Apertured polymeric film webs and absorbent articles using such webs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9744080-B2
Application number	US-19332508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2008
Priority date	Apr 7, 2000
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A method for making an apertured polymeric film web, the method comprising the steps of:
a. providing a polymeric film web; b. providing a first process selected from the group consisting of, hydroforming, vacuum forming, needle punching, mechanical embossing, flocking, ultrasonics, printed hair, brushing, and combinations thereof; c. providing a second process, different from the first process, the second process selected from the group consisting of, hydroforming, vacuum forming, needle punching, mechanical embossing, ultrasonics, stretch rupturing, hydrocutting, hydrosonics, slitting, ring-rolling, and combinations thereof; d. forming three dimensional surface structures in the polymeric film web by the first process; and e. forming fluid transport apertures in the polymeric film web by the second process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for making an apertured polymeric film-based web having a first side and a second side, said method comprising the steps of:
a. providing a first process of vacuum forming, said first process comprising providing a debossing/perforating cylinder comprising a pattern of surface aberrations about its periphery;
b. extruding a resinous melt onto the surface of said debossing/perforating cylinder;
c. applying vacuum to the first side of the film-based web from within said debossing/perforating cylinder so as to form a polymeric film-based web comprising three dimensional surface structures in the form of apertured surface structures;
d. providing a second process that is distinct from said first process, said second process comprising providing a pair of first and second rolls arranged so as to engage each other, at least one of said pair of first and second rolls comprising heated needles or heated pins; and
e. forming fluid transport apertures in said polymeric film-based web by applying the heated needles or heated pins of said second process to the first side of the film-based web,
wherein said apertured surface structures on the first side are substantially maintained by conducting step (e).

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid transport apertures are generally elliptical in shape.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid transport apertures are non-angular in shape.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein land regions are formed between fluid transport apertures by conducting step (e), wherein the land regions are wider than the adjacent fluid transport apertures.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid transport apertures comprise diameters of at least about 0.05 mm.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional apertured surface structures comprise diameters of about 0.02 mm to about 0.2 mm.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional apertured surface structures comprise open areas of about 0.003 mm 2 to about 0.03 mm 2 .

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional apertured surface structures comprise heights of about 0.02 mm to about 0.2 mm.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional apertured surface structures comprise heights of 0.02 mm to less than 0.1 mm.

10. The method of claim 4 , wherein a plurality apertured surface structures are disposed between adjacent fluid transport apertures.

Assignees

• Lee Yann-Per
• Fereshtehkhou Saeed
• Stone Keith J
• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Lee Yann-Per
• Fereshtehkhou Saeed
• Stone Keith J

Classifications

• B32B2555/02

  Diapers or napkins · CPC title

• B26F1/24

  Perforating by needles or pins · CPC title

• A61F2013/51338

  having improved touch or feeling, e.g. smooth film · CPC title

• B29L2031/4878

  Diapers, napkins · CPC title

• Y10T428/249953

  Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.] · CPC title