Textured fabrics applied with a treatment composition

• US 7,815,995 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2003
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Xie, Ming, Detamore, James J., Clark, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarazano; D. Lawrence
• Assistant Examiner(s): Matzek; Matthew D
• Application Number:
  US10/378,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20040175556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,787 Days
• Field of Search: 442/59, 442/152, 442/153, 442/154, 428/152, 428/153
• US Class Current: 428/152
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/488 in combination with bonding agents
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/49 entanglement by fluid jet in combination with another consolidation means
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/495 for formation of patterns, e.g. drilling or rearrangement
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/498 entanglement of layered webs
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/64 the bonding agent being applied in wet state, e.g. chemical agents in dispersions or solutions
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 13/00 Other non-woven fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 5/03 by fluid jet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24446 Wrinkled, creased, crinkled or creped
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24455 Paper
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249943 Fiber is nonlinear [e.g., crimped, sinusoidal, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/20 Coated or impregnated woven, knit, or nonwoven fabric which is not [a] associated with another preformed layer or fiber layer or, [b] with respect to woven and knit, characterized, respectively, by a particular or differential weave or knit, wherein the coating or impregnation is neither a foamed material nor a free metal or alloy layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2762 Coated or impregnated natural fiber fabric [e.g., cotton, wool, silk, linen, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/277 Coated or impregnated cellulosic fiber fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2779 Coating or impregnation contains an acrylic polymer or copolymer [e.g., polyacrylonitrile, polyacrylic acid, etc.]
• 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 442/681 Spun-bonded nonwoven fabric

Abstract

A textured fabric having at least one surface that contains peaks and valleys is provided. Greater than about 90% of the peaks and less than about 10% of the valleys are disposed with a treatment composition, the treatment composition comprising a latex polymer. In one embodiment, for example, the textured fabric is a hydraulically entangled composite fabric formed from a spunbond nonwoven web and pulp fibers. When coated onto the fabric, the treatment composition may form a thin film layer on the fiber surface that prevents fibers or zones of fibers from breaking away from the surface as lint. Further, because the coating is applied only to the peaks, the valleys may remain free of the latex polymer and substantially maintain the absorbency of the uncoated fabric.

Claims

1. A textured composite fabric comprising a nonwoven web that is entangled with a fibrous component and then creped, the creped fabric having at least one surface that contains peaks and valleys, wherein greater than about 90% of the peaks and less than about 10% of the valleys are applied with a treatment composition, the treatment composition comprising a latex polymer, wherein the peaks define a user-contacting surface.

2. The textured composite fabric of claim 1, wherein approximately 100% of the peaks are applied with the treatment composition.

3. The textured composite fabric of claim 1, wherein approximately 0% of the valleys are applied with the treatment composition.

4. The textured composite fabric of claim 1, wherein the solids add-on level of the treatment composition is from about 0.1% to about 20%.

5. The textured composite fabric of claim 1, wherein the solids add-on level of the treatment composition is from about 0.5% to about 5%.

6. The textured composite fabric of claim 1, wherein the latex polymer is selected from the group consisting of ethylene vinyl acetates, ethylene vinyl chlorides, styrene-butadiene, acrylates and styrene-acrylate copolymers.

7. The textured composite fabric of claim 1, wherein the nonwoven web is a spunbond web.

8. The textured composite fabric of claim 1, wherein the fibrous component contains cellulosic fibers.

9. The textured composite fabric of claim 1, wherein the fibrous component comprises greater than about 50% by weight of the fabric.

10. The textured composite fabric of claim 1, wherein the fibrous component comprises from about 60% to about 90% by weight of the fabric.

11. The textured composite fabric of claim 1, wherein the treatment composition further comprises a pigment.

12. The textured composite fabric of claim 1, wherein the nonwoven woven web is thermally, ultrasonically, adhesively, or mechanically bonded.

13. The textured composite fabric of claim 12, wherein the nonwoven woven web is point bonded.

14. The textured composite fabric of claim 1, wherein the nonwoven web is hydraulically entangled with the fibrous component.

15. The textured composite fabric of claim 1, wherein the peaks define a user-contacting surface that is substantially uniformly coated with the treatment composition.

16. A textured composite fabric comprising a nonwoven web that is hydraulically entangled with pulp fibers and then creped, the creped fabric having at least one surface that contains peaks and valleys, wherein greater than about 90% of the peaks and less than about 10% of the valleys are applied with a treatment composition, the treatment composition comprising a crosslinked latex polymer, wherein the peaks define a user-contacting surface.

17. The textured composite fabric of claim 16, wherein approximately 100% of the peaks are applied with the treatment composition.

18. The textured composite fabric of claim 16, wherein approximately 0% of the valleys are applied with the treatment composition.

19. The textured composite fabric of claim 16, wherein the solids add-on level of the treatment composition is from about 0.5% to about 5%.

20. The textured composite fabric of claim 16, wherein the treatment composition further comprises a pigment.

21. The textured composite fabric of claim 16, wherein the pulp fibers comprise greater than about 50% by weight of the fabric.

22. The textured composite fabric of claim 16, wherein the pulp fibers comprise from about 60% to about 90% by weight of the fabric.

23. The textured composite fabric of claim 16, wherein the peaks define a user-contacting surface that is substantially uniformly coated with the treatment composition.

24. A textured composite fabric comprising a spunbond web hydraulically entangled with pulp fibers, the pulp fibers comprising greater than about 50% by weight of the fabric, the fabric having at least one surface that contains peaks and valleys, wherein greater than about 90% of the peaks and less than about 10% of the valleys are applied with a treatment composition, the treatment composition comprising a crosslinked latex polymer and a pigment, wherein the peaks define a user-contacting surface.

25. The textured composite fabric of claim 24, wherein approximately 100% of the peaks are applied with the treatment composition.

26. The textured composite fabric of claim 24, wherein approximately 0% of the valleys are applied with the treatment composition.

27. The textured composite fabric of claim 24, wherein the solids add-on level of the treatment composition is from about 0.5% to about 5%.

28. The textured composite fabric of claim 24, wherein the pulp fibers comprise from about 60% to about 90% by weight of the fabric.

29. The textured composite fabric of claim 24, wherein the peaks define a user-contacting surface that is substantially uniformly coated with the treatment composition.