Breathable laminate and method of making same
AssigneePolymer Group, Inc.
InventorMou Chung Ngai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A breathable laminate has a liquid-resistant backing film layer having varied vapor permeability that includes breathable thinned localized regions and thicker non-breathable regions, wherein the film layer is co-extensively directly joined with a liquid- and vapor-permeable nonwoven fabric. The breathable laminate can have unidirectional air permeability. The present invention also relates to disposable apparel and absorbent products which incorporate the breathable laminate, and methods of making the breathable laminate.
Claims20
A breathable laminate comprising a liquid-resistant, vapor-permeable backing film layer co-extensively in direct joined contact with a liquid- and vapor-permeable nonwoven fabric, wherein the backing film layer of the breathable laminate comprises thinned localized regions which are vapor-permeable and liquid-resistant and thicker regions which are vapor-impermeable and liquid-resistant, wherein the backing film layer comprises a thermoplastic resin-containing composition and the nonwoven fabric comprises a blend of first decitex fibres and second decitex fibres which differ by at least 1 decitex, wherein the first decitex fibres have a decitex in a range of from 3.5 to 15 and the second decitex fibres have a decitex in a range of from 0.5 to 3.5, and wherein the first decitex fibres are present in the blend in an amount of from 10% to 90% by weight and the second decitex fibres are present in the wherein the thinned localized regions comprise microscale V shape channels in the backing film layer, wherein the channels coincide along locations of the first decitex fibres on the nonwoven fabric.
A method of making a breathable laminate with varied vapor permeability, comprising steps of:
- extruding a film comprising a thermoplastic resin-containing composition directly onto a liquid- and vapor-permeable nonwoven fabric to provide a film coated nonwoven fabric, wherein the nonwoven fabric comprises a blend of first and second decitex fibres which differ by at least 1 decitex, wherein the first decitex fibres have a decitex in a range of from 3.5 to 15 and the second decitex fibres have a decitex in a range of from 0.5 to 3.5, and wherein the first decitex fibres are present in the blend in an amount of from 10% to 90% by weight and the second decitex fibres are present in the blend in an amount of from 90% to 10% by weight;
- and
- cooling the film coated nonwoven fabric to produce a liquid-resistant, varied vapor-permeable backing film layer co-extensively joined in direct contact with a liquid- and vapor-permeable nonwoven fabric, wherein the backing film layer comprises vapor-permeable, liquid-resistant thinned localized regions and vapor-impermeable and liquid-resistant thicker regions that remain after cooling the coated fabric, wherein the thinned localized regions comprise microscale V shape channels in the backing film layer, wherein the channels coincide along locations of first decitex fibres on the nonwoven fabric.
A breathable laminate comprising a liquid-resistant, vapor-permeable backing film layer co-extensively in direct joined contact with a liquid- and vapor-permeable nonwoven fabric, wherein the backing film layer of the breathable laminate comprises thinned localized regions which are vapor-permeable and liquid-resistant and thicker regions which are vapor-impermeable and liquid-resistant, wherein the backing film layer comprises a thermoplastic resin-containing composition and the nonwoven fabric comprises a blend of first decitex fibres and second decitex fibres which differ by at least 1 decitex, wherein the first decitex fibres comprise polyester fibres and have a decitex in a range of from 3.5 to 15 and the second decitex fibres have a decitex in a range of from 0.5 to 3.5, and wherein the first decitex fibres are present in the blend in an amount of from 10% to 90% by weight and the second decitex fibres are present in the blend in an amount of from 90% to 10% by weight, wherein the thinned localized regions comprise microscale V shape channels in the backing film layer, wherein the channels coincide along locations of the polyester fibres on the nonwoven fabric.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.