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EP0171806A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

An entangled nonwoven fabric including bicomponent fibers and the method of making same

Assignee: Chicopee LLC
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Filing: 1985-08-14
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-08-14
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Abstract

Abstract There is disclosed a thermal bonded entangled nonwoven fabric including conjugate fibers having an exposed low melting point component and a component having a higher melting point. The fabric may include only conjugate fibers or the conjugate fibers may be combined with other fibers. The fabric is formed by forming a web containing conjugate fibers, entangling the fibers of the web, heating the web to heat fuse the low melting point component of the conjugate fibers to fibers of the web at the fiber intersection.

Inventors

  • 👤 Ching-Yun M. Yang
  • 👤 Alfred T. Mays

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 23:34
CPC Classifications
D; D04; D04H; D04H1/00; D04H1/40; D04H1/54; D04H1/44; D04H1/46; D04H1/48; D04H1/49

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim 85 words
A entangled nonwoven fabric comprising at least 10 percent conjugate fibers, said fabric having a combination of both strength wash durability absorbency and resistance to wet.collapse, said fabric comprising an entangled, fused network of conjugate fibers comprising an exposed low melting point component, and a higher melting point component, said conjugate fibers having been heated to a temperature to melt said low melting point components, whereby said conjugate fibers are thermal bonded to yield a fabric with increased strength, resistance to wet collapse and launderability.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 85 words
A entangled nonwoven fabric comprising at least 10 percent conjugate fibers, said fabric having a combination of both strength wash durability absorbency and resistance to wet.collapse, said fabric comprising an entangled, fused network of conjugate fibers comprising an exposed low melting point component, and a higher melting point component, said conjugate fibers having been heated to a temperature to melt said low melting point components, whereby said conjugate fibers are thermal bonded to yield a fabric with increased strength, resistance to wet collapse and launderability.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 26 words
A fabric as in Claim 1, comprising conjugate fibers and other fibers, wherein said conjugate fibers are thermal bonded to the other fibers of the web.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 35 words
A fabric as in Claim 1 or 2, wherein said low melting point component of said conjugate fibers form inclusion bonds with said other fibers at the intersections of said conjugate fibers and other fibers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 32 words
A fabric as set forth in Claim 3 in which the conjugate fibers comprise a core component and a sheath component, in which the sheath component is a low melting point component.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 21 words
A fabric as set forth in Claim 3 in which the components of the conjugate fibers are disposed in side-by-side relationship.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 21 words
A fabric as set forth in Claims 2, 3, 4, or 5 in which the lower melting point component is polyethylene.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 12 words
A fabric as set forth in Claim 6 comprising a polyester component.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 25 words
A fabric as set forth in Claim 1 in which the fabric is comprised of a homogeneous blend of said conjugate fibers and other fibers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 17 words
A fabric as set forth in Claim 1 or 2 comprising at least 20 percent conjugate fibers.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 17 words
A fabric as set forth in Claim 1 or 2 comprising at least 33 percent conjugate fibers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 15 words
A fabric as set forth in Claim 1 in which the other fibers are polyolefins.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 15 words
A fabric as set forth in Claim 10 in which the other fiber is polyester.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 15 words
A fabric as set forth in Claim 1 in which the other fibers are cotton.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 15 words
A fabric as set forth in Claim 1 in which the other fibers are rayon.
Claim 16
Independent Claim 71 words
A method of forming a nonwoven fabric comprising the steps of: providing a web comprising conjugate fibers having an exposed low melting point component and a higher melting point component: passing essentially columnar jets of fluid under pressure through said web to entangle said fibers; and heating said web to thermal bond said low melting point components of said conjugate fibers at fiber intersections to increase the strength of the fabric.
Claim 17
Independent Claim 71 words
A method of forming a nonwoven fabric comprising the steps of: providing a web comprising conjugate fibers having an exposed low melting point component and a higher melting point component: passing essentially columnar jets of fluid under pressure through said web to entangle said fibers; and heating said web to thermal bond said low melting point components of said conjugate fibers at fiber intersections to increase the strength of the fabric.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 32 words
A method as in Claim 15 wherein said web comprises conjugate fibers and other fibes, and said conjugate fibers are thermal bonded to the other fibers of the web at fiber intersections.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 40 words
A method as in Claim 15 or 16 wherein said low melting point component of said conjugate fibers is caused to flow, to form inclusion bonds with said other fibers at the intersections of said conjugate fibers and other fibers.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 22 words
A method as set forth in Claim 15 in which the conjugate fibers and other fibers are blended into a homogeneous web.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 22 words
A method as set forth in Claim 15 in which said heating step is performed by subjecting said web to hot air.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 22 words
A method as set forth in Claim 15 in which said heating step is performed by subjecting said web to radiant heating.

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