Patent US3855046A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3855046A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Pattern bonded continuous filament web
Assignee: Kimberly Clark Corp
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Filing: 1971-09-01
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Granted: 1974-12-17
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Expires: 1991-09-01
Abstract
Abstract Continuous filament webs of thermoplastic polymers, such as polypropylene, are bonded to provide webs with desirable characteristics such as textile-like drape and softness, strength, abrasion resistant surfaces, and a high capacity for absorbing energy. One illustrated method of bonding the webs whereby undesirable shrink is minimized involves passing the web through a nip formed between heated rolls with one of the rolls containing a plurality of raised points on its surface. Bonding intensity is such as to stabilize the web and render the surfaces thereof abrasion resistant and such that filaments can pull free from bonded areas before fracturing when the web is subjected to strain.
Inventors
- 👤 P Hansen
- 👤 L Pennings
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 21:37
CPC Classifications
D; D04; D04H; D04H3/00; D04H3/08; D04H3/14; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24802; Y10T428/24826; Y10T442/00; Y10T442/60; Y10T442/69
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
145 words
A SOFT, DRAPABLE NONWOVEN WEB CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICALLY PREPARED CONTINUOUS AND RANDOMLY DEPOSITED, MOLECULARLY ORENTED FILAMENTS OF A THERMOPLASTIC POLYMER, SAID WEB HAVING A MULTIPLICITY OF DISCRETE, COMPACTED AREAS OF AUTOGENOUS RELEASABLE FILAMENT BONDS EXTENDING THROUGH A MAJOR PORTION OF THE THICKNESS OF THE WEB, SAID COMPACTED AREAS BEING DISTRIBUTED IN AN INTERMITTENT REGULAR PATTERN PROVIDING UNBONDED FILAMENT SPANS THEREBETWEEN WHICH ALIGN IN A DIRECTION OF STRAIN TO ENHANCE STRAIN DISTRIBUTION THROUGHOUT THE WEB, SAID RELEASABLE FILAMENT BOONDS SERVING TO HOLD THE FILAMENTS WHICH ARE ON, AND ADJACENT TO, THE WEB SURFACES FOR STABILIZING THE WEB AND FOR RENDERING THE SURFACES THEREOF ABRASION RESISTANT ANE SAID RELEASBREAKING STRENGTH OF THE FILMENTS SUCH THAT THE BONDED FILAABLE BONDS HAVING AN INTENSITY APPROACHING BUT LESS THAN THE MENTS PULL FREE FROM ONE ANOTHER BEFORE FRACTURING WHEN THE WEB IS SUBJECTED TO STRAIN.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
145 words
A SOFT, DRAPABLE NONWOVEN WEB CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICALLY PREPARED CONTINUOUS AND RANDOMLY DEPOSITED, MOLECULARLY ORENTED FILAMENTS OF A THERMOPLASTIC POLYMER, SAID WEB HAVING A MULTIPLICITY OF DISCRETE, COMPACTED AREAS OF AUTOGENOUS RELEASABLE FILAMENT BONDS EXTENDING THROUGH A MAJOR PORTION OF THE THICKNESS OF THE WEB, SAID COMPACTED AREAS BEING DISTRIBUTED IN AN INTERMITTENT REGULAR PATTERN PROVIDING UNBONDED FILAMENT SPANS THEREBETWEEN WHICH ALIGN IN A DIRECTION OF STRAIN TO ENHANCE STRAIN DISTRIBUTION THROUGHOUT THE WEB, SAID RELEASABLE FILAMENT BOONDS SERVING TO HOLD THE FILAMENTS WHICH ARE ON, AND ADJACENT TO, THE WEB SURFACES FOR STABILIZING THE WEB AND FOR RENDERING THE SURFACES THEREOF ABRASION RESISTANT ANE SAID RELEASBREAKING STRENGTH OF THE FILMENTS SUCH THAT THE BONDED FILAABLE BONDS HAVING AN INTENSITY APPROACHING BUT LESS THAN THE MENTS PULL FREE FROM ONE ANOTHER BEFORE FRACTURING WHEN THE WEB IS SUBJECTED TO STRAIN.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
11 words
The web of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic polymer is polypropylene.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The web of claim 2 wherein the compacted areas are present in a density of about 100-500 per square inch and occupy 10-25% of the web area.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The web of claim 3 having a basis weight of about 0.3-1 oz./yd.2 and a filament denier of about 0.8-2.5.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The web of claim 4 wherein the polypropylene filaments have a tenacity of about 2-5.5 grams/denier and the web and has a specific energy absorption in at least one direction of at least about 40.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
The web of claim 4 having a basis weight of about 0.3-0.7 oz./yd.2 wherein the polypropylene filaments have a tenacity of about 3.5-4.5 grams/denier and the web has a specific energy absorption in both machine and cross directions of at least about 50.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
The web of claim 4 wherein the polypropylene filaments have a tenacity of at leAst about 4 grams/denier and wherein the web has a toughness index in at least one direction of at least about 130.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
The web of claim 4 wherein the polypropylene filaments have a tenacity of at least about 4 grams/denier and wherein the web has a toughness index in both machine and cross directions of at least about 200.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
94 words
A web consisting essentially of substantially identically prepared continuous and randomly deposited, molecularly oriented filaments of a thermoplastic polymer having spaced, releasable autogenous bonds, the spacing of the bonds and the releasable character thereof providing a soft drapable web with a continued load bearing capacity under strain without filament fracture, said bonds being within intermittent regularly patterned compacted areas distributed throughout the filaments and formed by heat and pressure, the web being further characterized by the visual disappearance of the compacted areas due to filament release thereform upon application of strain to the web.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
94 words
A web consisting essentially of substantially identically prepared continuous and randomly deposited, molecularly oriented filaments of a thermoplastic polymer having spaced, releasable autogenous bonds, the spacing of the bonds and the releasable character thereof providing a soft drapable web with a continued load bearing capacity under strain without filament fracture, said bonds being within intermittent regularly patterned compacted areas distributed throughout the filaments and formed by heat and pressure, the web being further characterized by the visual disappearance of the compacted areas due to filament release thereform upon application of strain to the web.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
11 words
The web of claim 9 wherein the thermoplastic polymer is polypropylene.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
The web of claim 10 wherein the compacted areas are present in a density of about 100-500 per square inch and occupy 10-25% of the web area.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The web of claim 11 having a basis weight of about 0.3-1 oz./yd.2 and a filament denier of about 0.8-2.5.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
The web of claim 12 having an unfused bond area coefficient of less than about 60%.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
The web of claim 12 wherein the surfaces thereof have a Taber abrasion resistance of at least about 10 cycles.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
128 words
A soft, drapable nonwoven web consisting essentially of a plurality of substantially identically prepared continuous and randomly deposited, molecularly oriented filaments of polypropylene, said web having a multiplicity of discrete areas of autogenous filament bonds, said areas being distributed in an intermittent regular pattern with a density of between about 100-500/in.2 and occupying an area of between about 5-25% of the web area, said autogenous filament bonds wihtin said areas having an intensity sufficient to stabilize the web and render the surfaces thereof abrasion resistant so that the web has an unfused bond area coefficient of less than about 60% and yielding a web with trapezoidal tear characteristics within 50% of those maximally obtainable for said web and an elongation of at least 25% at maximum tensile strength.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
128 words
A soft, drapable nonwoven web consisting essentially of a plurality of substantially identically prepared continuous and randomly deposited, molecularly oriented filaments of polypropylene, said web having a multiplicity of discrete areas of autogenous filament bonds, said areas being distributed in an intermittent regular pattern with a density of between about 100-500/in.2 and occupying an area of between about 5-25% of the web area, said autogenous filament bonds wihtin said areas having an intensity sufficient to stabilize the web and render the surfaces thereof abrasion resistant so that the web has an unfused bond area coefficient of less than about 60% and yielding a web with trapezoidal tear characteristics within 50% of those maximally obtainable for said web and an elongation of at least 25% at maximum tensile strength.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
The web of claim 15 having a basis weight of about 0.3-1 03./yd.2 and a filament denier of about 0.8-2.5.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
120 words
A soft, drapable nonwoven web consisting essentially of a plurality of substantially identically prepared continuous and randomly deposited, molecularly oriented filaments of a thermoplastic polymer having a tenacity of about 2-7 grams/denier, said web having a multiplicity of discrete areas of autogenous filament bonds, said areas being distributed in an intermittent regular pattern so as to be present in a density of about 100-500/in.2 and to occupy an area of about 5-25% of the web area, said autogenous filament bonds within said areas being of an intensity sufficient to stabilize the web and render the surfaces thereof abrasion resistant and to yield a web with a specific trapezoidal tear energy of about 5 X 106 - 15 X 106 CM3.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
120 words
A soft, drapable nonwoven web consisting essentially of a plurality of substantially identically prepared continuous and randomly deposited, molecularly oriented filaments of a thermoplastic polymer having a tenacity of about 2-7 grams/denier, said web having a multiplicity of discrete areas of autogenous filament bonds, said areas being distributed in an intermittent regular pattern so as to be present in a density of about 100-500/in.2 and to occupy an area of about 5-25% of the web area, said autogenous filament bonds within said areas being of an intensity sufficient to stabilize the web and render the surfaces thereof abrasion resistant and to yield a web with a specific trapezoidal tear energy of about 5 X 106 - 15 X 106 CM3.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
11 words
The web of claim 17 wherein the thermoplastic polymer is polypropylene.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
27 words
The web of claim 18 wherein the compacted areas are present in a density of about 100-500 per square inch and occupy 10-25% of the web area.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
20 words
The web of claim 19 wherein the surfaces thereof have a Taber abrasion resistance of at least about 10 cycles.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-12-16 | 1978-06-17 | 1978-12-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-12-16 | 1982-06-17 | 1982-12-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-12-16 | 1986-06-17 | 1986-12-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |