Breathable elasctic web
OwnerAndrew J. Peacockinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An embodiment of the present invention relates to an elastic web that can be made breathable upon application of a tensile force such as would be encountered in certain applications, such as in diapers and other hygiene articles, and bandages. Breathability is achieved by insertion into the web of slits whose open area increases upon application of a force on the web acting along the major axis of said slits.
Claims50
A stretchable web comprising a top surface and a bottom surface, the web comprising one or more regions having a plurality of slits, wherein:
- i. each slit connects the top surface to the bottom surface;
- ii. the slits are aligned with their major axes oriented at an angle within 45° of a common direction on the web surface;
- iii. the slits open when a tensile force is applied to the web along the common direction;
- iv. the slits are characterized by a major and a minor axes, the ratio of the major to minor axes (the aspect ratio) being more than about 5;
- and
- v. the stretchable web has a porosity of greater than about 1.0 (m3/m2/min) when stretched to 50% elongation.
An elastic web with a top surface and a bottom surface, said web comprising one or more regions having a multiplicity of slits, wherein:
- i. each slit connects the top surface to the bottom surface;
- ii. the slits are aligned with their major axes oriented at an angle within 45° of a common direction on the web surface;
- iii. the slits open when a tensile force is applied to the web along the common direction;
- iv. the slits are characterized by a major and a minor axes, the ratio of the major to minor axes (the aspect ratio) being more than about 5;
- and
- v. the region has an open area of greater than 1% when stretched to 100% elongation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.