Composite nonwoven fabrics
AssigneeFiberweb North America, Inc.
InventorsThomas E. Quantrille, G. Stanley Zimmerman, Jr.
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Abstract
The invention provides elastic fabrics which exhibit low extensibility in the machine direction and have substantial elastic properties in the cross-machine direction. The fabrics of the invention include an elastic layer and a fibrous layer which are combined together. The fibrous layer is composed of a plurality of thermally activated binder fibers or filaments oriented substantially in the machine-direction of the fibrous web. The fabrics of the invention can be manufactured and processed more readily than fabrics which are elastic in both the machine direction and the cross-machine direction.
Claims28
A process stable composite elastomeric nonwoven fabric of predetermined width and having a length substantially greater than said width, said width defining the cross machine direction of said fabric and said length defining the machine direction of said fabric, said composite fabric comprising:
- a fibrous web comprising a plurality of thermally activated binder fibers or filaments oriented substantially in the machine-direction of said fibrous web;
- and
- an elastomeric layer combined with said fibrous layer, wherein said composite elastomeric nonwoven fabric is elastic in the cross-machine direction and exhibits low extensibility in the machine direction.
A process stable composite elastomeric nonwoven fabric of predetermined width and having a length substantially greater than said width, said width defining the cross machine direction of said fabric and said length defining the machine direction of said fabric, said composite fabric comprising:
- a carded web comprising a plurality of thermally activated binder fibers oriented substantially in the machine-direction of said carded web;
- and
- an elastomeric layer combined with said fibrous layer, wherein said composite elastomeric nonwoven fabric is elastic in the cross-machine direction and exhibits low extensibility in the machine direction.
A process stable composite elastomeric nonwoven fabric of predetermined width and having a length substantially greater than said width, said width defining the cross machine direction of said fabric and said length defining the machine direction of said fabric, said composite fabric comprising:
- a spunbonded web comprising a plurality of substantially continuous filaments oriented substantially in the machine-direction of said spunbonded web;
- and
- an elastomeric layer combined with said spunbonded layer, wherein said composite elastomeric nonwoven fabric is elastic in the cross-machine direction and exhibits low extensibility in the machine direction.
A process stable composite elastomeric nonwoven fabric of predetermined width and having a length substantially greater than said width, said width defining the cross machine direction of said fabric and said length defining the machine direction of said fabric, said composite fabric comprising:
- a first and second fibrous web each comprising a plurality of thermally activated binder fibers oriented substantially in the machine-direction of said fibrous webs;
- and
- an elastomeric net combined with said fibrous webs by hydroentanglement;
- at least a portion of said binder fibers having been thermally activated thereby bonding said hydroentangled first and second fibrous webs into a coherent substantially unitary structure encompassing said elastomeric net,
- and wherein said composite elastomeric nonwoven fabric is elastic in the cross-machine direction and exhibits low extensibility in the machine direction of less than about 2% elongation with a tension of about 0.9 N/inch at 25.degree. C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.