Patent US3787932A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3787932A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus (continuous imperforate portions on backing means of closed sandwich)
Assignee: Johnson and Johnson
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Filing: 1972-02-10
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Granted: 1974-01-29
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Expires: 1992-02-10
Abstract
Abstract Method and apparatus for producing nonwoven fabrics that contain holes or other areas of low fiber density and have a plurality of patterns of groups of fiber segments that alternate and extend throughout the fabric. The method and apparatus include the steps of positioning the starting web between an apertured forming means and a backing means that has continuous imperforate portions that lie between and interconnect discontinuous foraminous portions, then directing fluid rearranging forces through the apertures of the forming means against the fibers of the starting web, causing some of the fluid streams to strike continuous imperforate portions of the backing means and all of the fluid streams ultimately to pass through the foraminous portions of the backing means.
Inventors
- 👤 F Kalwaites
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 19:04
CPC Classifications
D; D04; D04H; D04H1/00; D04H1/70; D04H1/74; D04H1/72; D04H1/736
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
493 words
A method of producing a patterned nonwoven fabric having a plurality of patterns of groups of fiber segments that alternate and extend throughout said fabric, from a layer of fibrous starting material whose individual fibers are in mechanical engagement with one another but are capable of movement under applied fluid forces, which comprises: positioning said layer of fibrous starting material in a fiber rearranging zone, in which fiber movement in directions parallel to the plane of said fibrous material is permitted in response to applied fluid forces, that is defined on one side by forming means having apertures spaced longitudinally and transversely with land areas therebetween, and on the other side by backing means that has foraminous portions arranged in a discontinuous pattern with the foramina therein smaller than said forming apertures and continuous imperforate portions lying between and interconnecting said discontinuous foraminous portions, the width of each of said apertures at its narrowest part being equal to at least about ten times the average diameter of the fibers of the fibrous starting material, the area of each of said discontinuous foraminous portions of the backing means being at least about three times the area of an aperture of said apertured forming means, and the width of each of said continuous imperforate portions of the backing means at its narrowest part being equal to at least about the width of one of said forming apertures at its narrowest part; and projecting streams of fluid through said apertures and then against said fibrous layer to pass therethrough, some of said fluid streams thereafter striking said continuous imperforate portions of the backing means and being deflected thereby in sidewise directions, and all of said fluid streams passing through and beyond said foraminous portions of the backing means, to move some of the fiber segments that are in registry with said imperforate portions of the backing means into areas of said fibrous layer overlying said foraminous portions of the backing means, positioning fiber segments thus moved with other fiber segments in each of said last mentioned areas in at least one yarn-like bundle of closely associated and substantially parallel fiber segments in a location therein underlying said land areas of the apertured forming means, while moving others of said fiber segments that are in registry with said imperforate portions into substantial alignment and in bridging positions extending between said discontinuous foraminous portions of the backing means, thereby forming a nonwoven fabric having a first pattern of fiber segments arranged in accordance with the pattern of arrangement of said discontinuous foraminous portions of the backing means, said first pattern including at least one of said yarn-like bundles of fiber segments in each of the areas of the fabric overlying said foraminous portions, and a second pattern of substantially aligned fiber segments interconnecting the portions of the fabric in said first pattern, said second pattern corresponding to the configuration of said continuous imperforate portions of the backing means.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
493 words
A method of producing a patterned nonwoven fabric having a plurality of patterns of groups of fiber segments that alternate and extend throughout said fabric, from a layer of fibrous starting material whose individual fibers are in mechanical engagement with one another but are capable of movement under applied fluid forces, which comprises: positioning said layer of fibrous starting material in a fiber rearranging zone, in which fiber movement in directions parallel to the plane of said fibrous material is permitted in response to applied fluid forces, that is defined on one side by forming means having apertures spaced longitudinally and transversely with land areas therebetween, and on the other side by backing means that has foraminous portions arranged in a discontinuous pattern with the foramina therein smaller than said forming apertures and continuous imperforate portions lying between and interconnecting said discontinuous foraminous portions, the width of each of said apertures at its narrowest part being equal to at least about ten times the average diameter of the fibers of the fibrous starting material, the area of each of said discontinuous foraminous portions of the backing means being at least about three times the area of an aperture of said apertured forming means, and the width of each of said continuous imperforate portions of the backing means at its narrowest part being equal to at least about the width of one of said forming apertures at its narrowest part; and projecting streams of fluid through said apertures and then against said fibrous layer to pass therethrough, some of said fluid streams thereafter striking said continuous imperforate portions of the backing means and being deflected thereby in sidewise directions, and all of said fluid streams passing through and beyond said foraminous portions of the backing means, to move some of the fiber segments that are in registry with said imperforate portions of the backing means into areas of said fibrous layer overlying said foraminous portions of the backing means, positioning fiber segments thus moved with other fiber segments in each of said last mentioned areas in at least one yarn-like bundle of closely associated and substantially parallel fiber segments in a location therein underlying said land areas of the apertured forming means, while moving others of said fiber segments that are in registry with said imperforate portions into substantial alignment and in bridging positions extending between said discontinuous foraminous portions of the backing means, thereby forming a nonwoven fabric having a first pattern of fiber segments arranged in accordance with the pattern of arrangement of said discontinuous foraminous portions of the backing means, said first pattern including at least one of said yarn-like bundles of fiber segments in each of the areas of the fabric overlying said foraminous portions, and a second pattern of substantially aligned fiber segments interconnecting the portions of the fabric in said first pattern, said second pattern corresponding to the configuration of said continuous imperforate portions of the backing means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
272 words
The method of claim 1 in which each of said foraminous portions of the backing means has a plurality of protuberances and troughs alternating across the surface thereof in both the longitudinal and transverse directions, the tops of said protuberances rising above the bottoms of the immediately adjacent troughs by a vertical distance equal to at least about three times the average diameter of the fibers in said layer of fibrous starting material, the horizontal distance between the tops of immediately adjacent protuberances on said backing means being of about the same general magnitude as the distance between the centers of said apertures in the apertured forming means, and in which said streams of liquid move fiber segments that are in registry with said apertuRes in the apertured forming means and ovelie said foraminous portions of the backing means into surrounding areas of said fibrous layer to position said fiber segments there in yarn-like bundles of closely associated and substantially parallel fiber segments, and move other fiber segments that are in registry with said forming apertures and overlie said foraminous portions into said troughs in the backing means to position said fiber segments there in yarn-like bundles of closely associated and substantially parallel fiber segments, to form a nonwoven fabric having first, second, and third patterns of fiber segments as there defined, with a plurality of areas of low fiber density within said first pattern of fiber segments, and a fourth pattern of yarn-like bundles of fiber segments positioned in said troughs to define a plurality of other areas of low fiber density within said first mentioned areas of low fiber density.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
325 words
Apparatus for producing a patterned nonwoven fabric having a plurality of patterns of fiber segments that alternate and extend throughout said fabric, from a layer of fibrous starting material whose individual fibers are in mechanical engagement with one another but are capable of movement under applied fluid forces, which comprises: backing means having portions that are foraminous and portions that are imperforate, at least 20 per cent of the total area of the backing means being foraminous and the remainder being imperforate, said foraminous portions being arranged in a discontinuous pattern and the remainder of said backing means being imperforate and lying between and interconnecting said foraminous portions; apertured forming means spaced from said backing means to provide a zone in which fiber movement in directions parallel to said backing means is permitted in response to applied fluid forces, the apertures in said forming means being longitudinally and transversely spaced with land areas therebetween, the width of each of said apertures at its narrowest part being at last 0.015 inch, the width of each of said continuous imperforate portions being equal at its narrowest part to at least about the width of one of said apertures at its narrowest part, the area of each of said foraminous portions of the backing means being at least about three times the area of an aperture of said apertured forming means; means for moving said backing means and apertured forming means, with a layer of fibrous starting material positioned therebetween, through a rearranging zone without any translatory motion between said two means and the fibrous layer; and means for projecting streams of fluid through said apertures in the apertured forming means, and then against said fibrous layer to pass therethrough, some of said fluid streams thereafter striking said imperforate portions of the backing means and being deflected thereby in sidewise directions, and all of said fluid streams passing through and beyond said foraminous portions of the backing means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
325 words
Apparatus for producing a patterned nonwoven fabric having a plurality of patterns of fiber segments that alternate and extend throughout said fabric, from a layer of fibrous starting material whose individual fibers are in mechanical engagement with one another but are capable of movement under applied fluid forces, which comprises: backing means having portions that are foraminous and portions that are imperforate, at least 20 per cent of the total area of the backing means being foraminous and the remainder being imperforate, said foraminous portions being arranged in a discontinuous pattern and the remainder of said backing means being imperforate and lying between and interconnecting said foraminous portions; apertured forming means spaced from said backing means to provide a zone in which fiber movement in directions parallel to said backing means is permitted in response to applied fluid forces, the apertures in said forming means being longitudinally and transversely spaced with land areas therebetween, the width of each of said apertures at its narrowest part being at last 0.015 inch, the width of each of said continuous imperforate portions being equal at its narrowest part to at least about the width of one of said apertures at its narrowest part, the area of each of said foraminous portions of the backing means being at least about three times the area of an aperture of said apertured forming means; means for moving said backing means and apertured forming means, with a layer of fibrous starting material positioned therebetween, through a rearranging zone without any translatory motion between said two means and the fibrous layer; and means for projecting streams of fluid through said apertures in the apertured forming means, and then against said fibrous layer to pass therethrough, some of said fluid streams thereafter striking said imperforate portions of the backing means and being deflected thereby in sidewise directions, and all of said fluid streams passing through and beyond said foraminous portions of the backing means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
95 words
The apparatus of claim 3 in which each of said foraminous portions of the backing means has a plurality of protuberances and troughs alternating across the surface thereof in both the longitudinal and transverse directions, the tops of said protuberances rising above the bottoms of the immediately adjacent troughs by a vertical distance equal to at least 0.005 inch, and the horizontal distance between the tops of immediately adjacent protuberances on said backing means are of about the same general magnitude as the distance between the centers of said apertures in the apertured forming means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-01-28 | 1977-07-30 | 1978-01-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-01-28 | 1981-07-30 | 1982-01-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-01-28 | 1985-07-30 | 1986-01-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |