JP2016528954A - Nonwoven fabric and method for forming the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is a nonwoven comprising a first nonwoven web suitable for use in a hygiene absorbent article, the web comprising a surface with a first pattern of individualized bonded regions, wherein the first pattern is Defining a non-bonded area of the second pattern, the non-bonded area having a hexagonal type shape, wherein the surface of the bonded area is in the range of 10-30% of the total surface of the face, The surface of the region relates to a nonwoven fabric in the range of 70-90% of the total surface of the surface. The present invention further relates to an absorbent article comprising the nonwoven fabric of the present invention and a method of forming the nonwoven fabric.

Description

  The present invention relates to nonwoven fabrics, sanitary absorbent articles including nonwoven fabrics, and methods of forming nonwoven fabrics.

  Nonwoven fabrics are widely applied in disposable absorbent articles for personal care or hygiene. The appearance that appears soft in such an article is very important because it makes the wearer or caregiver feel comfortable when the article is experienced as comfortable.

  In WO2012 / 024576 an absorbent article is described which is adapted to be worn around the lower torso of a wearer and aims to emphasize the perceived flexibility of the absorbent article. The absorbent article described in the aforementioned literature includes a liquid permeable top sheet, a liquid impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet. The liquid impermeable backsheet comprises a laminate of a layer of liquid impermeable, vapor permeable polymer film facing the wearer and a nonwoven web layer facing the garment. The nonwoven web is embossed with a bonded pattern of a first pattern of diamond shape, the first pattern defining a non-bonded raised region of a second pattern, which also has a diamond shape. Have. Refer to FIGS. 3A-4B for this point. In nonwoven web manufacturing methods, hydroentanglement or hydroengagement methods are required to increase lofts and / or calipers and enhance visual and tactile flexibility signals. However, a drawback of such hydroentanglement method or hydraulic retention method is that the manufacturing cost of the absorbent article is very high. Moreover, the flexibility of the absorbent article described above still has room for improvement.

  WO 2006/048173 describes a loop-forming nonwoven material for a mechanical closure system. The fabric is thermally bonded using the first pattern bond type, thereby creating a second pattern that is a larger unbonded raised area and a third pattern that is a smaller unbonded area. The mold is a combination of a trilobal shape and a linear shape. This positively affects the mechanical stability of the fabric, but has the disadvantage of limiting drapeability, an important feature for giving a soft feel.

  Furthermore, JP2005245913 describes a wiper for cleaning hard surfaces such as marble floors. The wiper typically consists of a single layer of non-woven material. The nonwoven layer consists of a fiber mixture with more than 40% ultrafine fibers (meltblown). The remainder of the fiber mixture is made up of natural fibers (eg, cotton) and support fibers made primarily of polyester. This configuration and high basis weight are attributed to the higher cleaning efficiency of the described fabric than the comfort of the hand and the comfort of the wearer. Therefore, these wipers are unsuitable for hygiene applications that require a sufficiently high degree of flexibility, especially for personal hygiene absorbent articles that are in direct contact with the wearer's skin.

International Publication No. 2012/024576 International Publication No. 2006/048173 JP-A-2005-245913

  The object of the present invention is to provide a non-woven fabric suitable for use in hygiene absorbent articles having a simplified pattern of bonded and non-bonded areas that can be more easily manufactured and at the same time exhibit improved flexibility. That is.

  A further object of the present invention is to provide a dimensionally stable nonwoven with improved flexibility and high tensile strength.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a nonwoven with sufficient shear strength to be used as a fiber backsheet or landing zone for personal hygiene absorbent articles.

  Yet another object of the present invention is to provide non-woven fabrics that can be used as sanitary absorbent articles such as wet and dry wipes.

(Summary of the Invention)
It has now been discovered that this can be confirmed using a specific pattern of bound and unbound regions.

  Accordingly, the present invention is a nonwoven comprising a nonwoven web suitable for use in a hygiene absorbent article, the web comprising a surface with a first pattern of individualized bonded regions, the first pattern comprising: Defining a non-bonded area of the second pattern, the non-bonded area having a hexagonal type shape, wherein the surface of the bonded area is in the range of 10-30% of the total surface of the face; The surface of which is in the range of 70-90% of the total surface.

  The main advantage of the present invention is that the pattern of the present invention is relatively simple to produce and has improved perceived flexibility. Moreover, the three-dimensional surface of the nonwoven fabric of the present invention provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance for the user. An additional major advantage is that the nonwoven fabrics of the present invention exhibit improved flexibility while having high tensile strength. This is surprising because thermal bond nonwovens generally have mutually exclusive characteristics of flexibility and dimensional stability (ie, high tensile strength).

It is a figure which shows the surface of the nonwoven fabric which has a joint pattern containing the 1st and 2nd pattern by this invention.

  In accordance with the present invention, the nonwoven includes a nonwoven web that includes a face with a first pattern of individualized bonded areas, the first pattern defining a non-bonded area of the second pattern and unbonded. The region has a hexagonal type shape, the surface of the bonded region is in the range of 10-30% of the total surface of the surface, and the surface of the non-bonded region is 70-90% of the total surface of the surface. Range. Wide use of the surface of the unbonded area according to the present invention provides an attractive and high degree of flexibility. Moreover, the large unbonded area increases the fibers and improves the bulkiness of the fabric. This is perceived as a higher degree of flexibility, both visually and tactilely. Preferably, the surface of the unbonded region is at least 70% to less than 85% of the total surface area of the face. Preferably, the surface of the unbonded region is in the range of 75-85% of the total surface area of the face.

  The surface of the bonding region is preferably in the range of more than 15% to not more than 30%, more preferably 15-25% of the total surface area of the face.

  The first pattern of individualized bonded regions defines a second pattern of unbonded regions, where the unbonded regions have a hexagonal type shape.

  Preferably, the surface of the nonwoven is provided with only the first pattern and the second pattern, i.e., the surface of the nonwoven is not provided with a pattern of additional bonded or non-bonded regions.

  Accordingly, the present invention is a nonwoven comprising a nonwoven web suitable for use in an absorbent article, the web comprising a surface with an overall pattern comprising a first pattern and a second pattern, Is a pattern of individualized bonded regions defining a non-bonded region of the second pattern, the unbonded region having a hexagonal type shape, and the surface of the bonded region is It also relates to non-woven fabrics that are in the range of 10-30% of the total surface and the surface of the unbonded region is in the range of 70-90% of the total surface of the face.

  Preferably, the individualized coupling region has a non-linear shape. In the context of this application, a non-linear shape is defined as a shape that is not itself linear or contains one or more linear parts.

  Optionally, the unbonded region has a regular or irregular hexagonal shape with different lengths of one or more sides. Preferably, the unbonded region has a regular hexagonal shape.

Optionally, the non-binding region is in the range of 20-50Mm ^2, preferably in the range of 22-45Mm ^2, more preferably has a surface in the range of 23-40mm ^2.

Optionally, the nonwoven web in the range of 5-80g / ^{m 2,} preferably in the range of 6-50g / ^{m 2,} more preferably at least 8 g / ^{m 2} from 40 g / ^m less than ^2, preferably more than 8-30G / having a basis weight in the range of m ^2.

  The personalized coupling region has a symmetric shape such as a circle, diamond, rectangle, square, ellipse, triangle, heart, moon star, hexagon, octagon or another polygon as appropriate. Preferably, the coupling region has a circular or hexagonal shape. More preferably, the coupling region has a circular shape.

  The bonding area suitably has a total width in the range of 0.7-1.5 mm, preferably in the range of 0.75-1.25 mm, more preferably in the range of 0.8-1.2 mm.

Optionally, binding region, the range of 0.38-1.77Mm ^2, preferably in the range of 0.44-1.22Mm ^2, more preferably has a surface in the range of 0.50-1.13mm ^2. The discontinuous unbonded region is suitably in the range of 0.4-1.5 mm, preferably in the range of 0.4-0.9 mm, more preferably in the range of 0.4-0.8 mm, most preferably 0. It has a depth in the range of 5-0.7 mm.

  Where appropriate, an even number of bonded regions define individual non-bonded regions. Preferably, each non-binding region is 6, 12, 18, or 24 individualized binding regions, more preferably 12, 18 or 24 individualized binding regions, most preferably 12 Is defined by an individualized coupling region.

