Low-cost elastic laminate material

• US 20030124310A1
• Filed: 12/28/2001
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Ellis, Clifford Jackson, Shultz, Jay Sheldon, Garavaglia, Arthur Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,078,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/138
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2311/14 Wood, e.g. woodboard or fibreboard
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 25/10 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/04 characterised by a layer being specifically extensible by reason of its structure or arrangement , e.g. by reason of the chemical nature of the fibres or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/18 characterised by features of a layer of foamed material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/559 the fibres being within layered webs
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/56 in association with fibre formation, e.g. immediately following extrusion of staple fibres
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1023 Surface deformation only [e.g., embossing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24273 including aperture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24331 including nonapertured component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24826 Spot bonds connect components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31909 Next to second addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31913 Monoolefin polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/3192 Next to vinyl or vinylidene chloride polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/601 Nonwoven fabric has an elastic quality
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/641 Sheath-core multicomponent strand or fiber material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/652 Nonwoven fabric is coated, impregnated, or autogenously bonded
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/659 Including an additional nonwoven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/674 Nonwoven fabric with a preformed polymeric film or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/676 : Vinyl polymer or copolymer sheet or film [e.g., polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl acetate, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/678 : Olefin polymer or copolymer sheet or film [e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene, ethylene-butylene copolymer, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/679 : Natural or synthetic rubber sheet or film

Abstract

Disclosed herein are elastic laminate materials. The elastic laminate materials are laminates of extensible nonwoven fibrous webs and thermoplastic elastic materials. The laminate may be a two-layer composite material having a single nonwoven fibrous web bonded to one side of the thermoplastic elastic material, or it may be a three-layer composite having a nonwoven fibrous web bonded to each side of the thermoplastic elastic material. The extensible nonwoven fibrous webs may be staple fiber webs. The thermoplastic elastic material may be single-layer or multi-layer elastic films, or elastic fibrous layers. Where single- or multi-layer elastic films are used, the films may be breathable films. The elastic material, or some of the staple fibers, or both, may be selected such that the staple fiber webs are thermally compatible with the thermoplastic elastic material to facilitate laminate bonding. Processes for forming the elastic laminate material are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An elastic laminate material comprising a thermoplastic elastic material and a first non-bonded staple fiber web layer, said non-bonded staple fiber web layer bonded to said thermoplastic elastic material.

2. The elastic laminate material of claim 1 further comprising a second non-bonded staple fiber web layer bonded to the side of said thermoplastic elastic material opposite from said first web layer.

3. The elastic laminate material of claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic elastic material comprises elastic polyolefin.

4. The elastic laminate material of claim 2 wherein said thermoplastic elastic material comprises elastic polyolefin.

5. The elastic laminate material of claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic elastic material comprises styrenic block copolymer.

6. The elastic laminate material of claim 2 wherein said thermoplastic elastic material comprises styrenic block copolymer.

7. The elastic laminate material of claim 2 wherein said thermoplastic elastic material is a single layer film comprising about 70 weight percent elastic polyethylene polymer and about 30 weight percent styrenic block copolymer.

8. The elastic laminate material of claim 2 wherein said staple fibers comprise bicomponent binder fibers comprising a low melting polymeric component and a high melting polymeric component, said low melting polymeric component exposed on at least a portion of the outer surface of said binder fiber, and said low melting polymeric component being thermally compatible with said thermoplastic elastic material.

9. The elastic laminate material of claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic elastic material comprises a breathable barrier film.

10. The elastic laminate material of claim 2 wherein said thermoplastic elastic material comprises a breathable barrier film.

11. The elastic laminate material of claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic elastic material comprises an elastic web of meltblown fibers.

12. The elastic laminate material of claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic elastic material is a multi-layer film comprising first and second external skin layers, each in an amount of from about 3 weight percent to about 20 weight percent of said multi-layer film, said first and second external skin layers comprising a bonding agent, and an interior layer of an elastic polymer in an amount of from about 60 weight percent to about 94 weight percent of the multi-layer film.

13. The elastic laminate material of claim 2 wherein said thermoplastic elastic material is a multi-layer film comprising first and second external skin layers, each in an amount of from about 3 weight percent to about 20 weight percent of said multi-layer film, said first and second external skin layers comprising a bonding agent, and an interior layer of an elastic polymer in an amount of from about 60 weight percent to about 94 weight percent of the multi-layer film.

14. The elastic laminate material of claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic elastic material comprises a bonding agent.

15. The elastic laminate material of claim 2 wherein said thermoplastic elastic material comprises a bonding agent.

16. The elastic laminate material of claim 1 wherein at least some of said staple fibers comprise a bonding agent.

17. The elastic laminate material of claim 2 wherein at least some of said staple fibers comprise a bonding agent.

18. The elastic laminate material of claim 2 wherein said thermoplastic elastic material comprises a bonding agent and at least some said staple fibers comprise a bonding agent.

19. The elastic laminate material of claim 1 wherein said non-bonded staple fiber web layer is a carded web layer.

20. The elastic laminate material of claim 2 wherein said first and second non-bonded staple fiber web layers each have a basis weight between about 1 gsm and about 34 gsm.

21. The elastic laminate material of claim 20 wherein said first and second non-bonded staple fiber web layers are carded web layers each having a basis weight of between about 18 gsm and about 34 gsm and each having a MD to CD orientation ratio of between about 2:

1 and 40;

1.

22. The elastic laminate material of claim 20 wherein said first and second non-bonded staple fiber web layers each have a basis weight of about 10 gsm or less.

23. The elastic laminate material of claim 2 wherein said thermoplastic elastic material is apertured.

24. The elastic laminate material of claim 2 wherein said elastic laminate material is apertured.

25. The elastic laminate material of claim 2 wherein said thermoplastic elastic material has a basis weight between about 10 gsm and about 68 gsm.

26. The elastic laminate material of claim 2 wherein said staple fibers comprise polymers selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyesters, nylon, rayon, acetates, and copolyesters.

27. A personal care absorbent product comprising the elastic laminate material of claim 1.

28. A personal care absorbent product comprising the elastic laminate material of claim 2.

29. A medical care product comprising the elastic laminate material of claim 2.

30. A protective workwear garment comprising the elastic laminate material of claim 2.

31. A process for forming an elastic laminate material comprising the steps of:

a) forming a first non-bonded staple fiber web layer;

b) unwinding a thermoplastic elastic material; and

thereafter

c) forming said laminate by bonding said first non-bonded staple fiber web layer to said thermoplastic elastic material.

32. The process of claim 31 including the additional step a′

) of forming a second non-bonded staple fiber web layer and in step c) bonding said second web layer to the side of said thermoplastic elastic material opposite from said first web layer.

33. The process of claim 32 wherein said first and second non-bonded staple fiber webs are carded webs.

34. A process for forming an elastic laminate material comprising the steps of:

a) forming a first non-bonded staple fiber web layer;

b) extruding a thermoplastic elastic material; and

thereafter

c) forming said laminate by bonding said first non-bonded staple fiber web layer to said thermoplastic elastic material while said thermoplastic elastic material remains in a partially molten state.

35. The process of claim 34 including the additional step a′

) of forming a second non-bonded staple fiber web layer and in step c) bonding said second web layer to the side of said thermoplastic elastic material opposite from said first web layer.

36. The process of claim 35 wherein said first and second non-bonded staple fiber webs are carded webs.