discernible pattern of three-dimensional features on one of the first or second surface. Each of the three-dimensional features can define a microzone comprising a first region and a second region. The first and second regions can have a difference in values for an intensive property, and wherein in at least one of the microzones the first region exhibits a Contact Angle of greater than 90 degrees, as measured by the Contact Angle Test Method detailed herein.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A spunbond nonwoven fabric comprising:
a. a first surface and a second surface, and at least a first and second visually discernible zones on at least one of the first and second surface, each of the first and second zones having a different pattern of three-dimensional features that each comprise at least two distinct three-dimensional features, each of the patterns of three-dimensional features defining a microzone comprising a first region and a second region that correspond to the at least two distinct three-dimensional features, the first and second regions having a difference in values for an intensive property; and
b. wherein the difference in values for an intensive property for the first region and the second region of the microzone in the first zone is different from the difference in values for the intensive property for the first region and the second region of the microzone in the second zone; and
wherein at least one of the microzones exhibits a Contact Angle of greater than 90 degrees, as measured by the Contact Angle Test Method detailed herein.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The spunbond nonwoven fabric of claim 1, wherein the Contact Angle is between about 90 degrees and about 140 degrees, as measured by the Contact Angle Test Method detailed herein.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The spunbond nonwoven fabric of claim 1, wherein the Contact Angle is between about 110 degrees and about 135 degrees, as measured by the Contact Angle Test Method detailed herein.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The spunbond nonwoven fabric of claim 1, wherein the Contact Angle is between about 125 degrees and about 135 degrees, as measured by the Contact Angle Test Method detailed herein.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The spunbond nonwoven fabric of claim 1, wherein the first region exhibits both a Contact Angle of greater than about 90 degrees and a Time to Wick of greater than 10 seconds, as measured by the Time to Wick Test Method detailed herein.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The spunbond nonwoven fabric of claim 5, wherein the Time to Wick is between about 10 seconds and about 60 seconds, as measured by the Time to Wick Test Method detailed herein.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The spunbond nonwoven fabric of claim 1, wherein the difference in values for the intensive property for the first region and the second region of the microzone in the first zone is an order of magnitude different from the difference in values for the intensive property for the first region and the second region of the microzone in the second zone.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The spunbond nonwoven fabric of claim 1, wherein the difference in values for the intensive property for the first region and the second region of the microzone in the first zone is from about 1.2× to about 10× different from the difference in values for the intensive property for the first region and the second region of the microzone in the second zone.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The spunbond nonwoven fabric of claim 1, wherein the intensive property is thickness, and wherein the thickness of every region is greater than zero.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The spunbond nonwoven fabric of claim 9, wherein the difference in thickness in the first zone is greater than about 25 microns.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The spunbond nonwoven fabric of claim 1, wherein the intensive property is basis weight, and the wherein basis weight of every region is greater than zero.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The spunbond nonwoven fabric of claim 11, wherein the difference in basis weight in the first zone is greater than about 5 gsm.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The spunbond nonwoven fabric of claim 1, wherein the intensive property is volumetric density, and wherein the volumetric density of every region is greater than zero.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The spunbond nonwoven fabric of claim 13, wherein the difference in volumetric density in the first zone is greater than about 0.042 g/cc.

### Claim 15

The spunbond nonwoven fabric of Claim. 1, wherein at least one of the surfaces has a TS7 value of less than about 15 dB V2 rms.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The spunbond nonwoven fabric of claim 15, wherein the first surface has a TS7 value of about 2 to about 12 dB V2 rms, and wherein the second surface has a TS7 value different than the TS7 value of the first surface.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The spunbond nonwoven fabric of claim 16, wherein the second surface has a TS7 value that is lower than the first surface TS7 value.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The spunbond nonwoven fabric of claim 15, wherein the second surface has a TS7 value of about 3 to about 8, and wherein the first surface has a TS7 value different than the TS7 value of the first surface.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The spunbond nonwoven fabric of claim 15, wherein the first surface has a TS7 value that is higher than the second surface TS7 value.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

An absorbent article comprising the spunbond nonwoven fabric of claim 1.

### Claim 21

A spunhond nonwoven fabric comprising:
a. a first surface and a second surface, and at least a first and second visually discernible zones on at least one of the first and second surface, each of the first and second visually discernible zones having a different pattern of three-dimensional features that each comprise at least two distinct three dimensional features; and
b. wherein a value for a first intensive property of a first three dimensional feature of the at least two distinct three dimensional features is different from a value of the same first intensive property of a second three dimensional feature of the at least two distinct three dimensional features;
wherein at least one of the different patterns of three dimensional features comprises:
i. a first three dimensional feature that comprises a closed boundary;
ii. a second three dimensional feature that fully surrounds the first three dimensional feature; and
iii. a third three dimensional feature that at least substantially surrounds the second three dimensional feature, and that comprises a continuous repeating boundary.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The spunbond nonwoven fabric of claim 21, wherein a value for a second intensive property of the first three dimensional feature of the at least two distinct three dimensional features is substantially identical to a value of the same second intensive property of the second three dimensional feature of the at least two distinct three dimensional features.