Polyurethane pad covering for gel filled articles
AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
InventorsRobert J. Wolf, Scott M. Purrington, John M. Brandner, David A. Olson, John F. Reed
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Abstract
A barrier fabric laminate for use as a cover for a gel filled article is provided. The barrier fabric laminate comprises a fluid impermeable film and a polyurethane nonwoven web which has a friction value of less than 200 g and a fabric hand of less than 200 g. The polyurethane web is formed from fibers of less than about 50 .mu.m diameter on average and is preferably formed with a fluorochemical melt additive by sequentially melt blowing the polyurethane web on a heated collecting drum and laminating in the nip formed by a heated nip roller and the collecting drum.
Claims22
A gel filled article comprising a viscoelastic gel covered on at least one outer face by a soft conformable barrier fabric, said barrier fabric comprising a calendered elastic laminate of a fluid impermeable film layer and an elastic polyurethane nonwoven fibrous web, wherein the film is positioned facing inward toward the viscoelastic gel such that the nonwoven fibrous web forms an exposed outer surface of the article, and wherein the fibers of the web have an average diameter of less than 50 .mu.m, the exposed outer surface of the polyurethane nonwoven web has a friction value of less than about 200 g and the fabric hand of the barrier fabric is less than about 200 g.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.