Breathable fabric lamination, apparatus and methods

• US 5,750,444 A
• Filed: 10/04/1993
• Issued: 05/12/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nordson Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nordson Corporation
• Inventors: Meissner, Hans-Jurgen, Rieckmann, Gustav, Kubo, Manfred, Jarrell, Curt, Benecke, Jurgen
• Primary Examiner(s): CANNON, JAMES
• Application Number:
  US08/131,483
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• Field of Search: 428/311.1, 428/316.6, 428/317.5, 118/410, 118/411, 118/324, 118/325, 156/501, 156/244.24
• US Class Current: 442/62
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 5/0254 Coating heads with slot-shaped outlet B05C5/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 5/0279 independently, e.g. individually, flow controlled
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/022 Foam
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/18 Fabrics, textiles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/724 Permeability to gases, adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/1284 Application of adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/024 Woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/18 characterised by features of a layer of foamed material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/245 another layer next to it being a foam layer
• 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: B32B 7/14 applied in spaced arrangements, e.g. in stripes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249981 Plural void-containing components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249984 Adhesive or bonding component contains voids
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2025 Coating produced by extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3325 Including a foamed layer or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3366 Woven fabric is coated, impregnated, or autogenously bonded

Abstract

A breathable laminate comprises at least two porous webs laminated together with a porous adhesive matrix, preferably a random fibrous adhesive pattern having a coat weight of between 1.5 and 12 grams per square meter. The two or more porous webs comprise woven or non-woven materials and the resulting breathable fabric or laminate has good hand and flexibility. Breathable fabric is adhered to foam by such random fibrous adhesive patterns of similar coat weights. Coating widths of up to 80 inches or more are produced in a slot die fed by a selected plurality of recessed lands within the die, with motors and pumps controlled to maintain consistent, uniform coat weights regardless of coat widths and substrate speeds selected. Single ply coated webs, apparatus and methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. A breathable, multiple layer, laminated article comprising:

a first layer of porous textile material;

a second layer of foam; and

a porous adhesive pattern disposed intermediate said textile material and said foam;

said adhesive pattern comprising a fine, random fibrous web of hot melt adhesive extruded from a slot die and contact coated onto one of said layers.

2. A breathable, non-skid fabric comprising:

a porous textile web and a non-skid component disposed on one side of said web;

said non-skid component comprising a matrix of cured adhesive extruded from a slot die and contact coated onto said web;

said matrix being porous and said fabric being breathable and flexible, and said matrix being deposited in part in the interstices of said textile web.

3. A breathable woven fabric having a design therein provided by means of the orientation with respect to each other of warp threads and weft threads and means for securing the threads in position, said securing means comprising a porous matrix of thermoplastic adhesive on said fabric extruded from a slot die holding said threads in position, said combined fabric and adhesive matrix being breathable and flexible.

4. A fabric as in claim 3 wherein said matrix of thermoplastic adhesive is contact coated onto said fabric.

5. A fabric as claim 4 wherein said adhesive is hot melt adhesive.

6. A method of laminating porous textile materials to form a composite, breathable fabric, the method comprising the steps of:

emanating a fine random fibrous matrix of thermoplastic adhesive from a slot die;

applying said fine random fibrous matrix of thermoplastic adhesive directly from said slot die onto one side of a first porous textile web in moving contact with said die, and

applying a second porous textile web to the thermoplastic adhesive-coated side of the first textile web,

whereby said textile webs are adhered together to form breathable, laminated fabric.

7. A method of adhering a breathable fabric to a foam surface, the method comprising the steps of:

extruding a fine, random porous matrix of adhesive from a slot outlet of an extrusion die;

applying said fine, random, porous matrix of adhesive directly from said die to one of said fabric and said foam surface in contact with said die; and

combining said fabric and said foam surface, with said adhesive matrix therebetween to adhere said fabric and foam together, said fabric and adhesive matrix being air pervious.

8. Apparatus for laminating porous textiles into a breathable, multiple layer fabric, said apparatus comprising in combination:

a fine slot extruder die having a die outlet and means to meter hot melt adhesive material thereto in quantities sufficient to produce a fine, random fibrous hot melt adhesive matrix from the die slot outlet;

means for running a first porous textile web past and in contact with said die outlet for receiving a coating thereon of said hot melt adhesive matrix; and

means for applying a second porous textile web to said adhesive matrix on said hot melt first textile web including means for laminating said webs together into a breathable fabric.

9. Apparatus for laminating porous textiles into a breathable, multiple layer fabric, said apparatus comprising in combination:

a fine slot extruder die having a die outlet and means to meter hot melt adhesive material thereto in quantities sufficient to produce a fine, random fibrous hot melt adhesive matrix from the die slot outlet;

means for running a first porous textile web past and in contact with said die outlet for receiving a coating thereon of said hot melt adhesive matrix; and

means for applying a second porous textile web to said adhesive matrix on said hot melt first textile web including means for laminating said webs together into a breathable fabric; and

further including a plurality of independent selectively controlled land areas feeding said fine slot extruder die outlet, at least one of said segments including a plurality of independent selectively controlled, recessed land areas.

10. Apparatus as in claim 9 further including:

an adhesive distribution channel operatively connected with each land;

a plurality of adhesive slots, each operatively interconnected with at least one distribution channel;

selectively operable valve means interposed between each adhesive slot and each distribution channel;

said valves being selectively operable to permit adhesive to flow across associated lands or to stop said flow and for selecting the width of said adhesive web.

11. Apparatus as in claim 10 further including a plurality of pumps for feeding adhesive to said slots, and a plurality of motors;

each motor driving at least one pump; and

said motors being speed controllable to selectively reduce motor speed when said valves cease adhesive flow to selected associated lands.

12. Apparatus for producing a variable width adhesive matrix and comprising:

a die having an elongated die outlet;

a plurality of separate land areas in said die;

separate means for selectively controlling the flow of adhesive to each respective land area; and

metering means for providing adhesive to said respective and areas through said controlling means, said metering means being controllable to adjust adhesive flow to said land areas as a function of the number of land areas receiving adhesive through said respective controlling means.

13. Apparatus as in claim 12 wherein said apparatus is used to coat a moving web conveyed at a linear web speed, said apparatus including control means, wherein said metering means is controllable by said control means to adjust adhesive flow as a function of linear web speed.