Patent EP0217032A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0217032A2
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EP
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Composite elastomeric material and process for making the same
Assignee: Kimberly Clark Worldwide Inc
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Filing: 1986-07-21
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-07-21
Abstract
Abstract A method of producing a composite elastic material comprises stretching an elastic web (4) to elongate it, for example, elongating a nonwoven web of meltblown elastomeric fibers, and bonding the elongated web to at least one gatherable web (16),(20), such as a spunbonded polyester fiber material, under conditions which soften at least a portion of the elastic web to form the bonded composite web of elastic material. The composite material (22) is relaxed immediately after the bonding to prevent the elastic web from losing its ability to contract from the stretched dimensions which it assumed during the bonding step. Such immediate relaxation of the composite material after the bonding step results in the elastic web retaining its ability to contract so that, upon termination of the elongating force, the elastic web contracts to form gathers in the gatherable web. The bonding may be effectuated by pattern embossing overlaid elastic and gatherable webs with at least portions of the elastic web heated to at least its softening temperature. The resultant composite elastic material comprises a coherent elastic web which is bonded to at least one coherent gatherable web whereby the gatherable web is extensible and contractible with the elastic web upon stretching and relaxing of the composite material.
Inventors
- 👤 Jack Draper Taylor
- 👤 Michael John Vander Wielen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 20:48
CPC Classifications
B; B32; B32B; B32B5/00; B32B5/02; B32B5/04; D; D04; D04H; D04H13/00; A; A61; A61F; A61F13/00; A61F13/15; A61F13/15577; A61F13/15585; A61F13/15593; A61F13/45; A61F13/49; A61F13/49007; A61F13/49009; A61F13/4902; B32B3/00; B32B3/26; B32B3/28; B32B5/022; D04H1/00; D04H1/40; D04H1/54; D04H1/559; B29; B29C; B29C65/00; B29C65/02; B29C65/18; B29C66/00; B29C66/01; B29C66/05; B29C66/10; B29C66/11; B29C66/112; B29C66/1122; B29C66/20; B29C66/23; B29C66/234; B29C66/40; B29C66/41; B29C66/43; B29C66/70; B29C66/71; B29C66/72; B29C66/729; B29C66/7294; B29C66/80; B29C66/81; B29C66/814; B29C66/8141; B29C66/81433; B29C66/83; B29C66/834; B29C66/8341; B29C66/83411; B29C66/83413; B29K; B29K2995/00; B29K2995/0037; B29K2995/0046; B29L; B29L2031/00; B29L2031/48; B29L2031/4871; B29L2031/4878; B32B2262/00; B32B2262/02; B32B2262/0207; B32B2262/0215; B32B2262/0223; B32B2262/023; B32B2262/0253; B32B2307/00; B32B2307/50; B32B2307/51; B32B2555/00; B32B2555/02; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/903; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24355; Y10T428/24446; Y10T428/24802; Y10T428/24826
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 58
Claim 1
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of producing a composite elastic material having at least one gatherable web bonded to at least one elastic web, said method comprising the steps of: (a) tensioning an elastic web to elongate it; (b) bonding the elongated elastic web to at least one gatherable web under conditions which soften at least portions of the elastic web to form a bonded composite web; and (c) relaxing the composite web immediately after the bonding step whereby the gatherable web is gathered to form the composite elastic material.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of producing a composite elastic material having at least one gatherable web bonded to at least one elastic web, said method comprising the steps of: (a) tensioning an elastic web to elongate it; (b) bonding the elongated elastic web to at least one gatherable web under conditions which soften at least portions of the elastic web to form a bonded composite web; and (c) relaxing the composite web immediately after the bonding step whereby the gatherable web is gathered to form the composite elastic material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the elastic web comprises a fibrous elastic web.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the fibrous elastic web comprises a nonwoven web of elastomeric fibers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the fibrous elastic web comprises a nonwoven web of elastomeric microfibers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the elastic web comprises an elastomeric film.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 or claim 2 including heat-bonding the elongated elastic web to the gatherable web by overlaying the elastic and gatherable webs and applying heat and pressure to the overlaid webs.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 6 including carrying out the heat-bonding by heating bonding sites on the elastic web to a temperature of from about 65°C to about 120°C.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 6 including carrying out the heat-bonding by heating bonding sites on the elastic web to a temperature of from about 70°C to about 90°C.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the elastic web has a basis weight of about 5 to about 300 grams per square meter.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the elastic web has a basis weight of about 10 to about 200 grams per square meter.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the elastic web is comprised of an A-B-A' block copolymer wherein A and A' are the same or different thermoplastic polymer block, and wherein B is an elastomeric polymer block.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 11 wherein A and A' each is a thermoplastic styrenic moiety and B is selected from the group consisting of poly(ethylene-butylene), polyisoprene and polybutadiene.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
9 words
