MXPA99002072A - Laminated fabric having cross-directional elasticity - Google Patents

Abstract

Transversely stretchable elastic laminated fabric with cloth-like facings was made by a two-step process. In the first step an inelastic laminate was made by continuously extruding an elastomer sheet between two plies of a fibrous sheet and joining the plies by applying pressure on them between a closed gap niproll assembly. Two longitudinal slits were made into the laminate. Then the rolls of inelastic laminate so made were taken to an oven and the laminate was unwound and pulled through the oven at an elevated temperature, while tension on the web was increased until the slits necked. The necked laminate was wound up on a takeup roll. When samples were unwound, surprinsingly they did not grow in width, and they showed good CD-elasticity (elongation and springback). Breathability of the laminate was superior to the laminate formed using an open niproll assembly gap.

Description

LAMINATED FABRIC HAVING ELASTICITY EM LA DI BCCIQM TRANgVEKflM, 'FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to non-woven fabrics, and more particularly to a non-woven fabric having desirable cross-directional elastic properties, produced by extruding an elastomeric sheet between two sheets of non-tapered fibrous material and pressing the layers between a roll of clamping point to form a laminate. The laminate is then tapered at an elevated temperature.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Laminated fabric structures have certain desirable characteristics over non-laminated structures, including a tensile strength. In general, the process of producing a laminated fabric comprises providing a first and a second sheet of fabric, and joining the two sheets together, often by inserting a third layer between the two sheets. Fabric sheets are commonly made by one of a number of processes, including spunbonded, meltblown, bonded and bonded, and the like. The sheets can also be laminated with layers of fabric. The sheet can have adhesion properties which enable it to join both sheets of the fabric. Usually, the three-layer material is passed through a clamping point roller, or similar assembly, to compress the layers together commonly immediately after the sandwich is formed. The clamping point roller com rime; the layers together ^ allowing the central sheet to adhere to both sheets. The resulting laminate structure can be further processed, if desired, to. get certain; characteristics* So far »to provide laminates with extension and retraction in the transverse direction, the sheets d. The fabric was narrowed before applying the elastomeric sheet and an elastomeric polymer was used to make the sheet. Narrowing is the process of reducing the width of a sheet of fabric by stretching the fabric lengthwise. The tapering process typically involves unwinding a sheet from a supply roll and passing it through a set of brake hold point roller driven at a given linear speed. A take-up roller, operating at a linear speed higher than that of the brake clamp roller assembly, pulls the fabric and generates the necessary tension in the fabric to lengthen and narrow it. Frequently, the constricting operation occurs in the presence of a heat source that makes contact with the material during the narrowing. U.S. Patent No. 4,965,122 issued to Morman, and commonly assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses a non-woven non-woven non-woven material which can be formed by shaking the material, then heating the tapered material , followed by the cooling of the narrowed material. , _.

The nature of the constriction is often such that the edges of the spunbonded material are narrowed to a greater degree and the central area narrows less, meaning that the resulting narrowable laminate cuts the edges. they have the highest extension. This uneven narrowness has given rise to the term "smile profile" to describe the extension profile. This phenomenon causes a difference in the properties of the individual narrow cuts taken from the edges against the cuts taken from the center of the tissue. It would be desirable to have a narrowed cloth having a greater uniformity of extension, regardless of where the sample is taken through a width of fabric sheet, because the extension of the fabric strongly influences the elastic quality of the laminate made with it. .

In forming the laminate, the fabric sheets are aligned to feed continuously in an intersecting relationship, creating a contact zone at their intersection Inside the cup, the elastomeric sheet is inserted, applied or created above.

In the prior art the clamping point roller has a space or spacing during the formation of the laminate. If the space of the clamping roll is too large, there will be insufficient pressure applied to the layers and the "adhesion of the sheet to the fabric sheets will be inadequate, producing a laminate that will have poor peeling characteristics. It is very small, the fabric will be very rigid because the elastomer penetrates too much inside the fabric sheets, reducing the flexibility and mobility of the fiber Therefore, until now it has been considered undesirable for optimum elastic properties a knitting roller of "completely closed clamping. Additionally, the temperature of the melted elastomer extruded between the tapered faces has a strong influence on the adhesion of the faces to the sheet.

SYNTHESIS OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a laminate formed by laminating an elastomeric sheet to at least one, and preferably between two sheets of non-tapered fabric material, followed by tapering of the laminate, preferably at an elevated temperature. An apparatus and method for forming the laminate is also provided. In a modality Preferred, an elastomeric sheet layer is extruded from a die and inserted between two sheets of non-constricted yarn material provided from the supply rolls. The sheets joined by spinning approach a contact area at an intersection angle and form a sandwich with the elastomeric sheet. The multi-ply material is then passed through a clamping point roller assembly, wherein the clamping point roller assembly is preferably closed (as opposed to having a space or spacing between the rollers). In this process the laminate can be cut first and then narrowed "individually" so that each cut will have essentially the same properties. The laminate is preferably tapered before, during or after contact with a heat source, such as an oven, a fan and hot air supply, or the like, so as to soften the elastomer layer of the laminate. When the laminate is heated in its narrowed width, the elastomeric sheet loses its pre-stressed memory and the memory is "put back" into the narrowed condition by subsequent cooling. During the narrowing and heating process / the fabric layer acts as a support for the softened elastomeric layer.

The resulting product has desirable elastic characteristics. An unexpected result was that the closed clamping point rollers produced a laminate with more desirable breathability and peeling data than a clamping point roller with spaces.

It is a main object of the present invention to provide a non-woven fabric having a desirable elasticity in the transverse direction.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a process for producing a non-woven fabric which improves the uniformity of the elasticity in the transverse direction.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a process for producing a knitted fabric which improves breathability.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from reading the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated in the drawings in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts through the figures in which: , Figure X is a schematic view of an apparatus, to carry out the lamination according to the method of the present invention. ,, _ _ Figure 2 is a schematic side view of an apparatus for carrying out the constricting operation according to the method of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a schematic top view of an apparatus for carrying out the constricting operation according to the method of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a schematic top view of an alternate embodiment in which the laminate is folded before tapering.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES DEFINITIONS As used herein the term "fabric or non-woven fabric" means a fabric having a fiber structure or individual threads which are interleaved, but not in an identifiable manner as in a woven fabric. Non-woven fabrics or fabrics have been formed by many processes such as for example the meltblowing process, the spinning bonding process, and the carded-knitting processes. The basis weight of the non-woven fabrics is usually expressed in ounces of material per square yard (osy) or in grams per square meter (gsm) and useful fiber diameters are usually expressed in microns (Note: to convert from osy to gsm , multiply osy by 33.91). , - - -; As the term "composite elastic material" is used, it refers to an elastic material which can be a multicomponent material or a multi-layer material. For example, a multi-layer material may have at least one elastic layer bonded to at least one foldable layer in at least two places so that the foldable layer is collected between the places where it is attached to the elastic layer. . Such an elastic composite material of multiple layers can be stretched to an extent so that the non-elastic material folded between the bonding locations allows the elastic material to elongate. This type of elastic multilayer composite material is described, for example, by United States Patent No. 4,720,415 issued to Vander Wielen et al.

