The materials of the present invention are suitable for a wide variety of applications where substantially three-dimensional, bulky, cloth-like materials are useful. This is in comparison to substantially two-dimensional materials and composites such as individual layers of film and/or nonwovens or plain laminates of such materials. While not meaning to limit the scope of the present invention, one area of particular usefulness for the materials of the present invention is in personal care absorbent articles such as diapers, incontinence garments, training pants, feminine pads, sanitary napkins, bandages and the like. Many of these materials are multi-layered structures which use tissue and wood based fibers as well as nonwovens and polymeric films to form specific layers of the overall structure. Oftentimes these layers can benefit from a more bulky feel. As an example, diapers employ a lining material which usually includes a polymeric nonwoven web made from a plurality of fibers bonded to one another. Such a liner material must be soft to the baby's touch for comfort while also being able to quickly absorb and then transfer body fluids to the absorbent interior core material. Generally, from a consumer's standpoint, the softer and bulkier the liner material is, the higher the perception will be of the quality and comfort of the material. In the same fashion, the backing of the diaper generally includes a plastic film or some other material to provide liquid-barrier properties so as to retain exuded body fluids. Sometimes this layer may include a nonwoven layer to impart a certain cloth-like feel thereby increasing both the quality and comfort of the overall product.
Consumer testing has indicated that three-dimensional, "bulky" materials are perceived as being of higher quality than "non-bulked" two-dimensional structures. Two dimensional structures are often the result of the lamination of two juxtaposed layers of film, nonwoven, tissue and/or other natural or synthetic based materials. Such two dimensional layers do not have a high degree of bulk as their combined thickness is usually equal to or less than the combined thicknesses of the individual layers prior to lamination. Quilted materials are frequently perceived by the consumers as having a higher degree of bulk, softness and comfort. Imparting a quilt-like look to the laminated layers usually involves either actually stitching the layers together or bonding the layers together with some type of three dimensional bond pattern. Here again, however, the overall thickness of the quilted product is generally no greater than the combined thicknesses of the joined layers as the quilting process usually results from the reduction in thickness of the combined layers in the areas where the quilting pattern has been imparted.
Another way to impart a more bulky feel and look to materials is to make an elastic laminate such as is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,415 issued to Taylor et al. and commonly assigned to the assignee of record, Kimberly-Clark Corporation. Materials such as these include an elastomeric material which forms a stretchable, elastic layer. To at least one side of this material while in a stretched condition there is attached another gatherable layer. Once the two layers have been attached to one another, the elastic layer is allowed to retract thereby gathering up and puckering the non-elastic gatherable layer to form more of a three-dimensional material. While such elastomeric materials are suitable for use in the same products as the present invention, they are definitely more costly due to the use of elastomeric polymers. The present invention overcomes this cost factor by using more less expensive materials. Furthermore in contrast to the materials taught in Taylor et al., the materials of the present invention once formed are non-elastic in nature.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a material which while made from relatively flat planar two-dimensional materials creates more of a three-dimensional, bulky pillowed material once two or more layers have been attached to one another.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a material which can be made more three-dimensional in appearance while using relatively inexpensive components.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a material with such properties which is substantially non-elastic.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a process for making such materials.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent upon a further review of the following specification, drawings and claims.