Stable web having enhanced extensibility and method for making same

Abstract

The present invention provides a stable material having enhanced extensibility and a method for making the same. A tensioning force is applied to a neckable material to neck the material. The necked material is then subjected to mechanical stabilization to provide a stabilized extensible necked material. The stabilized extensible necked material is easily extended in a direction parallel to the direction necking.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of producing a stabilized extensible necked material comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing a neckable material;    b) applying a tensioning force to the neckable material to neck the material; and    c) subjecting the necked material to mechanical stabilization to provide a stabilized extensible necked material.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step c) comprises subjecting the necked material to incremental stretching.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said incremental stretching comprises feeding the necked material through a nip formed by a pair of incremental stretching rollers.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein each said incremental stretching roller comprises a plurality of teeth and a plurality of grooves.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said mechanical stabilization comprises feeding the necked material through a nip formed by a pair of patterned compression rollers.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said patterned compression rollers provide a continuous compression stabilizing embossment across the entire width of the material.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said neckable material is a web selected from the group consisting of a bonded carded web of fibers, a web of spunbonded fibers, a web of meltblown fibers, and a multilayer material including at least one of said webs.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said fibers comprise a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyesters, and polyamides.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said polyolefin is selected from the group consisting of one or more of polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutene, ethylene copolymers, propylene copolymers, and butane copolymers.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said neckable material is a composite material comprising a mixture of fibers and one or more other materials selected from the group consisting of wood pulp, staple fibers, particulates, and super-absorbent materials.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the additional step of: 
 d) joining the stabilized extensible necked material to an elastic member.  
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the elastic member comprises an elastomeric polymer selected from the group consisting of elastic polyesters, elastic polyurethanes, elastic polyamides, and elastic A-B-A′ block copolymers wherein A and A′ are the same or different thermoplastic polymer, and wherein B is an elastomeric polymer block.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said elastic member comprises an elastomeric film.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said elastic member comprises an elastomeric scrim.  
     
     
         15 . A method of producing a stabilized extensible necked nonwoven web comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing a neckable nonwoven web;    b) applying a tensioning force to the neckable nonwoven web to neck the nonwoven web; and    c) subjecting the necked nonwoven web to mechanical stabilization to provide a stabilized extensible necked nonwoven web.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein step c) comprises subjecting the necked nonwoven web to incremental stretching.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said stabilized extensible necked nonwoven web comprises a plurality of linear embossments extending continuously across the entire width of the stabilized extensible necked nonwoven web.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said neckable nonwoven web is a web selected from the group consisting of a bonded carded web of fibers, a web of spunbonded fibers, a web of meltblown fibers, and a multilayer material including at least one of said webs.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising the step of: 
 d) joining the stabilized extensible necked nonwoven web to an elastic member.  
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said elastic member comprises an elastomeric scrim.