Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

3m Innovative Properties Company

Miroslav M Tochacek

Matthew T Scholz

Paul E Hansen

F Andrew Ubel

Jason L Edgar

Jacquelyn A Schmidt

Donald M Courteau

John M Kokorudz

Vinu Patel

Roger A Brekken

Clyde D Calhoun

Dennis L Becker

Lloyd R White

Maurice J Fleming

Donald M Couirteau

The present invention provides a unique knit construction having a nonfiberglass yarn for controlling stiffness, i.e., a stiffness-controlling yarn. The knit may optionally have a nonfiberglass microdenier yarn and/or a heat shrinkable yarn.

Fabric backing for orthopedic support materials

A stitch-bonded fabric suitable for use as an airbag.

Low permeability inflatable restraint fabric

The present invention provides a narrow orthopedic casting tape which can be handled in longer lengths suitable for economical production of coated fabric products. The narrow casting tape of the present invention is knitted as a wide fiberglass fabric with at least one removable connecting yarn in the length (i.e., warp) direction of the fabric which acts to connect two narrower strips of fiberglass fabric. The removable connecting yarn is subsequently removed from the fabric by a heat treatment process which separates the wider fabric into two narrower fabrics and also heat sets the fabric. Alternatively, the removable connecting yarn may be removed from the fabric by a dissolution process. Narrow fabrics of the present invention can also be constructed of organic yarns. The present invention also provides a tearable orthopedic casting tape which has a high degree of extensibility. The tearable casting tape of the present invention is knitted as a wide fabric, preferably fiberglass, with at least one tearable connecting yarn in the length direction of the fabric which acts to weakly connect two or more narrower fabrics. The tearable connecting yarn is capable of being easily torn or slit causing the fabric to separate into narrower webs.

Narrow fiberglass knit tape

Stitchbonded articles and methods of making same are presented. The articles may be either dual purpose wiping/scrubbing articles or only scrubbing articles. The articles may be constructed to have three dimensional scrubbing surfaces. Both the dual purpose articles and the scrubbing articles comprise thermoplastic nodules melt-bonded to the stitching yarn, and preferably to the fibers of an absorbent material, the nodules providing the primary scrubbing utility.

Stitchbonded articles and method of making same

The present invention provides a unique knit construction having a nonfiberglass stiffness-controlling yarn in the fabric of the backing. Preferably, the nonfiberglass stiffness-controlling yarn is used in combination with a heat shrinkable yarn or a stretch yarn, and alternatively a nonfiberglass microdenier yarn. More preferably, the nonfiberglass stiffness-controlling yarn is in combination with a stretch yarn and a nonfiberglass microdenier yarn. Most preferably, the nonfiberglass stiffness-controlling yarn is in combination with a heat shrinkable, elastically extensible yarn, and a nonfiberglass microdenier yarn.

The present invention provides a unique knit construction having a nonfiberglass microdenier yarn in the fabric of the backing. Preferably, the nonfiberglass microdenier yarn is used in combination with a heat shrinkable yarn or a stretch yarn, and alternatively a nonfiberglass yarn for controlling stiffness, i.e., a stiffness-controlling yarn. More preferably, the nonfiberglass microdenier yarn is in combination with a stretch yarn and a nonfiberglass stiffness-controlling yarn. Most preferably, the nonfiberglass microdenier yarn is in combination with a heat shrinkable, elastically extensible yarn, and a nonfiberglass stiffness-controlling yarn.

A stitchbonded absorbent article and method of making same are presented. The article exhibits good hand, repeated washing durability, and absorbency. The article includes first and second layers which are mechanically held together by stitches of yarn, at a stitch density ranging from about 15 to about 35 st/10 cm, and stitch gauge ranging from about 10 to about 40, using a stitching yarn comprising at least two compositionally different fibers having different heat stability being at least partially melt-bonded together at points of mutual contact, the yarn being melt-bonded at least partially to outer surfaces of the article.

Stitchbonded absorbent articles and method of making same

Stitchbonded articles

A web of adhesive, especially a normally tacky and pressure-sensitive adhesive, is rendered electrically conductive by imparting a pattern of electrically conductive elements that extend from slightly beyond one face of the web to slightly beyond the other face of the web. In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive web is sandwiched between release liners formed of uniaxially oriented film and a conductive thread stitched through both the liners and the adhesive web. The liners can be removed, tearing along the stitch lines, to create an electrically conductive adhesive web.

Electrically conductive adhesive web

A stitchbonded absorbent article and method of making same are presented. The article exhibits good hand, repeated washing durability, and absorbency. The article includes

A method for forming a sheet material adapted to be cut into smaller pieces to form portions of a fastener. The method comprises providing a self supporting polymeric film that provides the structural strength to retain the integrity of the sheet material, and stitching a plurality of yarns through the film to form loops projecting from one surface of the film and locking portions of the stitches adjacent the opposite surface of the film. The sheet material can also include a layer of heat softenable polymeric material adhered to the film over the locking portions.

Sheet material used to form portions of fasteners

A method for forming a sheet material adapted to be cut into smaller pieces to form portions of a fastener. The method comprises providing a backing laminate comprising a layer of base material and a sealing layer of heat softenable polymeric material along a back surface of the base material; stitching a plurality of yarns through the base material to form loops projecting from a face surface of the base material and locking portions of the stitch adjacent the back face of the base material; and heating the polymeric material to adhere it to the locking portions of the stitches. The sheet material can then be used if loops are desired, or the loops can be cut to form hooks or heated to form headed projections on the sheet material.

Growing community of inventors

Woodbury, MN, United States of America

Miroslav M Tochacek