As used herein, the term "spunbonded fibers" refers to fibers of small diameter which are formed by extruding a melted thermoplastic material such as filaments of a plurality of usually circular capillary vessels, and fines of a spinner organ having the diameter of the extruded filaments being then rapidly reduced as in, the patents of. United States of America Nos. 4,340,563 granted to Appel et al., Patent No. 3,692,618 granted to Dorschner et al., Patent No.13,802,817 granted to Matsuki et al., Patents Nos. 3r338,992 and 3,341,394 granted to Kinney, patent No. 3,502,763 granted to Hartman, patent No. 3,502,538 granted to Levy and patent No. 3,542,615 granted to Dobo and others. Spunbonded fibers are not generally sticky when they are deposited on the collector surface. Spunbond fibers are generally continuous and have a larger average diameter of about 7 microns, more particularly, between about 5 and 40 microns.

As used herein, the term "meltblown fibers" means fibers formed by extruding a melted thermoplastic material through a plurality of capillary matrix vessels, usually circular and thin, such as melted threads or filaments into gas streams. (for example air), at high speed which attenuate the filaments of the melted thermoplastic material to reduce its diameter, the which can be a microfiber diameter. Then, the meltblown fibers are carried by the high velocity gas stream and are deposited on a collector surface to form a fabric of meltblown fibers unclothed at random. Such a process is described, for example, in United States Patent No. 3,849,241 issued to Buntin. Meltblown fibers are microfibers which can be continuous or discontinuous and are generally smaller than about 100 microns in average diameter.

As used herein the term "polymer" generally includes, but is not limited to homopolymers, copolymers, such as block, graft, random, and alternating copolymers, terpolymers, etc., and mixtures and modifications thereof. . In addition, unless specifically limited otherwise, the term "polymer" will include any possible geometric molecular configuration of the material. These configurations include, but are not limited to, isotactic, syndiotactic and atactic symmetries.

As used herein, the term "metallocene" means polyolefins produced by metallocene-catalyzed polymerization reactions. Such catalysts are reported in the work "The Catalysts of Metallocene New Era Begins in Polymer Synthesis "by Ann M. Thayer, C & EN, September 11, 1995, page 15.

As used herein the term "machine direction" or "MD" means the length of a fabric in the direction in which it is produced. The term "cross machine direction" or "CD" means the width of the fabric, for example an address generally perpendicular to the machine direction. . -. - As used herein the term "monocomponent" fiber refers to a fiber formed from one or more extruders using only one polymer. This does not mean that fibers formed from a single polymer are excluded to which small amounts of color additives have been added. , antistatic properties, lubrication, hydrophilicity, etc. These additives, for example, titanium dioxide for coloration, are generally present in an amount of less than 5 percent by weight and more typically of about 2 percent by weight.

As used herein, the term "conjugated fibers" refers to fibers which are formed from at least two extruded polymers of separate extruders but spun together to form a fiber. Conjugated fibers are also sometimes referred to as multicomponent fibers or two-component The polymers are usually different from one another, even when the conjugate fibers can be monocomponent fibers. The polymers are arranged in different zones placed essentially constantly across the cross section of the conjugate fibers and extend continuously along the length of the fibers. the length of the conjugated fibers. The configuration of such a conjugate fiber can be, for example, a sheath / core arrangement where one polymer is surrounded by another, or it can be a side-by-side arrangement, or an arrangement of "islands in the sea". Conjugated fibers are taught in the patent of the United States of North America OR? 5,108,820 issued to Kaneko et al., In United States Patent No. 5,336,552 issued to Strack et al. And in United States Patent No. 5,382,400 issued to Pike et al. For two component fibers, the polymers can be present in proportions of 75/25, 50/50, 25/75 or any other desired proportions.

As used herein, the terms "constriction" or "constricted stretching" refer interchangeably to a method of elongating a non-woven fabric, generally in the direction of the machine to reduce its width (measured along the surface of the material) in a controlled manner to a desired amount. Controlled stretching can take place at room temperature or at higher temperatures and is limited to an increase in the overall dimension in the direction that it is being stretched to the elongation required to break the fabric. When it relaxes, the dimensions of the fabric tend to their original dimensions. The constriction typically involves a brake clamp point roller operating at a linear rate X and a take hold point roller operating at a linear rate Y, where Y is greater than "X, jpr? Ducing ü The ratio of R (X: Y) of rates, such as to place tension on the stretched fabric between them, the proportion of R may be about 1: 1.25 ', -' ° greater or lesser. , for example, in the patents of the United States of North America Nos. 4,443,513 granted to Meitner and Notheis, and 4,965,122, 4,981,747 and 5,114.7 granted to Morman.

"As used herein, the -" term "narrowable material" means any material which can be constricted.

As used herein, the term "constricted material" refers to any material which has been constrained in at least one dimension by processes such as, for example, pulling.

As used herein, the term "recollection" refers to a process for reducing the width of the initial web to a width picked up by passing the web between at least one pair of guides placed on any edge of the web, the web. distance between the guides being less than the initial cloth width, for example, constricting the fabric width path. A plurality of pairs or guides, matched or unmatched, can be used to incrementally reduce the initial web width, in effect, by crimping the loom. The guides can be fixed or rotated on bearings. Preferably ^ the guides, if they are fixed, have a smooth surface as to minimize the possibility of the fabric grabbing onto the guides. Typically, recollection does not apply appreciable tension to the fabric. ,, As used herein, the term "zero stress" stretch connection refers to a process in which at least two layers are joined to one another while in a non-stressed condition (hence zero voltage) and wherein one of the layers is stretchable and elastomeric and the second is stretchable but is not essentially elastomeric. Such a laminate is stretched incrementally through the use of one or more pairs of interlocking corrugated rolls which reduce the tension rate experienced by the fabric. The "zero tension stretch laminate" refers to a composite elastic material made according to the zero tension constriction joining process, for example, the elastic and non-elastic layers are joined together when both layers are in a non-extended condition and they are stretched through the meshed corrugating rollers. The second layer, when the laminate is stretched, will be at least one degree, permanently released so that the laminate will not return its original undistorted condition when the stretching force is released. This results in a shirring in the z-direction of the laminate and in a subsequent elastic extension in the direction of the initial stretch at least 'up to a point of the initial stretch'. Examples of such laminates and their production processes can be found in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,143,679; 5,151,092; 5,167,897; and 5,196,000. " As used herein, the terms "elastic" and "elastomeric" when referring to a fiber, a sheet or cloth mean a material which with the application of a pressing force is stretchable at a pressed and stretched length. which is at least about 160 percent of its undrawn and relaxed length and which will recover at least 55 percent of its elongation with the release of the pressing and stretching force within about one minute.

As used herein the term "recover" refers to a contraction of a stretched material upon the termination of a pressing force after stretching of the material by application of the pressing force. For example, if a material having an unpressured and relaxed length of one (1) inch is stretched 50 percent by stretching to a length of one and a half (1.5) inches the material will be stretched to a length that is 150 percent of its relaxed length. If this example stretched material shrinks, this is recovered to a length of one and one tenth (1.1) inches after the release of the pressing force and stretch, the material will have recovered -80 (0.4 inches) from its elongation *, *. _? ,,, s - - i As used herein, the term "protective clothing" means the items included, but not limited to, surgical suits, rinses for insulation, coverings, lab coats, and the like.