The method of claim 12 wherein B is poly(ethylene-butylene).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 12 wherein each of A and A' is selected from the group consisting of polystyrene and polystyrene homologs.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
9 words
The method of claim 14 wherein B is poly(ethylene-butylene).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the gatherable web comprises a nonwoven, non-elastic material.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 12 wherein the sum of the molecular weight of A plus the molecular weight of A' comprises from about 14 to 31 percent of the molecular weight of the A-B-A' block copolymer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the sum of the molecular weight of A plus the molecular weight of A' comprises from about 14 to 29 percent of the molecular weight of the A-B-A' block copolymer.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 15 wherein the elastic web is comprised of a blend of said block copolymer plus a polyolefin.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 19 wherein the polyolefin is selected from the group consisting of one or more of polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutene, ethylene copolymers, propylene copolymers and butene copolymers.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method of claim 1 or claim 2 including carrying out the heat-bonding by passing the overlaid elastic and gatherable webs through a pressure nip formed between a pair of bonding rolls, at least one of which comprises a patterned calender roller and at least one of which is heated to a temperature above the softening temperature of the elastic web.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 or claim 2 including maintaining the elastic web in a stretched condition of at least about 100 percent elongation during the bonding.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the fibrous elastic web comprises a nonwoven web of meltblown elastomeric fibers and the gatherable web comprises a non-elastic web.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the fibrous elastic web comprises a nonwoven web of meltblown elastomeric fibers and is maintained in a stretched condition of at least about 25 percent elongation during the bonding.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 24 including maintaining the fibrous elastic web in a stretched condition of from about 25 percent to 550 percent elongation during the bonding.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 24 wherein the fibrous elastic web has a basis weight of from about 5 to 300 grams per square meter.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 24 wherein the fibrous elastic web has a basis weight of from about 10 to 200 grams per square meter.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 24 wherein the gatherable web comprises a nonwoven, non-elastic web.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 or claim 2 including bonding a non-elastic web to each of the opposite sides of the elastic web.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the composite web is relaxed for a period of up to about thirty seconds after bonding.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
100 words
An elastic composite material comprising at least one elastic web bonded to at least one gatherable web which is extensible and contractible with the elastic web upon stretching and relaxing of the composite material, the composite material being made by: (a) tensioning the elastic web to elongate it; (b) bonding the elongated elastic web to at least one gatherable web under conditions which soften at least portions of the elastic web, to form a bonded composite web; and (c) relaxing the composite web immediately after the bonding step whereby the gatherable web is gathered to form the composite elastic material.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
100 words
An elastic composite material comprising at least one elastic web bonded to at least one gatherable web which is extensible and contractible with the elastic web upon stretching and relaxing of the composite material, the composite material being made by: (a) tensioning the elastic web to elongate it; (b) bonding the elongated elastic web to at least one gatherable web under conditions which soften at least portions of the elastic web, to form a bonded composite web; and (c) relaxing the composite web immediately after the bonding step whereby the gatherable web is gathered to form the composite elastic material.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
14 words
The material of claim 31 wherein the elastic web comprises a fibrous elastic web.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
38 words
The material of claim 31 or claim 32 wherein the elastic web is bonded to the gatherable web at a plurality of spaced-apart locations in a repeating pattern and the gatherable web is gathered between the bonded locations.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
17 words
The material of claim 32 wherein the fibrous elastic web comprises a nonwoven web of elastomeric fibers.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
18 words
The material of claim 32 wherein the fibrous elastic web comprises a nonwoven web of meltblown elastomeric fibers.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
26 words
The material of claim 31 or claim 32 wherein the elastic web has a basis weight of from about 5 to 300 grams per square meter.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
26 words
The material of claim 31 or claim 32 wherein the elastic web has a basis weight of from about 10 to 200 grams per square meter.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
63 words
The material of claim 31 wherein the elastic web comprises a nonwoven web of meltblown elastomeric fibers selected from the group consisting of (i) fibers of A-B-A' block copolymers wherein A and A' may be the same or different and each is a thermoplastic polymer block and B is an elastomeric polymer block, and (ii) blends of one or more polyolefins with (i).
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
18 words
The material of claim 38 wherein A and A' each is a styrenic moiety and B is poly(ethylene-butylene).
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
46 words
The material of claim 39 wherein each of A and A' is selected from the group consisting of polystyrene and polystyrene homologs, and the polyolefin is selected from the group consisting of one or more of polyethylene, polypropylene polybutene, ethylene copolymers, propylene copolymers and butene copolymers.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
49 words
The material of claim 39 wherein each of A and A' is selected from polystyrene and polystyrene homologs and the sum of the molecular weight of A plus the molecular weight of A' is from about 14 to 29 percent of the molecular weight of the A-B-A' block copolymer.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
19 words
The material of claim 40 wherein the block copolymer comprises at least about 10% by weight of the material.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
19 words
The material of claim 40 wherein the block copolymer comprises at least about 20% by weight of the material.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
19 words
The material of claim 40 wherein the block copolymer comprises at least about 30% by weight of the material.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
39 words
The material of claim 40 wherein the meltblown fibers are comprised of from about 10 percent to 90 percent by weight of the A-B-A' block copolymer and from about 90 percent to 10 percent by weight of the polyolefin.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
38 words
The material of claim 31 wherein the elastic web comprises an A-B-A' block copolymer wherein A and A' may be the same or different and each is a thermoplastic polymer block and B is an elastomeric polymer block.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
66 words
The material of claim 46 wherein each of A and A' is selected from the group consisting of polystyrene and polystyrene homologs, and B is selected from the group consisting of poly(ethylene-butylene), polyisoprene and polybutadiene, and the sum of the molecular weight of A plus the molecular weight of A' comprises from about 14 to 31 percent of the molecular weight of the A-B-A' block copolymer.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
55 words
The material of claim 46 wherein each of A and A' is selected from the group consisting of polystyrene and polystyrene homologs, B is poly(ethylene-butylene) and the elastic web is further comprised of a polyolefin selected from the group consisting of one or more of polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutene, ethylene copolymers, propylene copolymers and butene copolymers.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
23 words
The material of claim 48 wherein the elastic web is comprised of at least about 20% by weight of the A-B-A' block copolymer.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
23 words
The material of claim 48 wherein the elastic web is comprised of at least about 30% by weight of the A-B-A' block copolymer.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
38 words
The material of claim 31 or claim 32 wherein the elastic web is bonded to the gatherable web at a plurality of spaced-apart locations in a repeating pattern and the gatherable web is gathered between the bonded locations.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
14 words
The material of claim 51 wherein the gatherable web is a nonwoven, non-elastic material.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
35 words
The material of claim 52 wherein the gatherable web comprises a web of fibers selected from the group consisting of polyester fibers, polyolefin fibers, polyamide fibers, cellulosic fibers and mixtures of two or more thereof.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
18 words
The material of claim 52 wherein the gatherable web comprises a nonwoven web of poly (ethylene terephthalate) fibers.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
9 words
An elastic composite material as shown and described herein.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
9 words
An elastic composite material as shown and described herein.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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