Fibers and articles including them

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10704172-B2
Application number	US-201515302860-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2015
Priority date	Apr 10, 2014
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

A multi-component fiber including at least first and second components. In some cases, at least a portion of the first component is opaque and microporous, and the second component is different from the first component. In some cases, at least a portion of the second component can be seen through at least a portion of the first component. A fiber having an opaque, microporous region and a see-through region of lower porosity is also disclosed. Fibrous webs including such fibers are also disclosed. In some cases, the fibrous web has at least one first region where first portions of the multiple fibers are opaque and microporous and at least one second region where second portions of the multiple fibers form a see-through region of lower porosity. Articles and laminates including the fibrous webs are disclosed. Methods of making the fibers, fibrous webs, and articles are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-component fiber comprising at least first and second components, wherein at least a portion of the first component is opaque and microporous, wherein the second component is different from the first component, wherein the first component further comprises a see-through region of lower porosity than the portion that is opaque and microporous, and wherein at least a portion of the second component can be seen through the see-through region of lower porosity.

2. The multi-component fiber of claim 1 , wherein the multi-component fiber is a core-sheath fiber, wherein the sheath comprises the first component, and wherein the core comprises the second component.

3. The multi-component fiber of claim 1 , wherein the first component and second component are different colors or different shades of the same color.

4. The multi-component fiber of claim 1 , wherein the first component comprises a beta-nucleating agent.

5. The multi-component fiber of claim 1 , wherein the first component comprises at least one of propylene homopolymer, a copolymer of propylene and other olefins, or a blend of a polypropylene homopolymer and a different polyolefin.

6. A fibrous web comprising multiple multi-component fibers of claim 1 .

7. A personal hygiene article comprising a chassis with a topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent component between the topsheet and the backsheet, wherein the personal hygiene article comprises the fibrous web of claim 6 .

8. A laminate comprising a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer is a fibrous web comprising multiple fibers, the fibrous web comprising at least one first region where first portions of the multiple fibers are opaque and microporous and at least one second region where second portions of the multiple fibers form a see-through region of lower porosity than the first portions, and wherein a portion of the second layer is visible through the second portions of the multiple fibers.

9. The laminate of claim 8 , wherein the first layer and second layer have different colors or different shades of the same color.

10. The laminate of claim 8 , wherein the see-through region of lower porosity is in the form of a number, picture, symbol, geometric shape, alphabetical letter, bar code, or a combination thereof.

11. The laminate of claim 8 , wherein the see-through region of lower porosity is included in a pattern of see-through regions of lower porosity within the at least one first region.

12. A personal hygiene article comprising a chassis with a topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent component between the topsheet and the backsheet, wherein the personal hygiene article comprises the laminate of claim 8 .

13. The laminate of claim 8 , wherein the fibrous web is a nonwoven web.

14. The laminate of claim 8 , wherein the at least one first region comprises at least one of a beta-nucleating agent, a filler, or a diluent.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Chandrasekaran Neelakandan
• Prioleau Lori-Ann S
• Wood Leigh E
• Chakravarty Jayant
• Stagg Timothy V

Classifications

• B32B7/023

  Optical properties · CPC title

• D04H1/46

  by needling or like operations to cause entanglement of fibres (D04H1/45 takes precedence; needling machines D04H18/00) · CPC title

• D04H1/4374 Primary

  using different kinds of webs, e.g. by layering webs · CPC title

• D01D5/247

  Discontinuous hollow structure or microporous structure · CPC title

• B32B2555/02

  Diapers or napkins · CPC title