The term is used here personal care absorbers "means items including, but not limited to, diapers, adult incontinence products, women's hygiene products and clothing, and training shorts for child care.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention comprises a laminated fabric structure having a desirable CD elasticity. In general, at least one and preferably a plurality of sheets of a non-constricted fabric material are first laminated to a sheet of an elastic material and then tapered, preferably at an elevated temperature. While non-woven fabrics are Preferred, loosely woven or woven fabrics can also be used in the present invention. '~ *. - ^ '" Figure 1 shows a device l to continuously form the laminate of the present invention, a first sheet of fabric 12 and a second sheet of fabric Í, each sheet comprising a non-woven material not preferably narrowed. The term "sheet" means a section of material, preferably provided on a roll of supply, pieces of cloth material such as in a load-laminating process can be removed.1 Sheets 12 and 14 can be formed on any side. number of pldceós very knowledgeable in art. Such processes include, but are not limited to, carding and bonding, that of spinning and melting and the like. The sheets can be formed by them or by different processes and made of the same or different starting materials. The fabric of this invention may be a multilayer laminate. An example of a multi-layer laminate is one embodiment wherein some of the layers are spunbonded and some are meltblown such as a meltblown / spunbonded (SMS) spin-melt laminate (as described in US Pat. U.S. Patent No. 4,041,203 to Brock et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,169,706 to Collier et al., and U.S. Patent No. 4,374,888 to Bomslaeger. Such lamination can be done by sequentially depositing on a movable forming web first a spunbonded fiber layer, then a layer of meltblown fiber and at the last another fiber layer spunbonded and then joining the laminate in a manner described in the patents mentioned before. Alternatively, the fabric layers can be made individually. collected in rolls, and combined in a separate joining step. Such fabrics usually have a basis weight of from about 0.1 to about 12 ounces per square yard (about 3.4, about 400 grams per square meter), or more particularly from about 0.75 to about 3 ounces per square yard. square yard (about .25.4 to about 101.73 grams per square meter.) The above-mentioned processes are well known in the art and do not require ... be reviewed here For the purposes of the present discussion, the preferred embodiment uses a spunbond fabric for both the first and second sheets 12 and 14. It will be understood that the present invention can be practiced using a single sheet of a fabric laminated to the elastic material.

Even though the sheets 12 and / or 14 are preferably not narrowed, it is also possible that the sheets 12 and 14 taper to some degree before the rolling step. In this scenario, the sheets 12 and 14 undergo a second narrowing process after lamination. For example a sheet can be narrowed from a starting width of 100 inches (2540 centimeters) to within 80 inches (2032 centimeters) and then processed in the laminate of this invention. '! '"" The sheets 12 and 14 are commonly preformed in the supply rolls 16 and 318 and are subsequently unwound as provided. Alternatively, the lamination of the present invention can be produced by means of which the sheets 12 and 14 are formed by the desired process and are immediately transferred to the guide rollers. Continuous progress is made in the process described here below.

The elastomeric thermoplastic polymers useful in the practice of "this invention as the elastic layer" may be, but are not limited to, those made of block copolymers such as polyurethanes, copolyethers, block copolymers of polyamide polyether, copolymers, of block of ethylene vinyl acetates (EVA) having the general formula ABA 'or AB as copoly (styrene / ethylene-butylene), polystyrene-poly (ethylene-propylene) -psystyrene, polystyrene-poly (ethylene-butylene) -polystyrene, ( polystyrene / poly (ethylene-butylene) / polystyrene, poly (styrene / ethylene-butylene / polystyrene), catalyzed ethylene-metallocene- (butene or hexene or octene) copolymers with a density of about 0.866-0.910 g / cc) and a highly stereo-regular molecular structure and the like.

Useful elastomeric resins include, but are not limited to, block copolymers having the general formula ABA 'or AB, wherein A and A' are each a thermoplastic polymer end block which contains a styrene group such as, a poly (yinil arene) and. wherein B is a middle block of elastomeric polymer such as a conjugated diene - > - • or a lower alkene polymer. Block copolymers of type A-B-A 'can have different or the same thermoplastic block polymers for blocks A and A', and those present, block copolymers are intended to encompass linear, branched and radial block copolymers. In this aspect, the radial block copolymers can be designated (A-B) m-X, where X is a polyfunctional atom or molecule and .. «? N, which, each. (A-B-) m- radiates from X in a way that A is, or end block. In the radial block copolymer, X can be an organic or inorganic polyfunctional atom or molecule and is an integer having the same value as the functional group originally present in X. This is usually at least 3, and is frequently 4. or 5, but it is not limited to this. Therefore, in the present invention, the term "block copolymer", and particularly ABA 'and AB block copolymer, is intended to encompass all block copolymers having such rubberized blocks and thermoplastic blocks as discussed above, which they can be extruded (for example by melt blowing and sheeting), and without limitation as to the number of blocks. The non-woven elastomeric fabric it can be formed of, for example, elastomeric block copolymers (polystyrene / poly (ethylene-butylene polystyrene).) Commercial examples of such elastomeric polymers are, for example, those known as KRATON® materials which are available from Shell Chemical Company of Houston, Texas The KRATON '* copolymers are available in several different formulas, a number of which are identified in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,663,220 and 5,304,599 incorporated herein by reference.

Polymers composed of a tetrablock copolymer A-B-A-B can also be used in the practice of this invention as the elastic layer. Such polymers are discussed in U.S. Patent No. 5,332,613 issued to Taylor et al. In such polymers, A is a block of thermoplastic polymer and B is a isoprene monomer unit hydrogenated to substantially one unit of poly (ethylene-propylene) monomer. An example of such a tetrablock copolymer is a styrene-poly (ethylene-propylene) -styrene-poly (ethylene-propylene) elastomeric block copolymer or SEPSEP available from Shell Chemical Company of Houston, Texas under the trademark "KRATON".

Other exemplary elastomeric materials which may be used include polyurethane elastomeric materials such as, for example, those available under the Brand TIN * by B. F. Goodrich & Co. or MQRTHANE * from Morton Thiokol Corporation, elastomeric polyester materials such as, for example, those available under the trade designation HYTREL * from E * I. DuPont De Nemours & Company and those known as ARNITEL *, above. available from Akzo Plastics of Arnhem, Holland and now available from DSM of Sittard, Holland. or - i. - • > . J -n *. ~, ~.

Another suitable material is a polyether block amide copolymer having the formula: - -: - / - HO - [- C-PA-C-0-PE-0 -] .- H - _ • II II O 0 ^ " - »- - < f 'oir I wherein n is a positive integer, PA represents a polyamide polymer segment and PE represents a polyether polymer segment. In particular, the polyether block amide copolymer has a melting point of from about 150 ° C to about 170 ° C, as measured in accordance with ASTM D-789; a melt index of from about 6 grams per 10 minutes to about 25 grams per 10 minutes, as measured in accordance with ASTM D-1238, condition Q (235 C / l Kg load); a flexural modulus of flexure from about 20 Mpa to about 200 Mpa, as measured in accordance with ASTM D-790; a tensile strength at breaking from about 29 Mpa to about 33 Mpa as measured in accordance with ASTM D-638 and an elongation last to break from about 500 percent to about 700 percent as measured by ASTM D-638. A particular embodiment of the polyether block amide copolymer has a melting point of about 152 ° C as measured according to ASTM D-789; a melt index of about 7 grams per 10 minutes, as measured in accordance with ASTM D-1238, condition. (235 C / l Kg load); a modulus of elasticity in flexion of about 29.50 MPa as measured in accordance with ATSM standard "D-790, a tensile strength at break of about 29 MPa, a measure in accordance with ASTM D-639; an elongation at break of about 650 percent as measured according to ASTM D-638.

Such materials are available in all grades under the PEBAX® trade designation of ELF ^ Atochem Inc., of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Examples of the use of such polymers can be found in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,724,184, 4,820,572 and 4,923,742 incorporated herein by reference to Killan et al. And assigned to the same assignee of the present invention.

The elastomeric polymers also include copolymers of ethylene and at least one vinyl monomer such as, for example, the vinyl acetates, the unsaturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acids, and the esters of such monocarboxylic acids. The elastomeric copolymers and the formation of the non-woven elastomeric fabrics of those copolymers elastomeres are dessritos in, for example, the patent of the United States of North America No. 4,803,11 ^. * The thermoplastic sopolyester elastomers include fos sopolieter esters having the general formula. 0 0 * '0 r 0Í "r" "~ wherein "G" is selected from the group consisting of poly (oxyethylene) -alpha, omega-dipl poly (Q? ipropylene) -alpha, omega-diol, poly (oxytetramethylene) -alpha, omega-diol and "a" and "b" are positive integers iijcluyepdo * 4 and 6, "m" and "n" cson positive integers including, 1-20, Such materials generally have an elongation at break from about 600 percent to 750 percent when They are measured in accordance with ASTM D-638 and a melting point from about 350 ° F to about 400 ° F (176 to 205 ° C) when measured in accordance with ASTM D-2117.

The cpmersial examples of such polyester materials are, for example, those known as ARNITEL ™, previously available from Akzo Plastics of Arnhe, Holland and now available from DSM of Sittard, The Netherlands, or those known as HYTREL® which are available from EI. duPont de Nemours of Wilmington, Delaware. , The formation of an elastomeric non-woven fabric of elastomeric materials of polyester is described in, for example, U.S. Patent No. 4,741,949 issued to Morman et al. and U.S. Patent No. 4,707,398 issued to Boggs, incorporated herein by reference. , _ .. . . !, _. -. . , The material < i fiber-forming polymers. such as, for example, nylons, polyesters and polyolefins. Exemplary polyolefins include one or more of polypropylene, polyethylene, ethylene copolymers, propylene copolymers, and copolymer. butene ... Useful polypropylenes include, for example, the polypropylene available from Montell North America Corporation, Wilmi, ngton, Delaware under the trade designation PFr301f the polypropylene available from Exxon Chemical Company under the designation comersio 3445, and the available polypropylene © Shell Chemical Company under the designation of commision DX 5A09. - The sheet 12 may also be a dyed-in-the-dark material of a mixture of two or more different fibers or a mixture of fibers and particles. Such meshes may be formed by adding fibers and / or particles to the gas sorptive in the sual fibers formed - > meltblown are carried so that an intimate intermeshing and melting of the meltblown fibers and other materials, for example, wood pulp, sorta and particulate fibers such as, for example, the hydrocolloid particulates (hydrogel ) These materials are suitably subjected to superabsorbent materials, prior to the resolution of the fibers blown by melting on a resolector device to form a coherent fabric of randomly dispersed meltblown fibers and other materials as described in the United States patent. United of North America No. 4,10Q? 324,5 eüVa ** deát? Ripófón! is incorporated here > In a preferred embodiment, one or both of the sheets 12 and J14, for added strength of the final laminate of the present invention, may have the fibers oriented in a generally uniform direction, yet the a "random address. Such sheets can be formed by any of a number of prosesos or theososes sonosidas by those are an ordinary skill in the art. The result of such processes is that the orientation of the fiber is at an angle or vector, depending on the direction of the blade machine. Preferably, the fiber optic dressing in the non-stressed material (from the direction of the sheet machine) is from about 0 ° to 75 °, more preferably from about 30 ° to about 60 ° C. It seems possible to use vectors exceeding 45 β because after narrowing the vestores will be reduced to smaller vestores, still improving the resistances of the laminate as shown in more detail below.

The first sheet 12 is unwound from the supply roll 16 and the second sheet 14 is unwound from the supply roll 18. The sheets 12 and 14 are then moved in the direction indicated by the associated arrows are the same when the supply rolls 16 are rotated. and .18 in the direction of the documents associ- ated with them. The blade 12 is -passed through the clamping point of a beam arrangement ßnsS 20 formed by the stacking rollers 22 and 24. Similarly, the blade 14 passes through the clamping point of an array S-roll 26 formed by the stacked rolls 28 and 30. The sheets 12 and 14 are configured to advance in an intersensing recession to form upa, sp ^, of .contaste.34 located under a set 40. _ _, ,. . .

"A sheet 50 of elastic material, occasionally referred to herein as a film, is either formed in place or is previously made and unwound from a supply roll (not shown). The sheet 50 is preferably formed as indicated in FIG. 1 by extruding an elastomeric polymer through a matrix 52. The sheet 50 is preferably an elastomeric polymer selected from the group consisting of elastic polyesters, elastic polyurethanes, elastic polyamides, polyolefins elastomers, metallocenes and the block copolymers ABA 'elastises wherein A and A' are the same thermoplastic polymers or different thermoplastic polymers and wherein B is a polymer block elastomériso. A preferred polymer is a Kraton * G2755 filler, the sual is a mixture of a ßlastomeric polymer, a polyolefin and an adhesive resin. Any adhesive resin can be used which is compatible with the elastomeric polymer and can withstand the high processing temperatures, (for example extrusion). If the mixing materials such as, for example, the. Extension oils or polyolefins are used, the adhesive resin must also be compatible with those mixing materials. Generally, hydrogenated hydrocarbon resins are preferred adhesive resins, due to their better temperature stability; The adhesives of the REGALRE2 ™ _f ARKON ™ P series are examples of the hydrogenated hydrocarbon resins. The ZONATAK? 501: light, it is an example of a terpene hydrocarbon. The resins of. REGALREZ ™ hydrocarbon are available from Hercules Ihcorporated. Resins from ARKON ™ P feries are available from Arakawa Chemisal (U.S.A.) Insorporated. Of course, the present invention is not limited to the use of such three adhesive resins, and other resins can also be used, the others being sompatible are the other components of the position and can withstand the high temperatures of the process.

A pressure-sensitive elastomeric adhesive can, for example, comprise from about 20 to about 99 percent by weight of the elastomeric polymer, from about 5 to about 40 percent by weight of polyolefin and from from around 5 to around 40 by feel of the resin adhesive. For example the partisulary useful somatosis KRATON * G-2755 included, by weight, around 61 to about 65 per cent of KRATON * G-1659, around 17 to about 23 per cent of polyethylene NA-601 (available from Quantum Chemical Co., of Cincinnati, Ohio), and about 1? around .ge 20 percent of REGALREZ * 1126.

For example, the elastic sheet 50 can be made from the block copolymers having the "general formula ABA" wherein A and A 'are all one end block of thermoplastic polymer the sual having a styrene group such as poly (vinyl arene) and wherein B is a block medium of elastomeric polypero such as a sonogenated diene or a lower alkene polymer. The elastic sheet 32 may be formed of, for example, polystyrene / poly (ethylene-butylene) / polystyrene block copolymers available from Shell Chemisal Company under the KRATON * G. Marker. One such block copolymer may be, for example , KRATON® G-1659.

Other exemplary elastomer materials, for example, may be used to form the elastomer sheet 50, including elastomeric polyurethane materials such as those available under the MARE® MARINE® by B. F. Goodrish & Company, polyamide elastomeric materials such as those, for example, those available under the PEBAX® marsa from ELF Atoshe Company, and polyester elastomer materials such as these, for example, those available under * the "HYTREL® trade designation of EI DuPont De Nemours &Company." I nformation of elastic sheets of elastic polyester materials is described in , for example, U.S. Patent No. 4,741,549 issued to Morman et al., "incorporated herein by reference.

A polyolefin can also be mixed with the elastomeric polymer to improve the processability of the somposission.The polyolefin should be a sual, it is mixed and subjected to an appropriate combination of high temperature and high pressure sondisions, it is extrudable, in the mixed form, they are the elastomeric polymer Useful mixing of polyolefin materials includes, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene and polybutene, including copolymers of ethylene, propylene copolymers and butene copolymers A particularly useful polyethylene can be obtained from Quantum Chemisal Company , of Cinsinnati, Ohio, under the designation of somerset PETROTHENE * NA601 (also referred to herein as PE NA601 or polyethylene NA601) Two or more of the polyolefins may be used The extrudable mixtures of the elastomeric polymers and polyolefins are described in US Pat. , for example, the Patent of the United States of North America number 4,663,220 ot Ordered to Wisneski and others, and incorporated here by referensia.

The elastic sheet 50 may also be a multiple-ply material in the sense that it may include two or more individual so-called fabrics or sheets. In addition, the elastic sheet 50 may be a multi-layered material in the sual one or more of the sapes are a mixture of elastomeric or non-elastomeric fibers or particles. As an example of this last type of tissue elástisp, se; reference is made to U.S. Patent No. 4,209,563 incorporated herein by reference, wherein elastomeric and n-elastomeric fibers are blended to form a single, coherent fabric of randomly dispersed fibers. Another example of such sompuestp tissue will be one made by a technique, such as described in U.S. Patent No. 4,100,324 issued to Rishard A. Anderson et al., And also herein incorporated by referensia. This patent discloses a non-woven material which includes a mixture of thermoplastic fibers blown by melting and other materials. Fibers and other materials are synthesized in the suction of gas in the sual melt-blown fibers are carried so that a mixture will be intimately tangled of blown fibers of melted and other materials, for example, wood pulp, the sorta fibers or the particulates such as, for example, hydrosoloid (hydrogel) particles commonly referred to as superabsorbent products prior to the fiber resorption on a collection device for form a coherent fabric of randomly dispersed fibers. - - The sheet 50 can alternatively be an array of threads, a non-woven material, foam or the like .. .. 'A The sheet 50 is formed by any of a number of sonically sound processes, including but not limited to the flat matrix extrusion, the blown film (tubular) film, the blended film and the like. For the general disintegration of the formation of a blown film, see the work of Kirk-othmer, "Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology", 4a. edition, Volume 10, page -777, and which is incorporated herein by reference. A blown movie can be. This is desirable because the molecules of the film are generally oriented in the transverse direction, thus promoting the resistances in the transverse direction. The normal setting of the film orientates the molecules of disha pelisula somewhat in the direction of the machine, thus decreasing the resistensia in the transverse direction.

For the purposes of the present dissolution, the process of flat film extrusion will be discarded as the preferred embodiment. Generally speaking, the sheet 50 can be extruded at an adesualed temperature for a conventional extrusion film pellet for the elastomeric material partisular For example, a somposission is, by weight, around 61 to about 65 per cent of KRATON * G-1659, about 17 to about 23 per cent of polyethylene NA601, and about 15 to about 20 per cent of it. REGALREZ® 1126 can be extruded in an elastomeric sheet (for example, a pressure-sensitive elastomer adhesive sheet) "> *,, C? - -, -? - _ '' at a temperature of from about 360 degrees around 540 degrees F.

The extruded, or otherwise formed, sheet 50 is deposited in the sontaste zone 34 so that the sheets 12 and 14 immediately take the sheet 50 in sandwich form. In a preferred embodiment, the sheets 12 and 14 are advanced to the zone. of sontaste 34 so that the fiber vestores are in opposite directions, for example, to the left and to the deresha of the direction of the machine, so that the multi-layered material 54 formed has the sheet 12 having its fibers oriented in a diameter and the sheet 14 having its fibers oriented in a generally transverse direction. This solosair in sapas in the transverse direction produces a material having a greater resistance than unidiresional fiber laminates. In one embodiment, the solosing in sapas of a transverse direction of first sheets having a fiber cloth of around + 30 degrees and a second sheet having a fiber vector of about minus 30 degrees from the axis in the direction of the machine produced a rolling bearing approximately an increase of 10 per cent I feel in the resistance to the tension in the transverse direction. Alternatively, each sheet can be formed in a multi-bank machine so that some fibers are predominantly around + 30 degrees and others predominantly around minus 30 degrees.

The sheets 12, 14 and 50 are inserted into the attachment point 34 of the pressure roller arrangement 56. The pressure roller arrangement 56 can include at least a first pressure roller 58 and a second pressure roller 60 the sual can be set to define a sontrolated separation between the rollers. Alternatively, the pressure rollers 58 and 60 can be set to define a pressurized fastening point so that the rollers 58 and 60 are essen- tially in stannous suture there is no sheet between the rollers (e.g. in the absence of material). Desirably, one or both of the rollers 58 and 60 can be cooled, which is believed to help cool the extruded polymer sheet so that it is seated more quickly in a binding sontaste are the material 12 and 14. The material laminate 62 the sual leaves the point of subjection 34 is now a unitary stress.

Alternatively, the other joining methods can be used to adhere the sheet 50 to the sheets 12 and 14, such as, but not limited to, adhesive, thermal, hydroentanglement, ultrasound and other laminating methods are taught by those skilled in the art.

The laminate 62 can be wound onto a supply roll 64 for storage. Alternatively, the material 62 can be moved to a narrowing set 70, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In the first case, the laminate 62 is unwound from the supply roll 64, through a knitting roller. clamping 65 which provides the material 62"at a controllable linear velocity At least one pad of the cushion 72 and preferably a plurality of pad sheets 74 are spaced across the width of the sheet material 62 and cut the material into chalky slits. separately from desired lengths before the point-of-attachment roller 65. Any number of blades 74 can be used. " It is understood that any material of suitable width can be used and any slots of desirable width can be formed by selecting the number and spacing of the blades 74. It is also understood that the present invention can be practiced without cutting the laminate 62 prior to tapering.

The slits 76, 78 and 80 are counterbalanced with a heat source, such as an oven 82 and are passed through an S-wrap assembly 83 and wound onto a roll-up roll 84. Because the peripheral linear velocity of the Supply roll 64 is co-controlled to be lower than the linear peripheral veil of roll roll 84, slits 76, 78 and 80 are stressed and tensioned as they are wound onto common coiling roll 84. Alternatively, a can be used. number of rollers. of winding 84, so that each roller 84 rolls up. one of the slits 76, 78 and 80. The temperature of the oven 82 is preferably maintained from about 200 degrees F to about 270 degrees F, more preferably from about 220 degrees F to about 255 degrees F. slits 76, 78, and 80 are counted by the salor for a period of from about 0.1 to about 1.0 minutes, although other durations may be used depending on the lamination condition, the narrowing sonsions, and the specifics. desired creations. During this development the slits 76, 78 and 80 are stressed at a more stressful ansho. Alternatively, the source of salor may be a series of salted rollers (not shown) around the suals passes the laminate 62 and then stretched to a free extension before being wound onto the winding roll 84.

The previous prosesos used a stressed material the sual was laminated subserviently they are an elastomer.

An important advance of the present invention on the prior art is the lamination of the fabric to the elastic sheet, followed by the stress under high temperature. The sapa or Laminated fabric sheets are shattered as they are a supporting structure for the elastise sheet when the laminate is finished. With the blowout, the elastic leaf softens and loses its memory. The laminate is stressed to redress its ansho, the sual, with the cooling imparts an extension in the transverse direction. The cooling fixes the water in the memory of the elastomeric sheet. The present invention is a laminate having an elastisity in the cross direction desirable in somparation to the laminates of the prior art.

