Patent US4100324A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4100324A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Nonwoven fabric and method of producing same
Assignee: Kimberly Clark Corp
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Filing: 1976-07-19
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Granted: 1978-07-11
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Expires: 1996-07-19
Abstract
Abstract A nonwoven fabric-like material having a unique combination of strength, absorbency and hand consists essentially of an air-formed matrix of thermoplastic polymer microfibers having an average fiber diameter of less than about 10 microns, and a multiplicity of individualized wood pulp fibers disposed throughout the matrix of microfibers and engaging at least some of the microfibers to space the microfibers apart from each other. The wood pulp fibers are interconnected by and held captive within the matrix of microfibers by mechanical entanglement of the microfibers with the wood pulp fibers, the mechanical entanglement and interconnection of the microfibers and wood pulp fibers alone forming a coherent integrated fibrous structure. The coherent integrated fibrous structure may be formed by the microfibers and wood pulp fibers without any adhesive, molecular or hydrogen bonds between the two different types of fibers. The wood pulp fibers are preferably distributed uniformly throughout the matrix of microfibers to provide a homogeneous material. The material is formed by initially forming a primary air stream containing the melt blown microfibers, forming a secondary air stream containing the wood pulp fibers, merging the primary and secondary streams under turbulent conditions to form an integrated air stream containing a thorough mixture of the microfibers and wood pulp fibers, and then directing the integrated air stream onto a forming surface to air form the fabric-like material. The microfibers are in a soft nascent condition at an elevated temperature when they are turbulently mixed with the wood pulp fibers in air.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard A. Anderson
- 👤 Robert C. Sokolowski
- 👤 Kurt W. Ostermeier
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 07:35
CPC Classifications
C; C11; C11D; C11D17/00; C11D17/04; C11D17/049; D; D04; D04H; D04H1/00; D04H1/40; D04H1/54; D04H1/56; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/903; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/25; Y10T428/253; Y10T428/29; Y10T428/2913; Y10T428/298; Y10T442/00; Y10T442/60; Y10T442/608; Y10T442/614; Y10T442/619; Y10T442/68
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
115 words
A nonwoven gas-formed fabric-like material having a unique combination of strength, absorbency and hand, said material consisting essentially of a gas-formed matrix of thermoplastic polymeric melt-blown microfibers having an average fiber diameter of less than about 10 microns, and a multiplicity of individualized and gas-formed wood pulp fibers disposed throughout said matrix of microfibers and engaging at least some of said microfibers to space the microfibers apart from each other, said wood pulp fibers being interconnected by and held captive within said matrix of microfibers by mechanical entanglement of said microfibers with said wood pulp fibers, the mechanical enganglement and interconnection of said microfibers and wood pulp fibers alone forming a coherent integrated fibrous structure.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
115 words
A nonwoven gas-formed fabric-like material having a unique combination of strength, absorbency and hand, said material consisting essentially of a gas-formed matrix of thermoplastic polymeric melt-blown microfibers having an average fiber diameter of less than about 10 microns, and a multiplicity of individualized and gas-formed wood pulp fibers disposed throughout said matrix of microfibers and engaging at least some of said microfibers to space the microfibers apart from each other, said wood pulp fibers being interconnected by and held captive within said matrix of microfibers by mechanical entanglement of said microfibers with said wood pulp fibers, the mechanical enganglement and interconnection of said microfibers and wood pulp fibers alone forming a coherent integrated fibrous structure.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
A nonwoven fabric-like material as set forth in claim 1 wherein said polymeric microfibers and wood pulp fibers have been mixed under turbulent conditions in air with said microfibers in a soft nascent condition at an elevated temperature.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
A nonwoven fabric-like material as set forth in claim 1 wherein said microfibers and wood pulp fibers form a coherent integrated fibrous structure without any adhesive, molecular or hydrogen bonds between said microfibers and said wood pulp fibers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
A nonwoven fabric-like material as set forth in claim 1 wherein said wood pulp fibers are distributed uniformly throughout said matrix of microfibers to provide a homogeneous material.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
57 words
A nonwoven fabric-like material as set forth in claim 1 wherein said wood pulp fibers have a length within the range of from about 0.5 mm. to about 10 mm., and the ratio of the length of the largest transverse dimension of said wood pulp fibers is within the range of from about 10:1 to about 400:1.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
A nonwoven fabric-like material as set forth in claim 1 wherein said microfibers have an average fiber diameter greater than about 1 micron.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A nonwoven fabric-like material as set forth in claim 1 wherein said polymeric microfiber comprises from about 1% to about 80% by weight of the material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
A nonwoven fabric-like material as set forth in claim 1 wherein the recovered specific volume of said material is at least 75% of the initial specific volume.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
A nonwoven fabric-like material as set forth in claim 1 in which said polymeric microfiber comprises less than about 25% by weight of said material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
A nonwoven fabric-like material as set forth in claim 1 wherein said polymeric microfiber comprises at least 5% by weight of said material, and the lint count of said material is less than 600 minus 5.5 times the percentage by weight of said microfiber in said material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
36 words
A nonwoven fabric-like material as set forth in claim 1 wherein said wood pulp fiber comprises at least 40% by weight of said material, and the recovered specific volume of said material is at least 25.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
47 words
A nonwoven fabric-like material as set forth in claim 1 wherein said polymeric microfiber comprises at least about 30% by weight of said material, and the absorbency of said material is greater than 30 minus 0.25 times the percentage by weight of said microfiber in said material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
A nonwoven fabric-like material as set forth in claim 1 wherein said wood pulp fiber comprises at least about 90% by weight of said material, and the breaking length of said material is at least 5 meters.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
80 words
A nonwoven fabric-like material as set forth in claim 1 wherein said material has an initial specific volume of at least 25, a recovered specific volume which is at least 75% of the initial specific volume, a lint count of less than 600 minus 5.5 times the percentage by weight of said microfibers in said material, an absorbency greater than 30 minus 0.25 times the percentage by weight of said microfibers, and a breaking length of at least 5 meters.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
192 words
A method of forming a nonwoven fabric-like material having a unique combination of strength, absorbency and hand, said method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a primary air stream containing meltblown microfibers comprising generally discontinuous thermoplastic polymeric microfibers, said primary air stream having a temperature in the range of from about 600° F. to about 700° F., (b) forming a secondary air stream containing individualized wood pulp fibers, (c) merging said secondary stream with said primary stream under turbulent conditiions to form an integrated air stream containing a thorough mixture of said microfibers and said wood pulp fibers, (d) and directing said integrated air stream onto a forming surface to air-form a matrix of said microfibers in which at least some of said microfibers are engaged by said individualized wood pulp fibers to space the microfibers apart from each other, and said individualized wood pulp fibers are disposed throughout said matrix of microfibers and interconnected by and held captive within said matrix by mechanical entanglement of said microfibers with said wood pulp fibers, the mechanical entanglement and interconnection of said microfibers and wood pulp fibers alone forming a coherent integrated fibrous structure.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
192 words
A method of forming a nonwoven fabric-like material having a unique combination of strength, absorbency and hand, said method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a primary air stream containing meltblown microfibers comprising generally discontinuous thermoplastic polymeric microfibers, said primary air stream having a temperature in the range of from about 600° F. to about 700° F., (b) forming a secondary air stream containing individualized wood pulp fibers, (c) merging said secondary stream with said primary stream under turbulent conditiions to form an integrated air stream containing a thorough mixture of said microfibers and said wood pulp fibers, (d) and directing said integrated air stream onto a forming surface to air-form a matrix of said microfibers in which at least some of said microfibers are engaged by said individualized wood pulp fibers to space the microfibers apart from each other, and said individualized wood pulp fibers are disposed throughout said matrix of microfibers and interconnected by and held captive within said matrix by mechanical entanglement of said microfibers with said wood pulp fibers, the mechanical entanglement and interconnection of said microfibers and wood pulp fibers alone forming a coherent integrated fibrous structure.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein said microfibers are formed by attenuating polymeric filaments extruded from at least one straight row of extrusion apertures.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein said polymeric microfibers are in a soft nascent condition at an elevated temperature when said primary stream is merged with said secondary stream.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein said microfibers and wood pulp fibers form a coherent integrated fibrous structure without any adhesive, molecular or hydrogen bonds between said microfibers and said wood pulp fibers.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein said wood pulp fibers are distributed uniformly throughout said microfibers to provide a homogeneous material.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
55 words
A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein said wood pulp fibers have a length within the range of from about 0.5 mm. to about 10 mm., and the ratio of the length to the largest transverse dimension of said wood pulp fibers is within the range of from about 10:1 to about 400:1.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein said microfibers have an average fiber diameter greater than about 1 micron.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein said polymeric microfiber comprises from about 1% to about 80% by weight of the fiber mixture.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as set forth in claim 15 in which said polymeric microfiber comprises less than about 25% by weight of said fiber mixture.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-07-10 | 1982-01-09 | 1982-07-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-07-10 | 1986-01-09 | 1986-07-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-07-10 | 1990-01-09 | 1990-07-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |