Laminated composites

• US 6,503,855 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1999
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Maki, Robert J., Joseph, Eugene G., Seidel, David L., Tuman, Scott J., Menzies, Robert H., Berg, Brandon T., Riedel, John E., Levitt, Leon, Edgar, Jason L.
• Primary Examiner(s): JUSKA, CHERYL ANN
• Application Number:
  US09/444,349
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 442/328, 442/329, 442/366, 442/381, 442/382, 442/389, 442/392, 442/400, 442/401, 442/409, 442/149, 442/35, 442/36, 602/41, 602/42, 602/43, 602/45, 602/57, 602/58, 602/900, 244/42, 244/52, 244/47, 244/48, 244/44, 428/99, 428/100
• US Class Current: 442/328
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 18/0003 Fastener constructions A44B18/0023, A44B18/0046 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 18/0046 Fasteners made integrally of plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/222 characterised by the shape of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/026 Porous
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/20 in the form of a non-woven mat
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2535/00 Medical equipment, e.g. bandage, prostheses or catheter
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/20 of hollow pieces, e.g. tubes; of pieces with channels or cavities
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/12 characterised by using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/06 characterised by a fibrous or filamentary layer mechanically connected, e.g. by needling to another layer, e.g. of fibres, of paper
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/12 characterised by the relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers, e.g. the fibres or filaments being parallel or perpendicular to each other
• 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 7/12 using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/593 to layered webs
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 3/045 for net manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/27 including readily dissociable fastener having numerous, protruding, unitary filaments randomly interlocking with, and simultaneously moving towards, mating structure [e.g., hook-loop type fastener]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/2792 having mounting surface and filaments constructed from common piece of material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24008 including fastener for attaching to external surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24017 Hook or barb
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/102 Woven scrim
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/159 : Including a nonwoven fabric which is not a scrim
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/16 : Two or more nonwoven layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/184 : Nonwoven scrim
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2738 : Coating or impregnation intended to function as an adhesive to solid surfaces subsequently associated therewith
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/601 : Nonwoven fabric has an elastic quality
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/602 : Nonwoven fabric comprises an elastic strand or fiber material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/643 : Including parallel strand or fiber material within the nonwoven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/659 : Including an additional nonwoven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/66 : Additional nonwoven fabric is a spun-bonded fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/668 : Separate nonwoven fabric layers comprise chemically different strand or fiber material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/671 : Multiple nonwoven fabric layers composed of the same polymeric strand or fiber material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/68 : Melt-blown nonwoven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/681 : Spun-bonded nonwoven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/69 : Autogenously bonded nonwoven fabric

Abstract

A laminated composite suitable for use in medical products such as tapes and wraps. The composite includes, for example, a first nonwoven fiber layer, an elastic layer, a melt blown adhesive fiber layer, and a second nonwoven fiber layer. A scrim layer serves as a deadstop, or stretch limit, to prevent over stretching. The non-woven fiber layer(s) and/or the scrim layer form suitable loops for a hook and loop fastening system. The scrim layer in some embodiments is employed to make the composite finger tearable. The melt blown adhesive layer, nonwoven web layer and elastic layer form a breathable, porous elastic composite. Methods of manufacturing the composite are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A laminated elastic composite, comprising:

a first nonwoven web layer having a machine direction and a cross direction;

a scrim layer adjacent to the first nonwoven web layer comprising spaced-apart, nonelastic filaments oriented substantially in the machine direction that are substantially perpendicular to spaced-apart filaments oriented substantially in the cross-direction;

an elastic layer adjacent to the scrim layer comprising a series of substantially parallel, spaced-apart elastic filaments wherein the length of the elastic filaments are oriented substantially in the machine direction;

a fibrous adhesive layer adjacent the elastic layer, and

a second nonwoven web layer adjacent to the fibrous adhesive layer;

wherein at least one of the nonwoven web layers comprises loops, and further wherein the fibrous adhesive layer comprises a melt-blown fibrous adhesive layer comprising multilayer fibers, said fibers comprising one or more layers of a pressure-sensitive adhesive and one or more layers of a non-adhesive polymer.

2. A laminated elastic composite according to claim 1, wherein the first nonwoven layer is a nonwoven material selected from the group consisting of a melt blown nonwoven material, a spunbond nonwoven material, a spun laced nonwoven material, a staple carded web, an air laid web and a wet laid web, and wherein the second nonwoven layer is a nonwoven material selected from the group consisting of melt blown nonwoven materials, spunbond nonwoven materials, spun laced nonwoven materials, staple carded webs, air laid webs and wet laid webs.

3. A laminated elastic composite according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first nonwoven layer and the second nonwoven layer comprises a spun bond nonwoven material.

4. A laminated elastic composite according to claim 1, wherein the spacing of the elastic filaments is in the range of about 1-10 filaments/cm in the cross direction.

5. A laminated elastic composite according to claim 1, wherein the melt blown fiber adhesive layer comprises three-layer fibers comprising two outer layers of a pressure-sensitive adhesive and one inner layer of a non-adhesive polymer.

6. A laminated elastic composite according to claim 1, wherein the laminated composite is cohesive.

7. A laminated elastic composite according to claim 1, wherein the scrim has in the range of 5-30 filaments/2.5-cm in the machine direction and in the range of about 5-30 filaments/2.5-cm in the cross-direction.

8. A laminated elastic composite according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on the outer surface of one of the nonwoven layers.

9. A laminated composite according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of hooks formed along a surface of the composite for releasable engagement with the loops to fasten the composite in use.

10. A laminated composite according to claim 9, wherein the first nonwoven web includes a plurality of discrete regions, the plurality of hooks being formed by a plurality of stems extending from each discrete region, wherein the plurality of discrete regions are fused to at least the first major side of the web.

11. A laminated composite according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of stems are comprised of a thermoplastic material selected from the group consisting of:

polyurethane, polyolefins, polystyrenes, polycarbonates, polyester, polymethacrylate, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers, ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymers, polyvinylchloride, acrylate modified ethylene vinyl acetate polymers, and ethylene acrylic acid copolymers.

12. A laminated composite according to claim 10, wherein the discrete regions cover between 5 and 25 percent of a major surface of the first nonwoven web.

13. A laminated composite according to claim 10, wherein the first nonwoven web defines a localized plane, and the plurality of stems are oriented at a plurality of angles to the localized plane.

14. A laminated composite according to claim 10, wherein one or more of the stems is shaped to provide directional hooking capability.

15. A laminated composite according to claim 10, wherein the discrete regions are separated an average of approximately 0.05 and 30 centimeters from one another.

16. A laminated composite, comprising:

a first nonwoven web layer;

a scrim layer adjacent to the first nonwoven web layer comprising spaced-apart, non-elastic filaments oriented substantially in the machine direction that are substantially perpendicular to spaced-apart filaments oriented in the cross-direction; and

a fibrous adhesive layer adjacent the scrim layer;

wherein the fibrous adhesive layer comprises a melt-blown fibrous adhesive layer comprising multilayer fibers, said fibers comprising one or more layers of a pressure-sensitive adhesive and one or more layers of a non-adhesive polymer.

17. A laminated elastic composite according to claim 16, wherein the melt blown fiber adhesive layer comprises three-layer fibers comprising two outer layers of a pressure-sensitive adhesive and one inner layer of a non-adhesive polymer.

18. A laminated composite according to claim 16, further comprising:

a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer adjacent to the fibrous adhesive layer.

19. A laminated composite according to claim 16, wherein the nonwoven layer comprises a nonwoven material selected from the group consisting of a melt blown nonwoven material, a spunbond nonwoven material, a spun laced nonwoven material, a staple carded web, an air laid web and a wet laid web.

20. A laminated composite according to claim 16, wherein the nonwoven layer comprises a spun bond nonwoven material.

21. A laminated composite according to claim 16, wherein the scrim comprises a woven scrim.

22. A laminated composite according to claim 16, wherein the scrim has in the range of about 5-30 filaments/2.5-cm in the machine direction and in the range of about 5-30 filaments/2.5-cm in the cross direction.

23. A laminated composite according to claim 16, wherein the laminated composite is cohesive.

24. A laminated composite, comprising:

a scrim layer comprising spaced-apart filaments oriented substantially in the machine direction that are substantially perpendicular to spaced-apart filaments oriented substantially in the cross-direction;

an elastic layer comprising a series of substantially parallel, spaced-apart elastic filaments wherein the elastic filaments are oriented substantially in the machine direction; and

a fibrous adhesive layer adjacent the elastic layer;

wherein the scrim layer comprises loops, and farther wherein the fibrous adhesive layer comprises a melt-blown fibrous adhesive layer comprising multilayer fibers, said fibers comprising one or more layers of a pressure-sensitive adhesive and one or more layers of a non-adhesive polymer.

25. A laminated composite according to claim 24, further comprising a plurality of hooks formed along a surface of the composite for releasable engagement with the loops to fasten the composite in use.

26. A laminated composite according to claim 24, wherein the composite is cohesive.

27. A laminated composite according to claim 24, wherein the scrim has in the range of 5-30 filaments/2.5-cm in the machine direction and in the range of 5-30 filaments/2.5-cm the cross-direction.

28. A laminated composite according to claim 24, further comprising a layer of a pressure-sensitive adhesive on the scrim layer.