  Optionally, the nonwoven web according to the present invention has a range of 1-4 N per gram basis weight, preferably 1.2-3.5 N per gram basis weight, more preferably 1.3-3.0 N per gram basis weight. The tensile strength conforming to WSP110.4 of MD in the range of A nonwoven web having such a tensile strength produces a high tensile strength nonwoven article.

Preferably, the nonwoven web has a basis weight of at least 8 g / m ² to less than 40 g / m ^{2 and} the surface of the bonded region is preferably more than 15% and not more than 30% of the total surface area of the face. . More preferably, the nonwoven web has a basis weight in the range of 8-30 g / m ² and the surface of the bonded area is in the range of 15-25% of the total surface area of the face. Such nonwoven webs with low basis weight and wide bonding area produce nonwoven articles with improved flexibility, making them very attractive for use in personal hygiene absorbent articles.

More preferably, the nonwoven web has a basis weight of at least 8 g / m ² to less than 40 g / m ^{2 and} the surface of the bonded area of the nonwoven web is preferably from more than 15% of the total surface area of the face. Less than 30%, the nonwoven web has a tensile strength according to WSP 110.4 in the machine direction (MD) in the range of 1-4 N per gram of basis weight.

  This WSP test method is an internationally approved test method in the nonwoven fabric industry, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

Even more preferably, the nonwoven web has a basis weight in the range of 8-30 g / m ² and the surface of the bonded area of the nonwoven bed is in the range of 15-25% of the total surface area of the surface, The woven web has a tensile strength in the range of 1.2-3.5 N per gram of basis weight. A nonwoven web having such a low basis weight, wide bond area and high tensile strength produces a nonwoven article with excellent flexibility and dimensional stability.

  Suitable nonwoven webs can be produced by any means known in the art for making nonwovens.

  The nonwoven web may be a single layer or, for example, a multilayer nonwoven fabric in which at least one spunbond web is joined with at least one meltblown web, card web or other suitable material.

  Preferably, the nonwoven fabric according to the present invention further comprises a second nonwoven web.

  The nonwoven web may be extensible, elastic or inelastic. The nonwoven web may be a spunbond web, a meltblown web, an airlaid web or a card web. If the nonwoven web is a web of meltblown fibers, it can include meltblown ultrafine fibers.

  Particularly suitable nonwoven webs are made from fibers of thermoplastic polymers such as polyolefins, polyesters, ethylene copolymers, propylene copolymers, butene copolymers and combinations thereof, but natural fibers such as wood, cotton or rayon are also considered thermoplastic fibers. It may be included in combination. The nonwoven web may also be a composite composed of two or more different fibers or a mixture of fibers and particles.

  The fibers are suitably joined by bonding to form a coherent web structure. Suitable bonding techniques include, but are not limited to, chemical bonding and thermal bonding, such as thermal calendering or hot gas flow bonding.

  A wide variety of suitable polyolefins can be used in the present invention. Suitable examples include polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutadiene, poly (ethylene-butene), poly (ethylene-hexene), poly (ethylene-octene), poly (ethylene-propylene) block polymers such as styrene / isoprene / styrene and styrene / Polybutadiene / styrene. Polyolefins may include homopolymers or copolymers, such as propylene-α-olefin copolymers. In particular, the latter copolymer can be used attractively in the present invention. Polyolefin materials including propylene-α-olefin copolymers and propylene homopolymers are preferred.

  The melt flow rate (MFR) of the polyolefin material is suitably less than 90 dg / min. The MFR is determined using ASTM test method D1238, 2.16 kg. Preferably, the MFR of the polyolefin material is in the range of 15-50 dg / min, more preferably in the range of 15-35 dg / min.

  Preferably, the fibers are formed from polyethylene or polypropylene homopolymers, copolymers thereof, blends of polyethylene and polypropylene, polyesters, copolymers of polyesters and / or blends of polyesters.

  If appropriate, propylene-based or ethylene-based homopolymers or copolymers are used. In the case of a propylene-based polymer, the polymer may comprise units derived from a comonomer selected from ethylene and C4-C10α-olefins. In the case of an ethylene-based polymer, the polymer may include units derived from a comonomer selected from C3-C10α-olefins. Suitable examples of polyolefin materials include propylene homopolymers, ethylene homopolymers, propylene copolymers and ethylene copolymers such as linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE) and low density polyethylene (LDPE).

