Soft, bulky, lightweight nonwoven web and method of producing; the web has ...

Sciaraffa et al.

[45] Jun. 8, 1982

[54] SOFT, BULKY, LIGHTWEIGHT

NONWOVEN WEB AND METHOD OF
PRODUCING; THE WEB HAS BOTH FUSED
SPOT BONDS AND PATTERNED
EMBOSSMENTS

[75] Inventors: Michael A. Sciaraffa; David G.

Thome, both of Appleton; Clifford
M. Vogt, Neenah, all of Wis.

[73] Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Corporation,
Neenah, Wis.

[21] Appl. No.: 179,054

[22] Filed: Aug. 18, 1980

[51] Int. CV A61F 13/16; D04H 3/14;

D04H 5/06

[52] U.S. CI 428/179; 128/290 W;

156/181; 156/209; 156/308.4; 428/180; 428/182; 428/183; 428/198; 428/283; 428/288;

428/296; 428/337; 428/340

[58] Field of Search 428/198, 296, 337, 340,

428/288, 179, 180, 182, 183, 283; 128/290 W;

156/181, 306, 209; 19/296

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

D. 239,566 4/1976 Vogt D59/2

3,616,157 10/1971 Smith 161/124

3,774,610 11/1973 Eckert et al 128/287

3,814,101 6/1974 Kozak 128/287

3,848,595 11/1974 Endres 128/284

3,855,046 12/1974 Hansen et al 161/150

4,041,951 8/1977 Sanford 128/287

4,050,462 9/1977 Woon et al 128/287

4,259,390 3/1981 Fahrbach et al 428/198

4,265,954 5/1981 Romonck 428/296

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

820104 8/1969 Canada 28/78

Primary Examiner—James C. Cannon

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—William D. Herrick; Howard

Olevsky

[57] ABSTRACT

Lightweight, pattern bonded, generally continuous filament web having physical, aesthetic, and functional attributes particularly desirable for liner material for disposable absorbent products such as diapers, sanitary napkins, and the like. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a continuous filament polypropylene web is formed and pattern bonded by heat and pressure producing a high frequency of high density bond areas. This bonded web is then subjected to hot embossing in a gross pattern producing permanent web deformation and increasing the web effective thickness. In use the nonwoven web of the invention provides a very soft, flexible web having a pleasing appearance and yet retaining strength properties making it very effective at low basis weights for applications such as liners for disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, and the like. The method of the invention includes melt spinning and accumulating the spun fibers into a web that is pattern bonded in a fine pattern by heat and pressure and then subjected to a gross pattern of embossments under heated conditions.

15 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures