Stretch-pillowed, bulked laminate
AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
InventorsAnn Louise McCormack, Duane Girard Uitenbroek
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a bulk-stretched pillowed laminate of two or more layers in which at least one of the layers is stretched before other layers are attached to it. In one execution, a thermoplastic film is stretched until it permanently deforms. Then, while still in a stretched state, a nonwoven web is laminated to the film and the resultant composite is allowed to relax slightly causing the nonwoven layer to gather and pucker, which in turn gives the composite a thicker and bulkier feel and appearance. The material of the present invention, while having a wide variety of uses, is particularly well-suited for use as an outercover for personal care absorbent articles, including diapers, training pants and sanitary napkins.
Claims36
A process for forming a bulked stretch-pillowed laminate comprising:
- a) extending a first extensible layer from an original length to an expanded length, said expanded length being at least 5 percent greater than said original length and said first extensible layer being permanently deformed as a result of said extension;
- b) placing a second layer in juxtaposition with said first layer while said first layer is in said expanded length;
- c) attaching said first and second layers to one another at a plurality of spaced-apart bond sites to form said laminate such that there are a plurality of bonded and unbonded areas;
- and
- d) allowing said first layer of said laminate to relax to a permanently deformed length which is still longer than said original length but less than said expanded length, said laminate having a plurality of bulked areas in the locations where said first and second layers are unbonded.
A bulked, stretch-pillowed laminate comprising:
- a first extensible layer and a second layer, said second layer being attached to said first extensible layer at a plurality of spaced-apart bond sites to form a bulked laminate with a plurality of bonded and unbonded areas, said bulked laminate being bulked due to said second layer having more surface area than said first extensible layer per the same unit area of said laminate, said bulked laminate being capable of stretching no more than twenty-five percent without delamination.
A bulked, stretch-pillowed laminate comprising:
- a first extensible layer and a second layer, said second layer being attached said first extensible layer at a plurality of spaced-apart bond sites to form a bulked laminate with a plurality of bonded and unbonded areas, said bulked laminate being bulked due to said second layer having more surface area than said first extensible layer per the same unit area of said bulked laminate, said bulked laminate being capable of stretching not more than 25 percent without affecting the lamination of said first extensible layer to said second layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.