US4416936A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Nonwoven fabric and method for its production
Assignee: BP Corp North America Inc
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Filing: 1981-12-28
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Granted: 1983-11-22
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Expires: 2001-12-28
Abstract
Abstract A multi-layer nonwoven fabric is provided comprising at least one layer of waste fibers positioned between layers of virgin synthetic fibers joined by, for example, needle punching. A process for producing the fabric comprises the steps of forming a base web of virgin staple fibers, adding a second web of waste fibers, adding a top web of virgin staple fibers, and consolidating the webs as by needle punching to form a composite fabric.
Inventors
- 👤 Wayne K. Erickson
- 👤 Lewis R. Mulligan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 23:59
CPC Classifications
B; B32; B32B; B32B5/00; B32B5/22; B32B5/24; B32B5/26; B32B5/02; B32B5/022; D; D04; D04H; D04H1/00; D04H1/40; D04H1/42; D04H1/425; D04H1/4266; D04H1/4282; D04H1/4291; D04H1/4374; D04H1/4382; D04H1/43835; B32B2272/00; B32B2323/00; B32B2323/10; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T442/00; Y10T442/60; Y10T442/682; Y10T442/684; Y10T442/686; Y10T442/688
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
50 words
A nonwoven fabric comprising (a) a first layer formed substantially of synthetic virgin staple fibers; (b) a second, intermediate layer comprising waste fibers; and (c) a third layer formed substantially of nonwoven staple fibers, the first, second and third layers being consolidated so as to form an integral, layered fabric.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
50 words
A nonwoven fabric comprising (a) a first layer formed substantially of synthetic virgin staple fibers; (b) a second, intermediate layer comprising waste fibers; and (c) a third layer formed substantially of nonwoven staple fibers, the first, second and third layers being consolidated so as to form an integral, layered fabric.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The nonwoven fabric of claim 1 in which the first, second and third layers are consolidated by needle punching.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
The nonwoven fabric of claim 1 in which a major portion of the staple fibers of the first layer and the third layer are at least about 2.0 inches in length.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The nonwoven fabric of claim 3 in which the major portion of the staple fibers of the second layer are less than about 2.5 inches in length.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The nonwoven fabric of claim 1 in which the second layer comprises fibers recovered from a nonwoven fabric.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The nonwoven fabric of claim 5 in which the staple fibers of the second layer are about 3 denier.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The nonwoven fabric of claim 1 in which the second layer comprises waste natural fibers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
The nonwoven fabric of claim 1 in which the second layer comprises waste synthetic fibers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
The nonwoven fabric of claim 8 in which fibers on at least one surface of the nonwoven fabric have been heat-treated by fusing without fusing the majority of the fibers of the second layer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The nonwoven fabric of claim 1 in which fibers of the first, second and third layers are intertwined to provide consolidation of the layers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The nonwoven fabric of claim 1 in which a major portion of the staple fibers of the first and third layers are polypropylene fibers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
The nonwoven fabric of claim 11 in which the second layer comprises waste polypropylene fibers.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
75 words
A method for forming a nonwoven fabric comprising the steps of (a) forming a first web comprising carded virgin synthetic staple fibers; (b) forming a second web comprising carded waste staple fibers; (c) depositing the second web on the first web; (d) forming a third web comprising virgin staple fibers; (e) depositing the third web on the second web; (f) joining the first, second and third webs so as to form a three-layer nonwoven fabric.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
75 words
A method for forming a nonwoven fabric comprising the steps of (a) forming a first web comprising carded virgin synthetic staple fibers; (b) forming a second web comprising carded waste staple fibers; (c) depositing the second web on the first web; (d) forming a third web comprising virgin staple fibers; (e) depositing the third web on the second web; (f) joining the first, second and third webs so as to form a three-layer nonwoven fabric.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 13 in which the first, second and third webs are joined by needle punching.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of stretching the first web in the warp direction prior to step (c).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of needle punching the stretched first web prior to step (c).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 16 in which the first, second and third webs are joined by needle punching.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of needle-punching the first web and second web together so as to form a two-layer needled web prior to depositing the third web thereon.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of heat treating by fusing fibers on at least one surface of the three-layer needled web.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 19 in which the second web is crosslapped over the first web and the third web is crosslapped over the two-layer needled web.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 20 in which the second web comprises scrap synthetic fibers.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 21 in which the second web is formed from garnetted edge trim from a synthetic fabric.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
63 words
The method of claim 22 in which the lengths of the staple fibers of the first web and the third web are within the range of about 2 to about 31/2 inches and the staple denier is within the range of about 1.5 to 4.5, and the staple denier of the second web is within the range of about 1 to about 18.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 13 in which the third web is formed by carding synthetic staple fibers and needle-punching the thus formed carded web.
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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) | 1986-11-21 | 1987-05-23 | 1987-11-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-11-21 | 1991-05-23 | 1991-11-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-11-21 | 1995-05-23 | 1995-11-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |