Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
129 words
An article comprising a flexible base material having one or more elasticized portions thereof provided by one or more composite strips of self-adhering elastic material adhered thereto, the composite strips comprising a first strip of self-adhering elastic material adhered to the base material by a second strip of self-adhering elastic material sandwiched between the first strip and the base material, and made by the steps of: (a) tensioning a first strip of self-adhering elastic material to elongate it: (b) joining a less-tensioned second strip of self-adhering elastic material to the elongated first strip to form a tensioned composite strip of self-adhering elastic material; and (c) adhering the tensioned composite strip of self-adhering elastic material to the base material by joining at least the second strip to the base material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
129 words
An article comprising a flexible base material having one or more elasticized portions thereof provided by one or more composite strips of self-adhering elastic material adhered thereto, the composite strips comprising a first strip of self-adhering elastic material adhered to the base material by a second strip of self-adhering elastic material sandwiched between the first strip and the base material, and made by the steps of: (a) tensioning a first strip of self-adhering elastic material to elongate it: (b) joining a less-tensioned second strip of self-adhering elastic material to the elongated first strip to form a tensioned composite strip of self-adhering elastic material; and (c) adhering the tensioned composite strip of self-adhering elastic material to the base material by joining at least the second strip to the base material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
The article of claim 1 comprising a garment and made by the additional steps of adhering the tensioned composite strip to a moving continuous web of the base material and transversely cutting the base material to form the article.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
The article of claim 2 wherein the base material is a polyolefin sheet.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
117 words
A method of adhering one or more composite strips of self-adhering elastic material to a flexible base material to elasticize at least selected portions of the base material comprises: tensioning a first strip of self-adhering elastic material to elongate it whereby the strength of its inherent adhesion to the base material is reduced; joining a less-tensioned second strip of self-adhering elastic material to the elongated first strip to form a tensioned composite strip of self-adhering elastic material, the less-tensioned second strip having a greater strength of adhesion to the base material than the tensioned first strip; and adhering the tensioned composite strip to the base material by joining at least the second strip to the base material.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
117 words
A method of adhering one or more composite strips of self-adhering elastic material to a flexible base material to elasticize at least selected portions of the base material comprises: tensioning a first strip of self-adhering elastic material to elongate it whereby the strength of its inherent adhesion to the base material is reduced; joining a less-tensioned second strip of self-adhering elastic material to the elongated first strip to form a tensioned composite strip of self-adhering elastic material, the less-tensioned second strip having a greater strength of adhesion to the base material than the tensioned first strip; and adhering the tensioned composite strip to the base material by joining at least the second strip to the base material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the flexible base material is a moving continuous web of material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 5 including tensioning the second strip to impose thereon up to 70% of the elongation of the first strip and in any case from 0 to less than 100% elongation, and joining the elongated second strip to the elongated first strip.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 5 including tensioning the first strip to impose thereon from about 100% to 400% elongation and optionally tensioning the second strip to impose thereon not more than about 70% elongation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 6 or 7 wherein the self-adhering elastic material is one comprising (a) a block copolymeric material comprising at least one substantially amorphous, rubbery polymeric midblock and at least one glassy poly(vinylarene) endblock, (b) a midblock associating resin, and (c) an endblock associating resin.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 8 wherein the flexible base material is a polyolefin.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the first and second strips of self-adhering elastic material comprise the same material.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 5 including the preliminary step of forming strips of self-adhering elastic material in situ from at least one mass of source material and employing the freshly formed strips in the method.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 5 including transversely cutting the web into discrete articles containing thereon one or more segments of the composite strip.