  Suitable polyesters may be aliphatic polyesters such as polylactic acid or aromatic polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT).

  Apart from the additives already contained in the polymer used, it is possible to add further additives to give the fibers additional properties. Suitable additional additives include heat stabilizers, light stabilizers, lubricants, waxes and additives that make the fabric either hydrophilic or hydrophobic. Addition of fillers can also be an advantage in some cases. Suitable fillers include organic and inorganic fillers. Suitable examples of inorganic fillers include minerals such as calcium carbonate, metals such as aluminum and stainless steel. Suitable examples of organic fillers include sugar-based polymers.

  Various fiber cross sections are possible. Typically, circular fiber cross-sections are preferred, but trilobal or multilobal shaped fibers can also be used advantageously. Other suitable fiber cross sections include triangular, bone, moon, hollow fiber and ribbon shaped cross sections.

  The fibers constituting the nonwoven web may suitably be multicomponent fibers such as single component fibers or composite fibers. Suitable examples of multicomponent fibers include symmetrical eccentric core / sheath fibers, side-by-side fibers with A / B or A / B / A structures, segmented pie fibers (segmented pie fibers). ), Sea-island fibers and striped fibers. A composite fiber in which two components are arranged in a symmetrical core-sheath type or side-by-side type is preferable. Most preferred are core-sheath bicomponent fibers comprising polyethylene and polypropylene, but any other combination of other suitable polymers, such as a combination of polyester and polyolefin, is also possible. In general, for a core-sheath fiber, the core includes a high melting point component and the sheath includes a low melting point component, but the reverse may be advantageous. In a preferred embodiment, the conjugate fiber has a polypropylene core and a polyethylene sheath. In a preferred embodiment, the bicomponent fiber includes 10% to 90% by weight high melting point component in the core and 90% to 10% by weight low melting point component in the sheath. More preferably, the composite fiber has 30 to 70% by weight of a high melting point component in the core. The bicomponent fibers can contain different types of polypropylene. More preferably, the bicomponent fibers have a polypropylene core having a high melting point and a polypropylene sheath having a low melting point. In another preferred embodiment, the side-by-side type composite fiber includes two types of polypropylene having different melting temperatures or melt flows.

  The fibers can be made according to spinning techniques known in the art. Spunbond and meltblown processes that can directly form nonwoven fabrics are most conveniently used.

  Spunbond fibers are generally produced by extruding molten polymer through a large spinneret with thousands of holes per linear meter or from a group of small spinnerets containing, for example, only 40 holes. After exiting the spinneret, the molten fiber is quenched by a cross-flow air quenching mechanism, then pulled away from the spinneret and refined by high velocity wind. Making the nonwoven layer by placing the filaments sideways is performed on a transparent conveyor belt. Spunbond fibers are generally continuous and have a fiber diameter in the range of about 10-100 μm.

  On the other hand, meltblown fibers are generally much smaller in diameter and are typically in the range of 0.5-10 μm. Moreover, meltblown fibers are generally considered discontinuous.

  The meltblown process involves melting a thermoplastic material by extruding it as a melt yarn or filament through a plurality of fine, usually circular die capillaries, into a high-speed (usually heated) gas stream. In this method, the filaments are formed by reducing the diameter of the filaments. Meltblown processes usually have a single row of filaments along the width of the die. The meltblown fibers are then conveyed by a high velocity gas stream and adhere to the collection surface to form a randomly dispersed web of meltblown fibers. Meltblown fibers are ultrafine fibers that may be continuous or discontinuous.

  The nonwoven fabric according to the present invention can be further processed to impart specific properties. The most common is a topical treatment that finishes the fabric to either hydrophilic or hydrophobic. The most common is the treatment of the fabric with either a hydrophilic surfactant or a fluorocarbon or silicon material. In the context of the present invention, the surface of a nonwoven or non-woven web is “hydrophilic” when the contact angle of water disposed on the surface is less than about 90, and the water disposed on the surface. When the contact angle is 90 or more, the surface is “hydrophobic”.

  Preferably, the nonwoven fabric according to the present invention is a hydrophobic nonwoven fabric.

  Nonwoven fabrics according to the present invention may consist of only one fiber or fiber layer, for example a spunbond layer, but may contain additional fiber layers that may differ as appropriate. Suitable multilayer fabrics may include, for example, one or more spunbond layers (S) and one or more meltblown layers (M) that are bonded to form a nonwoven fabric according to the present invention, such as SMS, SMMS, SSMMS, etc. . Typically, these multilayer fabrics are made in a single line single step with multiple beams, typically including a combination of spunbond and meltblown beams. In some cases it may be advantageous or technically necessary to make the multilayer according to the invention in two or more separate steps.

  It is also possible to use spunbond layers with different fiber cross sections or fiber types. For example, a trilobal filament layer and a circular fiber layer can be combined, or a core-sheath type composite fiber layer and a side-by-side type composite fiber layer can be combined.

  A combination of spunbond layers and natural fibers is also possible. Preferably, the additional nonwoven web used according to the present invention is composed of meltblown fibers.

The nonwoven according to the invention, which can consist of one or more single layers, is suitably in the range of 5-80 grams / m ² , preferably in the range of 6-50 grams / m ² , more preferably at least 8 g / m ² to 40 g / m ^2. less than m ^2, and more more preferably can have a basis weight in the range of 8-30g / ^{m 2.}

  Optionally, the nonwoven web used in accordance with the present invention comprises 40 wt% or less meltblown fibers based on the total weight of the nonwoven web. Preferably, the nonwoven web comprises no more than 30 wt% meltblown fibers, more preferably 20-30 wt% meltblown fibers, based on the total weight of the nonwoven web.

  Optionally, the nonwoven web of the present invention contains only meltblown fibers and does not contain a mixture of meltblown fibers and other types of fibers.

  The present invention also relates to a hygiene absorbent article comprising a nonwoven fabric according to the present invention.

  Optionally, the hygiene absorbent article according to the present invention is a disposable hygiene absorbent article selected from the group consisting of incontinence articles, diapers, wipes and feminine care articles. Suitable disposable hygiene absorbent articles according to the present invention include the group consisting of infant diapers, pants-type paper diapers, training pants, hygiene closure systems, adult incontinence briefs and diapers, panty liners, sanitary napkins, medical garments and bandages The thing selected from is mentioned. Suitable wipes can include wet and dry wipes for sanitary purposes.

  A disposable sanitary absorbent article is a sanitary absorbent article that is not intended to be laundered or otherwise intended to be restored or reused as a sanitary absorbent article. In general, such an absorbent article includes a backsheet, a topsheet and an absorbent core disposed between the backsheet and the topsheet. The backsheet has an integral landing zone or acts as a landing zone as it is and includes a nonwoven web disposed on the outermost portion of the absorbent article to prevent liquid from passing through the hygiene absorbent article On the other hand, exudate from the lower part of the wearer's trunk passes through the top sheet and is absorbed by the absorbent core. An additional function of the topsheet is to give the skin comfort.

  In addition, disposable sanitary absorbent articles typically include a hook or loop fastening system for fastening the disposable sanitary absorbent article around the wearer's lower torso. When used as a loop fastening system or hook for disposable personal care hygiene absorbent articles, the nonwoven fabrics of the present invention can be bonded or attached to the outer layer or backsheet of the article as a single patch of loop material. As an alternative, the nonwoven fabric of the present invention may form the outer layer or the entire backsheet of such disposable personal care hygiene absorbent articles and function as a landing zone. The hook or loop fastening system may be any of a wide variety of commercially available hook or loop fastening systems.

  The nonwoven fabric according to the invention may optionally be part of a topsheet, backsheet, landing zone and / or loop fixture. Preferably, the nonwoven fabric of the present invention is part of a backsheet and / or landing zone.

  The present invention also relates to a method of forming the nonwoven fabric of the present invention.

Accordingly, the present invention is a method of forming a nonwoven fabric,
(A) forming a nonwoven web; and (b) feeding the nonwoven web to a nip defined between opposing first and second rolls, thereby Also related to the method, comprising the step, wherein at least one of the rolls has a patterned outer surface for applying a bond pattern to the first nonwoven web, the bond pattern comprising the first and second patterns described above. .

The present invention is further a method of forming a nonwoven fabric according to the present invention, comprising:
(A) forming a first nonwoven web;
(B) forming a second nonwoven web;
(C) feeding the first nonwoven web and the second nonwoven web to a nip defined between oppositely disposed first and second rolls, whereby the rolls At least one of which has a patterned outer surface for applying a bond pattern, the bond pattern comprising the first and second patterns described above, and (d) the first and second nonwoven webs together To a method comprising forming a nonwoven fabric.

  As an alternative, after the first and second nonwoven webs have been pre-bonded, the non-woven fabric thus formed may be fed into a nip constituted by a roll.

Accordingly, the present invention is a method of forming a nonwoven fabric according to the present invention, comprising:
(A) forming a first nonwoven web;
(B) forming a second nonwoven web;
(C) bonding the first and second nonwoven webs together to form a nonwoven;
(D) supplying the non-woven fabric formed in step (c) to a nip defined between the first and second rolls arranged to face each other, whereby at least one of the rolls is A method comprising a patterned outer surface for applying a bond pattern to a first nonwoven web, the bond pattern comprising the first and second patterns described above, and (e) restoring the nonwoven fabric. Also related.

  Suitably the roll used in the method according to the invention is a right circular cylinder which can be formed of any suitable durable material. Such rolls are operated in a manner known in the art.

  The positions of the rolls arranged opposite to each other can be changed as appropriate to form a nip between the rolls. The nip pressure in the nip can be varied as appropriate depending on the nature of the one or more nonwoven webs being processed. The temperature required for the calender roll is similar, and needs to be adjusted according to the required final properties and the type of fibers to be bonded.

  The bonding region is appropriately formed by a means for controlling and fusing at least one temperature of the rolls. The temperature of the outer surface of at least one of the rolls can be adjusted by heating or cooling the roll. Heating and cooling can affect the characteristics of the web being processed and the degree of bonding of a single web or multiple webs that pass through the nip formed between each roll.

  One of the rolls used contains a bonding pattern on the outermost surface that includes a continuous pattern of land areas that define a plurality of individual openings, apertures or holes. Each opening in the one or more rolls forms a separate unbonded region on at least one side of the nonwoven or nonwoven web. The other roll, as appropriate, has an outer surface that is considerably smoother than the other roll. Preferably, the outer surface of the other roll is smooth or flat. The rotation speed of each roll is substantially the same.

  The invention will be further illustrated by the following non-limiting drawings.

  In FIG. 1, the face of a nonwoven fabric having a bonding pattern comprising first and second patterns according to the present invention is shown. The first pattern of individualized bonded regions 1 defines a second pattern of unbonded regions 2. The individualized coupling region 1 has a circular form, and the non-bonding region 2 has a hexagonal type shape.

  A plurality of nonwovens were prepared according to the present invention. In addition, a plurality of comparative nonwoven fabrics were prepared outside the scope of the present invention.

  All non-woven fabrics were made from polypropylene in a melt spinning process with an apparatus manufactured by Reicofil. The polypropylene had a melt flow of 25 g / 10 min (2.16 kg at 230 ° C.) and was processed at 230-235 ° C. Spinning was performed at a throughput of 170 kg / hr / m. The melt was squeezed through a spinning nozzle, drawn, quenched and laid on a conveyor belt. The line speed was set to obtain each basis weight. The coarse fiber mat was then solidified by passing through a heated calendar.

The non-woven fabric according to the invention, comprising non-bonded areas having a hexagonal type shape, had the following properties: bonded area: 17.6%, number of shapes per cm ² : 24.8 Bond point surface area: Circular bond point size: 0.97 mm (diameter) and hexagonal shape side distance: 4.8 mm.

The comparative nonwoven had an elliptical conventional bonding area with the following properties: bonding area: 18.1%, number of shapes per cm ² : 49.9, bonding point surface area: 0 .363 mm ² , Bonding point size: 0.882 × 0.524 mm.

  WSP 110.4 was used as a test method to determine machine direction (MD) tensile strength (N / 5 cm), while WSP 90.3 was used in the Handle-O-Meter test (mN). These tests are standard methods well known in the nonwoven industry.

  In Table 1, the results of these tests are shown for various nonwovens with increased basis weight (gsm).