Admittedly, an unexpected result of the present invention is the improved produst formed by the use of a trieretch point roll during the lamination step. Even a skilled artisan would normally expect a serrated point roll to provide the elastic blade to penetrate the fabric shrinkage and thereby decrease the elasticity in the transverse direction, the use of the non-stressed material to alleviate this efesto , producing a fabric that has an improved breathability on the laminates previously made. A possible explanation for this process may be that during the lamination process of the sawing point, the fibers of the non-woven fabric can be embedded and penetrate through the elastic film, and they are a substratum and narrowing substratum, the fibers They can be pulled out of the film leaving a misroporous film which is breathable and repellent.

Additionally, the laminate formed with a closed separation clamping point roller was essentially non-peelable without destroying it.

In an alternate embodiment, shown in Figure 4, the laminate 100 is unwound from the supply roll 10.and is collected by the guide rollers 104. The collected material is then passed through a knitted roller. subjection 106 without spreading a compressible tension l. laminated, 100 The resuscitation is believed to reduse the smile profile by decreasing the distance in the transverse direction from the edge to the center of the material. The guides 104 can be rods, shafts, rollers, fixed wheels or the like, or they can be on saddles. The guide surface is preferably Liefa so that the laminate 100 is not trapped on the roller. The guides 104 are preferably present in pairs, one on each side of the laminate. Preferably, a plurality of guide portions 104 as shown in the drawings are present to more sonologically guide the material. The step of reso- lution does not appress an accelerated tension. to the laminate, for example, the linear velocity X of the supply roll 102 is not appreciably smaller than the linear Y rate of the nip roller 106.

Resolving can be done before stress, which will improve the stress process. He Recollection can be done without tightening too. In addition, the gathering can be done while the narrowing is done.

The present invention can be used in absorbent products for personal sweating as appendages or lateral ears on diapers, training pants for child care and the like which require being strong and elastic but resistant to peeling. It is possible to construct somatic products using the material of the present invention. Another use of the fabric of the present invention is as that of the side pieces in the incontinence products of adults and in the pants for the care of women, where elasticity and breathability are important. Additionally, the present invention can be incorporated into a protective clothing.

The invention will be broken down as a recession, and the following examples will be used for illustrative purposes only. The parts and percentages that appear in such Examples are by weight unless otherwise specified.

E J E M P L O S TEST METHODS AND DEFINITIONS Cycling test: The equipment used was a stenstante rate extension voltage tester designated Somo Sintesh 2, model 3397-139, available from Sintesh Corporation, Cary, North Carolina. The test specimens in triplicate were cut, in 4.5 pea: 3 inches, the side of 4.5 inches being in the direction transverse to the machine. Each 3-inch ansho-stent was stapled by two pneumatic jaws so that the medial length (jaw spacing) was 2 inches, and the pulling direction was the direction transverse to the machine. The pull velocity was set at 20 inches / minute. The test was done during 2 extension / retraction cycles, during the suals the first was pulled at 100 percent elongation (a jaw spacing of 4 inches.), The jaws were then stopped and immediately returned to the length At the start measurement, and then another cycle of extension / retransition was repeated, finally the period was pulled to an extension until it broke, at which time the test was stopped.The force and tension were measured by an appropriate twill cell and other sensors, the data was recorded and analyzed by a software program.

Samples tested were sarasterized by the twill (strength) measured at an elongation of 30 per feel during the first extension mode (pull) of the sislo, the load at 30 percent elongation during the second retracement mode of the sislo, the by lengthening to 2,000 grams of twill, and elongation to the break (floor) and twill.

Peel test: In a peeling or delamination test, a laminate is tested with respect to the sanctity of tension force that will pull the separated laminate layers. The values for the peel resistances are obtained by using a thickness of thickened cloth, usually 4 inches (102 mm) of anchoring density and a sonant rate of extension. The film side of the section is supplemented by a reuptake or other adesified material in order to prevent the film from tearing during the test. The rewinding syntax is only on one side of the laminate and does not contribute to the peel strength of the sample. The sample is delaminated by hand by a sanctity sufisiente to allow him to hold in position. The period is seized, for example, in u? Instron Model TM device, available from Instron Corporation, 2500 Washington Street, Canton, MA 02021, or an INTELLECT II Model Thwing-Albert device available from the Thwing-Albert Instrument Company of 10960 Dutton Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154, the sual has parallel clamps 76 millimeters long. The test pattern is then pulled and separated 180 degrees apart and the stress resistance recorded in pounds.

Breathability Test: A measure of the breathability of a fabric is the vapor transmission rate of Water (WVTR), the sual for the sample materials was calculated according to the ASTM standard E96-80. The cirsular samples measuring 3 inches in diameter were sorted from one of the test materials, and from a sontrol, the sual was a piece of CELGARD® 2500 sheet from Celanese Separation Produstos of Charlotte, North Carolina. The CELGARD® 2500 sheet is a sheet of polypropylene misroporosa. Three samples were prepared for all material. The test dish was a sharola of Vapometer number 60-1 distributed by the Thwing-Albert Instrument Company of Philadelphia, PA. 100 milliliters of water were poured into Sada Sharola from Vapdmetro and the individual samples of the test materials and the sontrol material were soldered through the open upper portions of the, the individual trays. The bolted flanges were tightened to form a seal along the edges of the tray, leaving the associated test material or control material exposed to the ambient atmosphere on a cirsulo of 6.5 diameter sensors having an exposed area of approximately of 33.17 superseding sentimeters. The sharolas were solosaron in a forced air oven at 32 degrees felt for an hour to balance. The furnace was a constant temperature furnace. The external air is sirsulated through it to prevent the water vapor from being assumed inside. A forced air oven is, for example, a Blue M Power-O-Matis 60 furnace distributed by Blue M Elestris Company of Blue Island, Illinois. When equilibrium was completed, the sharolas were removed from the furnace, Weighed and returned immediately to the oven. After 24 hours, the sharolas were removed from the oven and weighed again. The preliminary test water vapor transmission rate values were calculated as follows: Test WVTR = (loss of weight in grams over 24 hours) X 315.5 g / m2 / 24 hours.

The relative humidity inside the oven was not specifically controlled.

Under the predetermined 32 degree stable condiions and one relative room unit, the WVTR for CELGARD® 2500 ßl sontrol has been defined as being 5,000 grams per meter added per 24 hours. Therefore, the sontrol sample was sourced with each test and the preliminary test values were corrected to establish condi tions using the following stress: WVTR = (WVTR Test / Control WVTR) X (5000 g / m1 / 24 hours) Test dß Hydrohead: a measure of the liquid barrier properties of a cloth is the hydrospray test. The hydrospray test determines the height of water (in sentimeters) that the fabric will hold before a predetermined sanctity of liquid passes through it.

A cloth is an upper hydrostatic lesion that indicates that it has a greater barrier to penetration of the liquid than a cloth is a lower hidrosebeza. The hydrospray test is conducted according to Federal Test Standard Number 19IA, Method 5514.,, _. E BMP fr Q% Set dß Roller dß Point dß Clamping Closed Two rolls of polypropylene fabric bonded by 0.85-oz. Woven wire mesh pattern yarn per 65-inch-wide basis weight yard were laminated by extruding the melted pellet KRATON® G-2755, 28-30 gsm of base weight, between the splice-bonded webs, holding the laminate between a cooled roll are water and a rubber-coated roll to adhere the webs and solidify / cool the film.

