Method for making a shaped nonwoven

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11149360-B2
Application number	US-202016744516-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2020
Priority date	Jun 30, 2017
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

A method for making nonwoven fabric. The nonwoven fabric can include three-dimensional features that define a microzone comprising a first region and a second region. The first and second regions can have a difference in values for an intensive property. The nonwoven further has a plurality of apertures, wherein at least a portion of the aperture abuts at least one of the first region and the second region of the microzone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for making an apertured nonwoven fabric, the method comprising the steps of:
a. providing a fiber laydown surface in the form of a first side of a belt, the belt comprising a reinforcing member and a pattern of three-dimensional raised elements extending outwardly from the reinforcing member on the first side of the belt, the belt comprising a plurality of openings, each opening allowing fluid communication between the first side of the belt and a second side of the belt;
b. providing a fiber melt spinning apparatus above the first side of the belt and a vacuum source below the second side of the belt, wherein the belt is moved in a machine direction between the fiber spinning apparatus and the vacuum source;
c. providing a compaction nip between a first pair of rolls, at least one of the rolls of the first pair of rolls being heated;
d. providing a bonding operation;
e. melt spinning fibers from the melt spinning apparatus onto the fiber laydown surface as the belt moves in the machine direction over the vacuum source to collect the melt spun fibers onto the fiber laydown surface, the collected melt spun fibers forming a nonwoven web having three-dimensional features, each three-dimensional feature defining a microzone comprising a first region and a second region, the first and second regions having a difference in values for an intensive property, wherein the intensive property is one or more of thickness, basis weight, and volumetric density, wherein in each microzone, the second region comprises a portion of the nonwoven web that is formed over the three-dimensional raised element of the belt, and wherein the first region comprises the remainder of the nonwoven web within the particular microzone;
f. moving the belt in the machine direction through the compaction nip to create a compacted nonwoven web, the compaction nip being sized such that the second region of the microzone is compressed and heated to at least partially melt bond at least a portion of the fibers of the second region into frangible bond areas;
g. moving the compacted nonwoven web in the machine direction through the bonding operation to create a compacted and bonded nonwoven web, the bonding operation being configured to impart infrangible thermal bonds to at least some of the fibers;
h. rolling the compacted and bonded nonwoven web into a rolled form;
i. providing an aperturing nip between a second pair of rolls; and
j. unrolling and moving the compacted and bonded nonwoven web through the aperturing nip, the aperturing nip forming an aperture at, or directly adjacent to, at least one of the frangible bond areas;
wherein the aperture has a perimeter, and a first portion of the perimeter comprises free fibers and a second portion of the perimeter comprises partially melt bonded fibers of the frangible bond area.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a distal surface of the raised elements have a two-dimensional shape having an aspect ratio of between 2 and 10.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the belt comprises a second pattern of three-dimensional raised elements, the second pattern of three-dimensionally raised elements being visually distinct from the first pattern of three-dimensional raised elements.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bonding operation comprises through-air bonding equipment, the method comprising through-air bonding the compacted nonwoven web to impart the infrangible thermal bonds to at least some of the fibers.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bonding operation comprises a calendar nip, the method comprising calendaring the compacted nonwoven web to impart infrangible thermal bonds to at least some of the fibers in the calendar nip.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the belt is a continuous belt.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fiber melt spinning apparatus is a spunbond apparatus.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing member is a woven reinforcing member, and wherein the three-dimensional raised elements comprise cured polymeric resin.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aperture is formed adjacent to the frangible bond.

10. A method for making an apertured nonwoven fabric, the method comprising the steps of:
a. providing a fiber laydown surface in the form of a first side of a belt, the belt comprising a reinforcing member and a pattern of three-dimensional raised elements extending outwardly from the reinforcing member on the first side of the belt, the belt comprising a plurality of openings, each opening allowing fluid communication between the first side of the belt and a second side of the belt;
b. providing a fiber melt spinning apparatus above the first side of the belt and a vacuum source below the second side of the belt, wherein the belt is moved in a machine direction between the fiber spinning apparatus and the vacuum source;
c. providing a compaction nip between a first pair of rolls;
d. providing a bonding operation comprising through-air bonding equipment;
e. melt spinning fibers from the melt spinning apparatus onto the fiber laydown surface as the belt moves in the machine direction over the vacuum source to collect the melt spun fibers onto the fiber laydown surface, the collected melt spun fibers forming a nonwoven web having three-dimensional features, each three-dimensional feature defining a microzone comprising a first region and a second region, the first and second regions having a difference in values for an intensive property, wherein the intensive property is one or more of thickness, basis weight, and volumetric density, wherein in each microzone, the second region comprises a portion of the nonwoven web that is formed over the three-dimensional raised element of the belt, and wherein the first region comprises the remainder of the nonwoven web within the particular microzone;
f. moving the belt in the machine direction through the compaction nip to create a compacted nonwoven web, the compaction nip being sized such that the second region of the microzone is compressed and heated to at least partially melt bond at least a portion of the fibers of the second region into frangible bond areas;
g. moving the compacted nonwoven web in the machine direction through the through-air bonding equipment to create a compacted and through-air bonded nonwoven web, the through-air bonding equipment being configured to impart infrangible thermal bonds to at least some of the fibers;
h. rolling the compacted and bonded nonwoven web into a rolled form;
i. providing an aperturing nip between a second pair of rolls; and
j. unrolling and moving the compacted and bonded nonwoven web through the aperturing nip, the aperturing nip forming an aperture at, or directly adjacent to, at least one of the frangible bond area;
wherein the aperture has a perimeter, and a first portion of the perimeter comprises free fibers and a second portion of the perimeter comprises partially melt bonded fibers of the frangible bond area.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein a distal surface of the raised elements have a two-dimensional shape having an aspect ratio of between 2 and 10.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the belt comprises a second pattern of three-dimensional raised elements, the second pattern of three-dimensionally raised elements being visually distinct from the first pattern of three-dimensional raised elements.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the fiber melt spinning apparatus is a spunbond apparatus.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the reinforcing member is a woven reinforcing member, and wherein the three-dimensional raised elements compr

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Ashraf Arman
• Arora Kelyn Anne
• Weisman Paul Thomas
• Whitely Nathan Ray

Classifications

• D04H3/16 Primary

  with bonds between thermoplastic filaments produced in association with filament formation, e.g. immediately following extrusion · CPC title

• B32B37/153

  at least one layer is extruded and immediately laminated while in semi-molten state · CPC title

• B32B2038/047

  Perforating · CPC title

• B29C2793/0045

  Perforating · CPC title

• D04H3/02

  characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of yarns or filaments · CPC title