Apparatus for producing elastomeric nonwoven laminates
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorsUwe Schneider, Randall Allen Myers, Christoph Johann Schmitz, Martin Geoffrey Scaife
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for producing an elastomeric nonwoven laminate including a plurality of elastomeric strands joined to a nonwoven web in a controlled distribution is provided. The apparatus includes an extruder for extruding a plurality of elastomeric strands onto a cooled surface of a rotating drum, which transports the strands in parallel alignment to a nip formed between two rollers rotating about parallel axis. The drum transfers the plurality of strands to the nip in a controlled distribution where it is bonded with the nonwoven. The apparatus also includes elements which automate the apparatus for creating the elastomeric nonwoven laminate.
Claims20
A method for making an elastomeric nonwoven laminate from an elastomeric material and a nonwoven layer, the method comprising;
- a. supplying a first fibrous nonwoven material from a nonwoven source, said first fibrous nonwoven material having a first bonding surface;
- b. transferring at least one elastomeric material from a rotating roll or drum to a transferring device, wherein said transferring device is positioned proximate to said roll or drum, said transferring device having a surface speed V2, which is greater than a surface speed V1 of said roll or drum, wherein the span of unsupported elastomeric material between the roll or drum and the transferring device is between about 10 mm and about 200 mm;
- c. supplying a second fibrous nonwoven material from a nonwoven source, said second fibrous nonwoven material having a second bonding surface;
- and
- d. joining the elastomeric material to said first and second fibrous nonwoven materials at a point of lamination thereby forming a nonwoven elastorneric laminate wherein said elastomeric material is disposed between said first and second bonding surface of said first and second fibrous nonwoven materials and wherein said elastomeric material is joined to at least one of said first and second fibrous nonwoven materials by at least one of thermal bonding, pressure bonding, mechanical bonding, ultrasonic bonding, and radio frequency bonding.
A method for making an elastomeric nonwoven laminate from an elastomeric material and a nonwoven layer, the method comprising:
- a. supplying a first fibrous nonwoven material from a nonwoven source, said first fibrous nonwoven material having a first bonding surface;
- b. transferring at least one dastorneric film material from a rotating roll or drum to a transferring device, wherein said transferring device is positioned proximate to said roll or drum, said transferring device having a surface speed V2, which is greater than a surface speed V1 of said roll or drum, wherein the span of unsupported elastomeric film material between the roll or drum and the transferring device is between about 10 mm and about 200 mm;
- c. supplying a second fibrous nonwoven material from a nonwoven source, said second fibrous nonwoven material having a bonding surface;
- and
- d. joining the elastomeric film material to said first and second fibrous nonwoven materials at a point of lamination thereby forming a nonwoven elastomeric laminate wherein said elastomeric film material is disposed between said first and second bonding surface of said first and second fibrous nonwoven materials, wherein said elastomeric film material is strained when the elastomeric film material is joined to the first and second fibrous nonwoven material and wherein said elastomeric film material is joined to at least one of said first and second fibrous nonwoven materials by at least one of thermal bonding, pressure bonding, mechanical bonding, ultrasonic bonding, and radio frequency bonding.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.