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AssigneeKimberly-Clark Corporation
InventorsHenry Louis Griesbach, III, Richard Daniel Pike, Sharon Watkins Gwaltney, Ruth Lisa Levy, Lawrence Howell Sawyer, Richard Macferran Shane, Philip Anthony Sasse
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A shaped nonwoven fabric comprises continuous spunbond filaments made by directly forming the spunbond filaments into a web in a single process. The fabric has an array of discrete surface features such as apertures or projections, or both. The spunbond filaments are bonded together with an adhesive polymeric component so that the shape of the fabric is retained. The fabric can be engineered to have particular fluid handling properties, strength properties, abrasive properties and aesthetic properties. Articles such as personal care products, garments, medical products and cleaning products are also disclosed.
Nonwoven fabric having a length and a surface and comprising melt-spun and drawn continuous spunbond polymeric filaments extending substantially continuously along the length of the fabric, the filaments having an average diameter from about 6 to about 40 microns and forming an array of discrete surface features in the fabric, the spunbond filaments having a primary polymeric component extending continuously along the length of the filaments, the spunbond filaments being bonded together without the use of compression, and the fabric having an array of surface projections or apertures or a combination of surface projections and apertures determined by the array of discrete surface features on the foraminous surface upon which the drawn filaments were deposited prior to being bonded together under heating conditions and with an adhesive polymeric component which adheres the respective primary components of the spunbond filaments together, whereby the fabric is substantially uncompressed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.