Method of making a composite fabric for coverstock having separate liquid pervious and impervious regions

• US 6,350,332 B1
• Filed: 01/13/2000
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BBA Nonwovens Simpsonville Inc (Signature Aviation US Topco LLC)
• Original Assignee: BBA Nonwovens Simpsonville Inc (Signature Aviation US Topco LLC)
• Inventors: Thomas, Harold Edward, Reeder, James O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Aftergut, Jeff H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FISCHER, JUSTIN R
• Application Number:
  US09/482,771
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 428/105, 428/58, 428/77, 264/113, 156/62.4, 156/163, 156/181, 156/290, 156/167, 156/296, 156/308.4, 604/379
• US Class Current: 156/62.4
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4755 the means being a flat barrier on or inside the absorbent article, e.g. backsheet wrapped around the edges
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49413 the edge leakage prevention means being an upstanding barrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51104 the top sheet having a three-dimensional cross-section, e.g. corrugations, embossments, recesses or projections
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51305 having areas of different permeability
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51002 with special fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51066 for rendering the surface hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/726 Permeability to liquids, absorption
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/7265 Non-permeable
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2310/04 using liquids, gas or steam
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2555/02 Diapers or napkins
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 Non-woven fabric
• 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

Abstract

A composite nonwoven fabric is provided for use as a one-piece topsheet and barrier fabric for disposable absorbent articles including diapers, catamenial products, and adult incontinence products. The fabric is engineered to have a strikethrough region that is normally surfactant treated for receiving insults and transporting them to an absorbent core material for storage. The strikethrough region is bounded by liquid barrier regions that are suitable for defining containment structures, including diaper leg cuff. The barrier and strikethrough regions can be designed to have excellent low rewet characteristics and to have balanced properties comparable to or better than conventional spunbonded topsheet at comparable or lower basis weights.

Claims

1. A method for making a composite bonded nonwoven web comprising the steps of depositing at least one first layer of coarse continuous synthetic polyemeric filaments, depositing on said first layer at least one liquid barrier layer such that said liquid barrier is discontinuous across the width of said first layer and formed by depositing fibers between angular baffles disposed above a fiber collection surface so as to preclude depositing the fibers on selected longitudinally directed regions of said first layer, depositing on said barrier layer at least one second layer of coarse continuous synthetic polymeric filaments, and bonding the composite nonwoven web by application of heat and pressure, whereby said nonwoven web has longitudinally directed regions that contain the barrier layer alternating with longitudinally directed regions in the absence of the barrier layer.