LAMINATES AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME

• US 20140093703A1
• Filed: 10/02/2012
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Hanschen, Thomas P., Sikorski, William H. Jr., Ausen, Ronald W., Rajagopal, Vathsala, Kopecky, William J., Wallis, Paul S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,944,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/175
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/51 Elastic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 25/10 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2555/00 Personal care
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/18 characterised by an internal layer formed of separate pieces of material which are juxtaposed side-by-side B32B5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/142 Variation across the area of the layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24636 Embodying mechanically interengaged strand[s], strand-portion[s] or strand-like strip[s] [e.g., weave, knit, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24694 Parallel corrugations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24826 Spot bonds connect components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249921 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/60 Nonwoven fabric [i.e., nonwoven strand or fiber material]

Abstract

An incrementally activated laminate that includes an incrementally activated fibrous web and a film having alternating first and second regions and a laminate of the film and an extensible fibrous web. The first region of the film includes a first polymeric composition, and the second regions include an elastic polymeric composition that is more elastic than the first polymeric composition. In the incrementally activated laminate, the distance between midpoints of two first regions separated by one second region is smaller than the activation pitch, and the first regions are not plastically deformed. In the extensible laminate, a tensile elongation at maximum load of the film is up to 250 percent of the tensile elongation at maximum load of the extensible fibrous web. Methods of making the laminates are also described.

Claims

1. An incrementally activated laminate comprising:

an incrementally activated fibrous web having an activation pitch; and

a film comprising alternating first and second regions laminated to the incrementally activated fibrous web, wherein the first regions comprise a first polymeric composition, wherein the second regions comprise an elastic polymeric composition that is more elastic than the first polymeric composition, wherein a distance between midpoints of two first regions separated by one second region is smaller than the activation pitch, and wherein the first regions are not plastically deformed.

2. The incrementally activated laminate of claim 1, wherein the first regions make up a higher volume percentage of the film than the second regions.

3. The incrementally activated laminate of claim 1, wherein the second regions are strands comprising a core and a sheath, wherein the core comprises the elastic polymeric composition and is more elastic than the sheath.

4. The incrementally activated laminate of claim 1, wherein the second regions comprise strands of the elastic polymeric composition embedded in a matrix of the first polymeric composition that is continuous with the first regions.

5. The incrementally activated laminate of claim 1, wherein the first and second regions are alternating side-by-side stripes comprising the first polymeric composition and the elastic polymeric composition, respectively.

6. The incrementally activated laminate of claim 1, wherein the recoverable stretch of the laminate is at least fifty percent of the recoverable stretch of a comparative film, wherein the comparative film is the same as the film comprising alternating first and second regions except that it is not laminated to the incrementally activated fibrous web.

7. The incrementally activated laminate of claim 1, wherein the incrementally activated fibrous web is an incrementally activated nonwoven web.

8. The incrementally activated laminate of claim 1, wherein the distance between midpoints of the two first regions separated by one second region is up to 11 millimeters, and wherein the second regions each have a width up to 4 millimeters.

9. The incrementally activated laminate of claim 1, comprised in an absorbent article.

10. A method of making an incrementally stretched laminate, the method comprising:

laminating a fibrous web and a film comprising alternating first and second regions to form a laminate, wherein the first regions comprise a first polymeric composition, and the second regions comprise an elastic polymeric composition that is more elastic than the first polymeric composition; and

passing the laminate between intermeshing surfaces to provide an incrementally stretched laminate, wherein a distance between midpoints of two first regions separated by one second region is smaller than the pitch of one of the intermeshing surfaces, and wherein the first regions are not plastically deformed.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first regions make up a higher volume percentage of the film than the second regions.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second regions are strands comprising a core and a sheath, wherein the core comprises the elastic polymeric composition and is more elastic than the sheath.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the second regions comprises strands of the elastic polymeric composition embedded in a matrix of the first polymeric composition that is continuous with the first regions.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first and second regions are alternating side-by-side stripes of the first polymeric composition and the elastic polymeric composition, respectively.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the intermeshing surfaces are on corrugated rolls.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the intermeshing surfaces are on intermeshing discs.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the fibrous web is a nonwoven web.

18. An extensible laminate comprising:

an extensible fibrous web; and

a film comprising alternating first and second regions laminated to the extensible fibrous web, wherein the first regions comprise a first polymeric composition, wherein the second regions comprise an elastic polymeric composition that is more elastic than the first polymeric composition, and wherein a tensile elongation at maximum load of the film is up to 250 percent of the tensile elongation at maximum load of the extensible fibrous web.

19. The extensible laminate of claim 18, wherein the extensible fibrous web and the film are discontinuously bonded at discrete bond locations.

20. The extensible laminate of claim 18, wherein the first regions make up a higher volume percentage of the film than the second regions.

21. The extensible laminate of claim 18, wherein the second regions are strands comprising a core and a sheath, wherein the core comprises the elastic polymeric composition and is more elastic than the sheath.

22. The extensible laminate of claim 18, wherein the second regions comprise strands of the elastic polymeric composition embedded in a matrix of the first polymeric composition that is continuous with the first regions.

23. The extensible laminate of claim 18, wherein the first and second regions are alternating side-by-side stripes comprising the first polymeric composition and the elastic polymeric composition, respectively.

24. The extensible laminate of claim 18, wherein the extensible fibrous web is an extensible nonwoven web.

25. A method of making an extensible laminate, the method comprising:

laminating an extensible fibrous web and a film comprising alternating first and second regions to form an extensible laminate, wherein the first regions comprise a first polymeric composition, and the second regions comprise an elastic polymeric composition that is more elastic than the first polymeric composition, and wherein a tensile elongation at maximum load of the film is up to 250 percent of the tensile elongation at maximum load of the extensible fibrous web.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the second regions are strands comprising a core and a sheath, wherein the core comprises the elastic polymeric composition and is more elastic than the sheath.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the second regions comprises strands of the elastic polymeric composition embedded in a matrix of the first polymeric composition that is continuous with the first regions.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the first and second regions are alternating side-by-side stripes of the first polymeric composition and the elastic polymeric composition, respectively.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein laminating comprises discontinuously bonding at discrete bond locations.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein laminating comprises passing the extensible fibrous web and the film through a nip formed by two rolls, wherein at least one of the rolls is a patterned roll, wherein the temperature of at least one of the two rolls is up to 60°

C., and wherein the pressure in the nip is at least one megapascal.