  From Table 1, it is clear that as the basis weight increases, the tensile strength and rigidity improve. However, fabrics with conventional elliptical bonds show a significantly more significant improvement in stiffness than nonwovens with unbonded regions in the form of hexagons. Nevertheless, the tensile strength remains almost the same. For example, a 50 gsm fabric having a hexagonal shape provides a tensile strength of 149 N / 5 cm, whereas a 50 gsm fabric having an elliptical shape provides a tensile strength of 160 N / 5 cm. The latter tensile strength is only less than 10% higher, but at the same time the stiffness is more than twice as high (hexagon: 420 mN vs. ellipse: 870 mN). To achieve the same flexibility as 420 mN, the basis weight of the fabric bonded in an elliptical pattern needs to be reduced by approximately 35 gsm. This is undesirable from the standpoint of reduced liquid absorption and retention performance if the basis weight is reduced. It is clear that conventional oval bonded fabrics exhibit much lower tensile strength at the same level of flexibility. For this reason, conventional oval bonded fabrics are not very attractive for use in hygiene absorbent articles.

  These data show that a high degree of flexibility (low stiffness) and high tensile strength can no longer be eliminated and the benefits of the resulting material can be drawn together. Thus, the nonwoven fabric according to the present invention is quite attractive for use in personal hygiene absorbent articles that are in direct contact with the wearer's skin.

Claims (18)

  A nonwoven comprising a nonwoven web suitable for use in a hygiene absorbent article, the web comprising a surface with a first pattern of individualized bonded regions, wherein the first pattern is a non-woven of the second pattern. Defining a bonding region, the non-bonding region having a hexagonal type shape, wherein the surface of the bonding region is in the range of 10-30% of the total surface of the surface, and the surface of the non-bonding region is the surface Non-woven fabric, in the range of 70-90% of the total surface of   The nonwoven fabric according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the unbonded region is at least 70% to less than 85% of the total surface area of the bond pattern.   The nonwoven fabric according to claim 2, wherein the surface of the unbonded region is in the range of 75-85% of the total surface area of the bond pattern.   The nonwoven fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the surface of the bonding region is more than 15% and not more than 30% of the total surface area of the bonding pattern. Nonwoven web has a basis weight of less than 40 g / ^{m 2} of at least 8 g / ^{m 2,} the nonwoven fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 4. Basis weight in the range of 8-30g / ^{m 2,} the nonwoven fabric of claim 5.   The nonwoven fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the bonded region has a shape of a circle, diamond, rectangle, square, ellipse, triangle, heart, moon star, hexagon, octagon or another polygon. .   The nonwoven fabric according to claim 7, wherein the bonding region has a circular or hexagonal shape.   The nonwoven fabric according to claim 8, wherein the bonding region has a circular shape.   The first nonwoven web according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the first nonwoven web comprises fibers formed from a thermoplastic material selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polyamides, polyolefins, polyurethanes and any mixtures thereof. The nonwoven fabric described.   The nonwoven fabric according to claim 10, wherein the fibers are formed from polyethylene or polypropylene homopolymer, copolymers thereof, blends of polyethylene and polypropylene, polyesters, copolymers of polyesters and / or blends of polyesters.   The nonwoven fabric according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the fibers are single-component fibers or multi-component fibers.   The nonwoven fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising an additional nonwoven web.   A sanitary absorbent article comprising the nonwoven fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 13.   The sanitary absorbent article according to claim 14, wherein the nonwoven fabric is a backsheet and / or a landing zone of the absorbent article.   16. The hygiene absorbent article according to claim 14 or 15, which is a disposable hygiene absorbent article selected from the group consisting of incontinence articles, diapers, wipes and feminine care articles. A method of forming a nonwoven fabric, comprising:
(A) forming a nonwoven web; and (b) feeding the nonwoven web to a nip defined between opposing first and second rolls, thereby At least one of the rolls has a patterned outer surface for applying a bond pattern to the first nonwoven web, wherein the bond pattern is a first and second as defined in any one of claims 1-12. A method comprising a pattern, comprising a step. A method of forming the nonwoven fabric of claim 13,
(A) forming a first nonwoven web;
(B) forming a second nonwoven web;
(C) feeding the first nonwoven web and the second nonwoven web to a nip defined between oppositely disposed first and second rolls, whereby the rolls At least one has a patterned outer surface for applying a bond pattern to the first nonwoven web, the bond pattern comprising the first and second patterns as defined in any one of claims 1-12. And (d) bonding the first and second nonwoven webs together to form a nonwoven fabric.

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