The processing sondisions with the extrusion of the coating line were as follows: KRATON® polymer melt temperature of about 480 degrees F, extruder screw of 32 revolutions per minute, furling velocity of 65 yards / minute, laminated 62 inches. The yardage was made in such a way that the knitting rollers were completely serrated on the laminate It was getting. Three sorts were made in the laminate sersa of the middle of the roll to give two slits of sample IA and IB, one of 13.75 inches of ansho, the suals were rolled over a common nuscle. The laminated fabric was then taken to an oven about 30 feet in length. The oven temperature was set at 240 degrees F. The laminate sual was not elastic in any diress, it was then pulled through the furnace, allowing the laminate to elongate freely and stress. The difference in the velocity between the unwind and the furler was increased until the 13.75-inch slits were stressed to around 5 inches (63.6 for stress). The sondisions of the stressing process for the fabric have been closed and the lamination points were closed and were as follows: line velocity inside the furnace: 72 fpm, outlet line velocity: 104 fpm, temperature insulation oven up to 251 degrees F, the slits were stressed at 4.8 inches, the temperature of the fabric on the furler: 107-109 degrees F (through an infrared pyriometer).

Table 1 shows the results of sample IA and Table 2 shows those of sample IB of the isolate test. They used sinso repetitions.

ABEA 3, - fμßfftri Xh TABLE 2 - IB Sample E J E M L O Set dß Roller dß Clamping with Separation The elastomer lamination process of Example 1 was followed, but the laminating fastening point rollers were separated by spacers to give a 0.030 inch spacing or spacing. The sones of the narrowing process for the laminated fabric with the 0.030-inch roll-off point separation. were: line speed inside: 78 fpm, line speed off: 103 fpm, oven temperature: 220-256 degrees F, sample slits 2A and 2B were tapered to 5 inches, the temperature of the fabric on the furler: 113- 115 degrees F. The results of the test of the chelates are shown in Tables 3 and 4 for samples 2A and 2B. They were used sinso repetitions.

TABL 3-Sample 2A TABLE 4-Sample 2B Samples of material IA, IB, 2A, and 2B outside the furler exhibited good elasticity in the transverse direction.

Table 5 shows the results of the peel test for the laminadps of clamping point roll with spacing after tapering. Five repetitions were used. With the SA and IB serrated separation samples the spun-bonded sap could not be peeled intact from the sheet, indicating that the peel strength of the laminate exceeded the peel strength of the spunbond; therefore, samples IA and IB can not be tested for peel strength.

TABLE 5-Sample 2 TABLE - Sample 2B Table 7 shows the results of the Water Vapor Transmission (WVTR) test. The standard control was assumed as having 5000 g / m2 / 24 hours water vapor transmission rate. Three tests were made per sample.

T A B L The CC sample was a test tube of the CELGARD® 2500 film. The NC sample was a NBL sontrol, which was reversibly shortened according to the process dessrito in the Patent of the United States of North America number 5,336,545. The samples LA and IB were dß NBL stressed reversibly according to Example 1, for example, where the separation of the nip roll was sawn. Sample 2A was the laminated material sori extrusion to a 30-mil point-of-roll separator and was then tapered. As indicated in Table 7, the WVTR rate for closed separation samples 1A and IB was around 3000, and more than 26 larger WVTRs were averaged than the NC rate of the narrowed NBL sample. The upper limit of the WVTR was about 5000. The sample 2A, using the point-of-attachment roller, was separable, was non-breathable, as is the NBL standard. ^ - ~; ¡- ~ - = Table 8 shows the results of the water resistances or hydrospray test.

T A B L J The height of the column is the height of the water column needed to observe that a second drop appears under the test cloth.

Respirability has a definite effect on comfort. The high WVTR allows more moisture to pass through the fabric, providing greater comfort to the user. A high liquid barrier (as measured by the hydro head test) is desirable to prevent drainage, such as in diapers or as an outer covering, such as in surgical scrubs, to prevent blood and other fluids go through this, but providing good breathability. The average IAA sample 3149 and the average IB sample 3065 in the WVTR test, indicating superior breathability of the laminated fabric. The breathability of the laminate formed by the separation of the serrated clamping roller assembly was superior to that of the laminate formed using a separate clamping roll assembly.

EHF? IO 1 An alternate method takes a previously elastic sheet hesha, the sheet is pressure (if sticky) or the sheet is adhesive (rosy on) to the saras, and then the laminate is stressed as described above. One can also start with an elastic sheet made by the tubular process (blown), by folding the tube into a flattened tube so that it does not have thickened edges as is common in forged films, and then the flattened tube is used to make the inelastic laminate, which is subsequently tapered. This alternative will eliminate the variability of set sheet thickness.

Although only a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily grasp that possible modifications to the exemplary modalities are possible without materially departing from the teachings and novel advantages of this invention. Therefore, all these modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the research, as defined in the following vindications. In the clauses, the claims of means more funsión is tried to raise the dessritas estrusturas there we are carrying out the recited function and not only the equivalent structures but also the equivalent structures. Therefore, even when a nail and a screw may not be equivalent in the sense that a slavo employs a siliceous surface to secure wooden parts together, while a screw employs a helioidal surface, in the environment of subjection of portions of wood, a screw and a slavo can be equivalent scaffolds.

It should also be noted that any Patents, Solisitudes or Publisasiones mentioned here will be insorporated by referensia in its entirety.

Claims (54)

1. An elastic laminate extendable in the transverse direction produced by laminating at least one fibrous web to at least one elastic sap and subsequently stressing and expelling said laminate.

2. Laminate such. and as claimed in Clause 1, characterized in that at least one fibrous web is separated from the group consisting of a woven fibrous web and a non-woven web.

3. Such laminate is claimed in clause 2 sarasterized because non-woven fibrous disha sapa is separated from the group consisting of a sack of spunbonded fibers, a sheet of melted blown fibers, and a multi-ply material including minus one of dishas sapas.

4. Such laminate is claimed in clause 2 sarasterized because disha sapa fibrosa has been stressed and relaxed prior to its lamination.

5. The laminate as claimed in clause 2 facesterized because woven fibrous disha sapa is selessionada of a woven material and a loose woven material.

6. Such and such laminate is claimed in clause 1 characterized in that said at least one elastic layer is selected from the group consisting of a sheet, an array of threads, a non-woven material and a foam.

7. Such and such laminate is claimed in clause 6, because the said at least one layer is formed of a thermoplastic elastomeric polymer.

8. The laminate as claimed in Clause 7 faceshaped because at least one elastic sap is selessioned from the group consisting of elastomer polyesters, elastomeric polyurethanes, elastic polyamides, polyolefin elastibles, and block copolymers ABA 'elastices, wherein A and A 'are the same or different thermoplastic polymers, and wherein B is an elastomeric polymer block.

9. Such laminate is claimed in clause 1 characterized in that it dissaves at least one sapa Elastase is formed of a mixture of an elastomeric polymer and an adhesive resin.

10. Such a laminate is claimed in clause 1, characterized in that said at least one elastic cap is formed by a process selected from the group consisting of extrusion of flat matrix, extrusion of tubular blown film and setting. -

11. The laminate as such is claimed in clause 1 characterized. because disha: < The lamination is achieved through a process of union selected from the group that consists of a prosessive adhesive, termite, hydroentanglement, and ultrasonic.

12. The laminate as such is claimed in clause 1 sarasterized because the lamination is achieved by putting a softened elastomer sap into sontaste, at least one fibrous sap under pressure is present.

13. Such a laminate is claimed in clause 12, in which the pressure is squeezed by a pair of clamping point rollers.

14. The laminate as such is claimed in clause 13, because the clamping rollers are serrated.

15. Such and such laminate is claimed in clause 1, characterized in that said elastic laminate is defined as having at least about 55 per cent of suction, within about one minute, to about 60 per centimeter of elongation.

16. Such and such laminate is claimed in clause 1, characterized in that said narrowing is achieved by stretching and heating said laminate.

17. The laminate as claimed in clause 16 is sarasterized because the stretch is brought to taste while the laminated disho is released.

18. Such and such laminate is claimed in clause 16, which is sarasterized because dishousing is achieved by placing in laminated distased stannate a source of salor.

19. Such laminate is claimed in clause 18, sarasterized because said heat is at a temperature from around 200 degrees F to around 270 degrees F.

20. Such and such laminate is claimed in clause 18, sarasterized because the salt is at a temperature of from about 220 degrees F to about 255 degrees F.

21. A costume article of prosthetics that are made of such and such laminate is reivided in Semi-Clause 1, because it is selected from the group consisting of a surgical gown, an isolation gown, a subnetwork, and a laboratory sasso. - - ',

22. An absorbent product for the personal sweating of such and such laminate is claimed in clause 1 as it is selected from the group consisting of a diaper, a product for feminine hygiene, and a product for adult incontinence and saltines of training.

23. A method for producing a laminated fabric having an improved cross-sectional extension, comprising the steps of: a) provide at least one sheet of cloth; b) laminate said sheet to at least one layer of the elastomer material. c) shaking said laminate; Y _ . . , .. - \ d)? encourage said laminate,

24. The method as claimed in clause 23 is sarasterized because at least one fibrous layer is selected from the group consisting of a fibrous nonwoven web and a woven web.

25. The method as such is claimed in the sarasterized clause 24 because said non-woven fibrous web is seleded from the group consisting of a spun-bonded fiber web, a web of melt-blown fibers, and a multiple web material insulating at least one of dishas sapas.

26. The method as such is claimed in clause 24 sarasterized because disha sapa fibrosa has previously been stressed and relaxed before laminating.

27. The such and such method is claimed in the sarasterized clause 24 because disha woven fibrous layer is selessionada of a woven material and a loose woven material.

28. The method as such is claimed in clause 23, because at least one sapa is separated from the group consisting of a sheet, an array of threads, a non-woven material and a foam.

29. The method as such is claimed in clause 28, because at least one elastomer sape is formed of a thermoplastic elastomer polymer. ' *- -1 -

30. The so-and-dome method is claimed in clause 29, because at least one elastic sheet is selessioned from the group consisting of elastomeric polyesters, elastomeric polyurethanes, elastic polyamides, polyolefin elastinates, metallosenes and block copolymers ABA 'elastices, where A and A 'are the same polymers or different thermoplastic polymers, and wherein B is an elastomeric polymer block.

31. The method as such is claimed in clause 23, because at least one elastomer layer is formed of a mixture of an elastomeric polymer and an adhesive resin.

32. The method as claimed in clause 23 is sarasterized because at least one elastic layer is formed through a process selected from the group consisting of extrusion of flat matrix, extrusion of tubular blown film and setting. -

33. The tal and cowo method, §e vindicated in clause 23, is sarasterized because disha laminasión is achieved by a proseso. of union selected from the group consisting of adhesive process, thermal process, hydroentangled and ultrasonic. • - , Y;

3. 4, - The method as it is; Claims 23, in clause 23, because the laminasión disha is achieved by putting a softened elastic layer in sontaste are at least one fibrous sapa under pressure.

35. The method as such is claimed in clause 34, because the pressure is squeezed by a pair of clamping point rollers.

36. The method as such is claimed in clause 32, which is sarasterized because the clamping point rollers are serrated.

37. The method as claimed in Clause 23 facesterized because said elastic laminate is defined as having at least about 55 percent recovery, within about 1 minute to about 60 per feel of elongation.

38. The method as claimed in clause 23 is sarasterized because narrowing is achieved by narrowing and heating said laminate. ";

39. The method as claimed in clause 38, because the step is carried out while said laminate is heated. -;

40. Such and such laminate is claimed in clause 39, which is sarasterized because said heating is achieved by putting in contasto laminated disho are a source of salor.

41. Such and such laminate is claimed in clause 40 sarasterized because the salt is at a temperature of from about 200 degrees F to about 270 degrees F.

42. Such and such laminate is claimed in the sarasterized clause 40 because the salt is at a temperature of from about 220 degrees F to about 255 degrees F.

43. An elastic laminate extendable in the transverse direction produced by laminating at least one non-tapered fibrous layer to at least one elastic layer, folding laminated web and subsequently stressing and heating said laminate.

44. Such laminate as claimed in clause 43 is characterized in that the dissolution is achieved by passing a section of laminate between at least one pair of guides which causes the laminated air gap to be reduced.

45. The method for producing a laminated fabric having an improved cross-sectional extension, which comprises the steps of: a) providing at least one sheet of fabric; b) laminar disha sheet to at least one sap of the elastic material; c) resoger laminated disho; d) Streshar disho laminate; Y e) Salting disho laminate.

46. An elastic laminated fabric that has at least one fibrous web and an elastic web, wherein the web has a hydrospray and a water vapor transmission rate and where the water vapor transmission rate is at least around 1,000 g / m2 / hours.

47. Such and such fabric is claimed in clause 46, sarasterized because the water vapor transmission rate is from about 1,500 to about 5,000.

48. The fabric as such is claimed in clause 46 because the water vapor transmission rate is from about 2,000 to about 3,500. -

49. The fabric as claimed in clause 46, because the hydrospray is at least about 30 sentimeters.

50. The fabric as such is claimed in clause 47 characterized in that said hydrospray is of at least about 30 sentimeters.

51. The fabric as such is claimed in clause 48, which is sarasterized because the hydrospray is at least about 30 sentimeters.

52. A laminated elastic web that has at least one fibrous web and an elastic layer, where the web has a hydrospray and a water vapor transmission rate and where the water vapor transmission rate is at less than about 1,000 g / m2 / 24 hours and the hydrospray is at least around 30 senses.

53. A stretchable elastic laminate in the transverse direction produced by the laminate at least ', a fibrous sapa the sual has been constricted and previously relaxed to at least one elastic layer and narrowing and disintegrating superstrictly disho laminate.

54. A method for producing a laminated fabric having an extension in the improved transverse direction, which comprises the steps of: a) provide at least one sheet of fibrous material; b) Streshar disho fibrous material; s) relax fibrous material disho; d) laminar fibrous material of step s) to at least one sap of the elastomer material; 5 7.-. _ ~. : n .- .. • _ _.; - j ^ -_ - -. , - -; , - -,. . ß) streshar laminated disho; and - f) expelling said laminate. 10 laugh - ~ * E X T R A C T O It was made by a two-step process of a stretch laminated elastic elsstissa fabric are cloth type saras. In the first step, an inelastic laminate was made by extruding an elastomer sheet between two strata of a fibrous sheet and joining the strata by pressing them on a set of serrations. Two longitudinal slits were made in the laminate. Then rolls of inelastic laminate thus heshos were taken to an oven and the laminate was unrolled and pulled through the furnace at an elevated temperature while the tension on the fabric was increased until the slits were stressed. The stressed laminate was wound onto a pick roller. When the samples were unrolled, these suringly did not occur in ansho, and these showed a good CD elastism (elongation and return sg). The breathability of the laminate was superior to that of the laminate formed by using an open-roller roller seal separator.