US5498463A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Polyethylene meltblown fabric with barrier properties
Assignee: Kimberly Clark Worldwide Inc
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Filing: 1994-03-21
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Granted: 1996-03-12
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Expires: 2014-03-21
Abstract
Abstract A nonwoven fabric is provided which has good barrier properties, softness and breathability. A linear low density polyethylene is used in a meltblown layer in this invention to provide barrier properties comparable to polypropylene. The meltblown layer may be used in a multilayer laminate and the other layers may be comprised of bicomponent fibers. The fabric may be used in, for example, diapers, feminine hygiene products, adult incontinence products, wound dressings, bandages, sterilization wraps, surgical gowns and drapes and wipers.
Inventors
- 👤 Debra J. McDowall
- 👤 Lawrence H. Sawyer
- 👤 David C. Strack
- 👤 Terry K. Timmons
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 02:32
CPC Classifications
D; D04; D04H; D04H1/00; D04H1/70; D04H1/72; D04H1/724; D04H3/00; D04H3/02; D04H1/40; D04H1/42; D04H1/4282; D04H1/4291; D04H1/4382; D04H1/54; D04H1/554; D04H1/559; D04H1/56; D04H3/03; D04H3/08; D04H3/14; A; A61; A61F; A61F13/00; A61F13/15; A61F13/51; A61F13/514; A61F13/51474; A61F13/51478; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/903; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24802; Y10T428/24826; Y10T428/249921; Y10T428/249953; Y10T428/249978; Y10T428/24998; Y10T428/249981; Y10T442/00; Y10T442/60; Y10T442/659; Y10T442/66
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
90 words
A process of producing a soft nonwoven barrier fabric comprising the steps of; melting at least one thermoplastic polyethylene polymer, said polymer having a density in the range of about 0.86 to about 0.97 grams/cc; extruding said polymer through fine openings; drawing said polymer to produce fibers, and; depositing said fiberized polymer on a collecting surface to form a layer of meltblown disbursed fibers as a web, wherein said web has a hydrohead of at least 40 centimeters, and a cup crush peak load value of less than 40 grams.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
90 words
A process of producing a soft nonwoven barrier fabric comprising the steps of; melting at least one thermoplastic polyethylene polymer, said polymer having a density in the range of about 0.86 to about 0.97 grams/cc; extruding said polymer through fine openings; drawing said polymer to produce fibers, and; depositing said fiberized polymer on a collecting surface to form a layer of meltblown disbursed fibers as a web, wherein said web has a hydrohead of at least 40 centimeters, and a cup crush peak load value of less than 40 grams.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The nonwoven fabric produced according to the method of claim 1 wherein said web has a Frazier Porosity of less than 300 ft 3 /ft 2 /min.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The nonwoven fabric produced according to the method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of adding a second layer of material to said layer of meltblown fibers and bonding the layers together.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The nonwoven fabric of claim 3 wherein said second layer is selected from the group consisting of spunbond fiber webs and staple fiber webs.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The nonwoven fabric of claim 4 wherein said second layer is comprised of fibers selected from the group consisting of polyethylene fibers, polypropylene fibers and polyethylene/polypropylene bicomponent fibers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
A nonwoven fabric laminate comprising a first layer, a second layer produced in accordance with the method of claim 1, and a third layer, wherein said first and third layers are selected from the group consisting of spunbond fiber webs and staple fiber webs, and which has been bonded to form a laminate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The nonwoven fabric of claim 6 wherein said first and third layers are comprised of fibers selected from the group consisting of polyethylene fibers, polypropylene fibers and polyethylene/polypropylene bicomponent fibers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The nonwoven fabric laminate of claim 6 wherein said fabrics are bonded by thermal calender bonding.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
The nonwoven fabric laminate of claim 6 wherein said fabrics are bonded by ultrasonic bonding.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The nonwoven fabric of claim 6 which is present in an item selected from the group consisting of garments, medical products, personal care products and outdoor fabrics.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
The nonwoven fabric of claim 6 which is laminated to a material selected from the group consisting of films, glass fibers, staple fibers, and papers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The nonwoven fabric laminate of claim 6 wherein one of said first and third layers has been pre-bonded.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
The nonwoven fabric laminate of claim 6 wherein said first and third layer fibers are bicomponent fibers comprised of polyethylene and polypropylene in a sheath/core arrangement with the polyethylene as the sheath.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
84 words
A process of producing a soft nonwoven barrier fabric comprising the steps of; providing a polyethylene/polypropylene bicomponent sheath/core spunbond fiber web with polyethylene as the sheath as a first layer; melting at least one thermoplastic polyethylene polymer, said polymer having a density in the range of about 0.86 to about 0.97 grams/cc; extruding said polymer through fine openings; drawing said polymer to produce fibers, and; depositing said fiberized polymer on said web to form a layer of meltblown disbursed fibers as a second layer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
84 words
A process of producing a soft nonwoven barrier fabric comprising the steps of; providing a polyethylene/polypropylene bicomponent sheath/core spunbond fiber web with polyethylene as the sheath as a first layer; melting at least one thermoplastic polyethylene polymer, said polymer having a density in the range of about 0.86 to about 0.97 grams/cc; extruding said polymer through fine openings; drawing said polymer to produce fibers, and; depositing said fiberized polymer on said web to form a layer of meltblown disbursed fibers as a second layer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method of producing the soft nonwoven barrier fabric of claim 14 further comprising the step of adding as a third layer a polyethylene/polypropylene bicomponent sheath/core spunbond fiber web to said first and second layers, with polyethylene as the sheath, against said second layer, wherein said fabric has a hydrohead of at least 50 centimeters and a cup crush peak load value of less than 125 grams.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
The laminate of claim 15 which is present in an item selected from the group consisting of garments, medical products, personal care products and outdoor fabrics.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
The laminate of claim 15 wherein said item is a medical product and said medical product is a surgical gown.
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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) | 1999-03-12 | 1999-09-11 | 2000-03-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-03-12 | 2003-09-11 | 2004-03-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-03-12 | 2007-09-11 | 2008-03-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |