One-step necked-bonded laminate process and apparatus
AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
InventorMichael Tod Morman
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Abstract
A one-step method of making a necked-bonded laminate, wherein the layers of the laminate are formed and laminated within the same process. The method includes forming a nonwoven web, necking the nonwoven web, and immediately feeding the nonwoven web into a laminator where an elastomeric film is laminated to the nonwoven web. The elastomeric film may also be formed during the process prior to being fed into the laminator. Additionally, more than one nonwoven web may be formed and laminated to the elastomeric film during the process. The invention further includes apparatus for carrying out the one-step method.
Claims38
A one-step, one-location method of making a necked-bonded laminate, comprising:
- bonding a first plurality of filaments in a first bonding device operating at a first speed to form a first nonwoven web;
- necking the first nonwoven web;
- and feeding the first nonwoven web into a laminator operating at a second faster speed in a tensioned, necked condition, such that the first nonwoven web is conveyed from the first bonding device to the laminator within 24 seconds;
- and
- laminating an elastomeric film to the necked first nonwoven web in the laminator;
- wherein a difference between the first speed and the second speed necks the first nonwoven web before the first nonwoven web reaches 75% of a final crystallization and the neck-bonded laminate can be stretched by about 300% or more.
A one-step, one-location method of making a necked-bonded laminate, comprising:
- bonding a first plurality of filaments in a first bonding device operating at a first speed to form a first nonwoven web;
- necking the first nonwoven web;
- and feeding the first nonwoven web into a laminator operating at a second faster speed in a tensioned, necked condition, such that the first nonwoven web is conveyed from the first bonding device to the laminator within 24 seconds;
- forming an elastomeric film, and feeding the elastomeric film into the laminator;
- and
- laminating the elastomeric film to the necked first nonwoven web in the laminator;
- wherein a difference between the first speed and the second speed necks the first nonwoven web before the first nonwoven web reaches 75% of a final crystallization and the necked-bonded laminate can be stretched by about 300% or more.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.