Method for making a shaped nonwoven

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12146240-B2
Application number	US-202318349998-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2023
Priority date	Jun 30, 2017
Publication date	Nov 19, 2024
Grant date	Nov 19, 2024

Abstract

A nonwoven fabric comprises a first surface, a second surface, and a visually discernible pattern on at least one of the first and second surfaces. The visually discernible pattern has a regular, repeating pattern of three-dimensional features. Each of the three-dimensional features define a microzone comprising a first region and a second region. The first and second regions having a difference in values for an intensive property. The first surface has a TS7 value in the range of about 1 dB V 2 rms to about 15 dB V 2 rms. The second surface has a TS7 value in the range of about 1 dB V 2 rms to about 15 dB V 2 rms. A ratio of the TS7 value of the first surface to the TS7 value of the second surface is in the range of about 1 to about 3.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A nonwoven fabric comprising:
a first surface;
a second surface; and
at least two different, visually discernible patterns on at least one of the first and second surfaces, the at least two different, visually discernible patterns each having a regular, repeating pattern of three-dimensional features, each of the three-dimensional features 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 basis weight or volumetric density;
wherein the first surface has a TS7 value in the range of about 1 dB V 2 rms to about 15 dB V 2 rms;
wherein the second surface has a TS7 value in the range of about 1 dB V 2 rms to about 15 dB V 2 rms;
wherein the TS7 value of the first surface is different than the TS7 value of the second surface;
wherein a ratio of the TS7 value of the first surface to the TS7 value of the second surface is in the range of about 1 to about 3;
wherein the nonwoven fabric is air through bonded;
wherein the nonwoven fabric retains greater than 70% of its original average caliper after being tested by the Compression Aging Test at a pressure of 35 KPa; and
wherein the nonwoven fabric comprises bicomponent fibers.

2. The nonwoven fabric of claim 1 , wherein the bicomponent fibers comprise a side-by-side arrangement.

3. The nonwoven fabric of claim 1 , wherein the bicomponent fibers comprise a sheath/core arrangement.

4. The nonwoven fabric of claim 3 , wherein the sheath comprises polyethylene, and wherein the core comprises polypropylene.

5. The nonwoven fabric of claim 4 , wherein a ratio of a weight of the sheath to a weight of the core is from about 5:95 to about 95:5.

6. The nonwoven fabric of claim 1 , comprising inorganic fillers.

7. The nonwoven fabric of claim 1 , comprising a slip additive.

8. The nonwoven fabric of claim 1 , wherein the bicomponent fibers are continuous fibers.

9. The nonwoven fabric of claim 1 , wherein the first region has a different thickness and opacity as the second region.

10. The nonwoven fabric of claim 1 , wherein the intensive property is basis weight.

11. The nonwoven fabric of claim 1 , wherein the intensive property is volumetric density.

12. An absorbent article comprising: the nonwoven fabric of claim 1 .

13. The absorbent article of claim 12 , comprising a topsheet comprising the nonwoven fabric.

14. The absorbent article of claim 12 , comprising a backsheet nonwoven comprising the nonwoven fabric.

15. The absorbent article of claim 12 , comprising an absorbent core comprising an absorbent material, wherein a channel is defined in the absorbent material.

16. The absorbent article of claim 12 , comprising an elastic waist feature.

17. A package comprising a plurality of the absorbent articles of claim 12 , wherein the package has an in-bag stack height of between about 70 mm and about 100 mm, according to the In-Bag Stack Height Test.

18. The nonwoven fabric of claim 1 , wherein an average basis weight is between about 5 gsm and about 30 gsm.

19. A nonwoven fabric comprising:
a first surface;
a second surface; and
at least two different, visually discernible patterns on at least one of the first and second surfaces, the at least two different, visually discernible patterns each having a regular, repeating pattern of three-dimensional features, each of the three-dimensional features 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 basis weight;
wherein the first surface has a TS7 value in the range of about 1 dB V 2 rms to about 15 dB V 2 rms;
wherein the second surface has a TS7 value in the range of about 1 dB V 2 rms to about 15 dB V 2 rms;
wherein the TS7 value of the first surface is different than the TS7 value of the second surface;
wherein a ratio of the TS7 value of the first surface to the TS7 value of the second surface is in the range of about 1 to about 3;
wherein the nonwoven fabric is air through bonded;
wherein the nonwoven fabric retains greater than 70% of its original average caliper after being tested by the Compression Aging Test at a pressure of 35 KPa; and
wherein the nonwoven fabric comprises bicomponent continuous fibers.

20. An absorbent article comprising the nonwoven fabric of claim 19 .

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

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

Classifications

• D10B2509/026

  Absorbent pads; Tampons; Laundry; Towels · CPC title

• D10B2403/033

  Three dimensional fabric, e.g. forming or comprising cavities in or protrusions from the basic planar configuration, or deviations from the cylindrical shape as generally imposed by the fabric forming process · CPC title

• D04H3/16 Primary

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

• D04H3/102

  by needling · CPC title

• D01F8/06

  with at least one polyolefin as constituent · CPC title