The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 26, 2003
Filed:
Dec. 06, 1999
Michael Tod Morman, Alpharetta, GA (US);
Robert John Schwartz, Cumming, GA (US);
Howard Martin Welch, Woodstock, GA (US);
Patricia Hsiaoyin Hwang, Alpharetta, GA (US);
Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI (US);
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a necked laminate and a process for making the laminate. The necked laminate is formed from sheet layers of at least one non-elastic neckable material laminated to at least one non-elastic film defining a longitudinal and transverse dimension wherein the laminate is extensible and retractable in at least one dimension without significantly reducing the breathability and/or liquid barrier properties of the film layer. This laminate extensibility and retractability is the result of striated rugosities in, for instance, the longitudinal dimension of the film layer which enables the necked laminate to have an amount of extensibility and retractability in the transverse dimension. The laminate is made by first partially stretching the non-elastic film layer, attaching a non-elastic neckable layer to form a laminate and then stretching the laminate to neck the laminate and stretch the film to its desired fully stretched configuration.