Films and film laminates having cushioning cells and processes of making thereof
AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
InventorsBryon Paul Day, Ann Louise McCormack
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed herein is a cushioned blown film including a first blown film layer, a second blown film layer, and a plurality of cushioning cells defined between the first blown film layer and the second film layer. The cushioned blown films may be bonded to a fibrous web to make film nonwoven laminates. Processes for making the cushioned blown film and the film nonwoven laminates are also disclosed. Such laminates are highly useful for use in personal care products, protective wear garments, medical care products, mortuary and veterinary products and the like.
Claims13
A process for forming a film nonwoven laminate having cushioning cells comprising:
- extruding a thermoplastic film-forming polymer composition;
- blowing the extruded thermoplastic polymer composition to form a blown film bubble;
- directing the bubble to a nip formed between a first roller and a second roller, wherein the first roller has an outer surface comprising a continuous pattern of land areas defining a plurality of discrete openings, apertures or holes, and wherein the first and second rollers partially collapse the bubble into a nascent film sheet comprising a first film layer, a second film layer, and a plurality of cushioning cells defined between the first film layer and the second film layer;
- providing a fibrous nonwoven web in a necked condition;
- and directing the fibrous nonwoven web between the second roller and the nascent film to form a laminate comprising the nascent film and the fibrous nonwoven web, wherein the first and second film layers are elastic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.