Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Edward Jason White

John Herbert Conrad

Kurtis Lee Brown

Robert James Gerndt

James Richard Neely

Jose Enrique Maldonado

Richard Wallace Hoefer

Richard Daniel Pike

Ty Jackson Stokes

Philip A Sasse

A lofty, nonwoven material having a nonwoven web having a plurality of substantially continuous fibers oriented in a z-direction of the nonwoven web and a method for producing the lofty, nonwoven material from as-formed z-direction fibers. The method is fast, having no mechanical manipulation of the fibers to slow it down, easily adjustable and allows for in-line processing. The material can be varied from preponderantly open to preponderantly closed in its web structure.

Controlled loft and density nonwoven webs and method for producing same

A method for producing a material having z-direction waves in which a layer of continuous fibers is conveyed on a first moving surface into a nip formed by the first moving surface and a second moving surface which is traveling at a slower speed than the first moving surface, resulting in formation of a plurality of z-direction loops in the fibers giving loft to the material and a wave pattern producing ridges on both major surfaces of the resultant nonwoven web. The method permits easy real time alignment of manufacturing parameters to produce a variety of materials. The method further produces lofty nonwovens at a commercially viable rate.

Materials having z-direction fibers and folds and method for producing same

A method for producing a material having z-direction ridges or folds in which a layer of continuous fibers is conveyed on a first moving surface into a nip formed by the first moving surface and a second moving surface which is traveling at a slower speed than the first moving surface, resulting in formation of a plurality of z-direction loops in the fibers giving loft to the material and a wave pattern producing ridges on both major surfaces of the resultant nonwoven web. The method permits easy real time adjustment of manufacturing parameters to produce a variety of materials. The method further produces lofty nonwovens at a commercially viable rate.

Method for producing materials having z-direction fibers and folds

Controlled loft and density nonwoven webs and method for producing

The present invention provides a splittable conjugate fiber containing at least two incompatible polymers that are arranged in distinct segments across the cross-section of the fiber, wherein the segments are continuous along the length of the fiber. The fiber can be characterized in that the segments of the fiber dissociate in less than about 30 seconds when contacted with a hot aqueous fibrillation-inducing medium. The invention also provides a fabric containing the split fibers produced from the precursor splittable conjugate fiber and laminates containing the split fiber fabric. Additionally provided is a process for producing the split fibers.

Fine denier fibers and fabrics made therefrom

Growing community of inventors

Mauldin, SC, United States of America

Edward Jason White