US5290628A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Hydroentangled flash spun webs having controllable bulk and permeability
Assignee: EIDP Inc
•
Filing: 1993-04-21
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Granted: 1994-03-01
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Expires: 2013-04-21
Abstract
Abstract A process for hydraulically needling a web of staple fibers into an unbonded flash spun web made of continuous plexifilaments to form a spunlaced nonwoven fabric. The web of staple fibers is positioned against the unbonded flash spun web and then hydraulically needled such that the staple fibers are embedded into and entangled with the unbonded flash spun web to form a spunlaced nonwoven fabric. Optionally, the spunlaced nonwoven fabric can be thermally bonded to maintain or increase the permeability of the fabric. Thermal bonding can be used to control the level of permeability depending on the end-use desired. Spunlaced nonwoven fabrics made by the inventive process are particularly useful in filtration applications (e.g., vacuum cleaner bags) when thermal bonding is employed and as bulky, downproof and featherproof barrier liners for garments, sleeping bags, pillows, comforters and the like when thermal bonding is not employed.
Inventors
- 👤 Hyun S. Lim
- 👤 Robert H. Peterson
- 👤 Roger K. Siemionko
- 👤 James R. Vincent
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 17:56
CPC Classifications
D; D04; D04H; D04H13/00; B; B32; B32B; B32B5/00; B32B5/22; B32B5/24; B32B5/26; B32B5/02; B32B5/06; B32B7/00; B32B7/04; B32B7/08; B32B7/09; D04H13/02; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/91; Y10S55/00; Y10S55/02; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24273; Y10T428/24322; Y10T428/25; Y10T428/253; Y10T442/00; Y10T442/60; Y10T442/689
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
71 words
A process for making a spunlaced nonwoven fabric comprising the steps of: (a) positioning a web of staple fibers against an unbonded flash spun web on a supporting screen to form a composite web structure; and (b) hydraulically needling the staple fiber side of the supported composite web structure such that the staple fibers penetrate the flash spun web and are embedded into and entangled with the unbonded flash spun web.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
71 words
A process for making a spunlaced nonwoven fabric comprising the steps of: (a) positioning a web of staple fibers against an unbonded flash spun web on a supporting screen to form a composite web structure; and (b) hydraulically needling the staple fiber side of the supported composite web structure such that the staple fibers penetrate the flash spun web and are embedded into and entangled with the unbonded flash spun web.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein hydraulic needling is performed using water jets operating at a pressure of between 200 and 3,000 psi.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the flash spun web is comprised of polyolefin plexifilaments.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process according to claim 3 wherein the polyolefin is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene and polypropylene.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the staple fibers are selected from the group consisting of polyester, nylon, acrylics, aramids, woodpulp and mixtures thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
An unbonded composite nonwoven fabric produced by the process of claim 1 wherein the fabric has a Frazier porosity of at least 4 ft 3 /ft 2 /min.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of thermally bonding the spunlaced nonwoven fabric to maintain or increase the permeability of the fabric.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of claim 7 wherein the fabric has a Frazier porosity of between 10 and 40 ft 3 /ft 2 /min.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
A thermally bonded, spunlaced nonwoven fabric produced by the process of claim 7 wherein the fabric has a Frazier porosity of at least 4 ft 3 /ft 2 /min.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
An unbonded, spunlaced nonwoven fabric comprised of an unbonded flash spun web having staple fibers embedded into and entangled therewith, the fabric having a Frazier porosity of at least 4 ft 3 /ft 2 /min.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
An unbonded, spunlaced nonwoven fabric comprised of an unbonded flash spun web having staple fibers embedded into and entangled therewith, the fabric having a Frazier porosity of at least 4 ft 3 /ft 2 /min.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
A thermally bonded, spunlaced nonwoven fabric comprised of an unbonded flash spun web having staple fibers embedded into and entangled therewith, the fabric having a Frazier porosity of at least 4 ft 3 /ft 2 /min.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
A thermally bonded, spunlaced nonwoven fabric comprised of an unbonded flash spun web having staple fibers embedded into and entangled therewith, the fabric having a Frazier porosity of at least 4 ft 3 /ft 2 /min.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
The thermally bonded, spunlaced nonwoven fabric of claim 11 wherein the fabric has a Frazier porosity of between 10 and 40 ft 3 /ft 2 /min.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
A downproof and featherproof liner made from the unbonded, spunlaced nonwoven fabric of claim 10.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
The unbonded, spunlaced nonwoven fabric of claim 10 wherein the fabric is used as a liner for pillows, sleeping bags, comforters or garments.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
14 words
A filtration media made from the thermally bonded, spunlaced nonwoven fabric of claim 11.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
A vacuum cleaner bag made from the thermally bonded, spunlaced nonwoven fabric of claim 11.
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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) | 1997-02-28 | 1997-08-30 | 1998-03-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-02-28 | 2001-08-30 | 2002-03-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-02-28 | 2005-08-30 | 2006-03-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |