Bonding of elastomeric substrate under stretched conditions

Abstract

A method of bonding material in a process system for producing a bonded product includes the steps of loading a plurality of rolls of elastomeric material in an unwind system; programming a controller with an unwind speed and a rewind speed, the controller in communication with the unwind system and a rewinder disposed downstream from the unwind system for respective communication of the unwind and rewind speeds to the unwind system and the rewinder; unwinding a quantity of material from the plurality of rolls of elastomeric material into a pressure bonder disposed upstream of the rewinder, the pressure bonder and the rewinder operating faster than the unwind system operating at the unwind speed to generate a speed differential, wherein the speed differential imparts a stretch state to the quantity of material; and bonding the stretched quantity of material with the pressure bonder.

1 . A method of bonding material in a process system for producing a bonded product, the method comprising the steps of: 
 loading a plurality of rolls of elastomeric material in an unwind system;    programming a controller with an unwind speed and a rewind speed, the controller in communication with the unwind system and a rewinder disposed downstream from the unwind system for respective communication of the unwind and rewind speeds to the unwind system and the rewinder;    unwinding a quantity of material from the plurality of rolls of elastomeric material into a pressure bonder system disposed upstream of the rewinder, the pressure bonder system and the rewinder operating faster than the unwind system operating at the unwind speed to generate a speed differential, wherein the speed differential imparts a stretched state to the quantity of material; and    bonding the stretched quantity of material with a pressure bonder of the pressure bonder system.    
   
   
       2 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rolls of elastomeric material includes a high loft elastomeric material.  
   
   
       3 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rolls of elastomeric material is selected from the group comprising a stretch bonded laminate, a vertical filament stretch bonded laminate, a continuous filament stretch bonded laminate and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       4 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 1 , wherein the quantity of material is selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polyolefins, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       5 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 1 , wherein the unwind system includes at least one unwinder being configured to unwind at least one of the plurality of rolls of elastomeric material.  
   
   
       6 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 1 , wherein the controller is a computer or a programmable logic controller.  
   
   
       7 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 1 , wherein the rewind speed is at least twice as fast as the unwind speed.  
   
   
       8 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 1 , wherein the pressure bonder includes a bonding roll and an anvil, the bonding roll and the anvil being configured to exert a pressure to induce internal heating in the quantity of material to fuse a plurality of fibers of the quantity of material into a bond between the pattern roll and the anvil.  
   
   
       9 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 1 , wherein the quantity of material is stretched from about 25% to about 200% before bonding by the pressure bonder.  
   
   
       10 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 1 , wherein the quantity of material is stretched from about 50% to about 150% before bonding by the pressure bonder.  
   
   
       11 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 1 , wherein the quantity of material is stretched in a machine direction, transverse to the machine direction, or transverse to the machine direction and in the machine direction before bonding by the pressure bonder.  
   
   
       12 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 1 , wherein the bonding step imparts a bond to the quantity of material having a bond strength greater than a material strength of the quantity of material such that material failure of the quantity of material occurs before failure of the bond.  
   
   
       13 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of nipping the quantity of material with a nip to stretch the quantity of material before bonding by the pressure bonder, the nip being disposed between the unwind system and the rewinder.  
   
   
       14 . A method of bonding material in a process system for producing a bonded product, the method comprising the steps of: 
 loading a first roll of high loft elastomeric material in a first unwinder and a second roll of high loft elastomeric material in a second unwinder;    programming a controller with an unwind speed and a rewind speed, the controller in communication with the first and second unwinders and a rewinder disposed downstream from the first and second unwinders for respective communication of the unwind and rewind speeds to the first and second unwinders and the rewinder;    unwinding a first quantity of material from the first roll and a second quantity of material from the second roll into a nip disposed upstream of a pressure bonder system, the pressure bonder system and the rewinder operating faster than the first and second unwinders and the nip to generate a speed differential, wherein the speed differential imparts a stretched state to the first and second quantities of material; and    bonding the stretched first and second quantities of material together with a pressure bonder of the pressure bonder system.    
   
   
       15 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 14 , wherein the first and second quantities of material are selected from the group consisting of a high loft elastomeric material, a stretch bonded laminate, a vertical filament stretch bonded laminate, a continuous filament stretch bonded laminate, a polyester, a polyolefin and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       16 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 14 , wherein the controller is a computer or a programmable logic controller.  
   
   
       17 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 14 , wherein the rewind speed is at least twice as fast as the unwind speed.  
   
   
       18 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 14 , wherein the quantities of material are stretched from about 25% to about 200% before bonding by the pressure bonder.  
   
   
       19 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 14 , wherein the bonding step imparts a bond to the quantities of material having a bond strength greater than a material strength of the quantities of material such that material failure of the quantities of material occurs before failure of the bond.  
   
   
       20 . A method of bonding material in a process system for producing a bonded product, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a roll of elastomeric material;    programming a controller with a first speed and a second speed, the controller in communication with the roll of elastomeric material and a bonder system disposed downstream from the roll of elastomeric material for respective communication of the first and second speeds to the roll of elastomeric material and the bonder system;    feeding a quantity of material from the roll of elastomeric material at the first speed into the bonder system, the bonder system operating at the second speed faster than the first speed to generate a speed differential, wherein the speed differential imparts a stretched state to the quantity of material; and    bonding the stretched quantity of material with a bonder of the bonder system.    
   
   
       21 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 20 , wherein the roll of elastomeric material is a high loft elastomeric material.  
   
   
       22 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 20 , wherein the controller is a computer or a programmable logic controller.  
   
   
       23 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 20 , wherein the first speed is at least twice as fast as the second speed.  
   
   
       24 . The method of bonding material as in  claim 20 , wherein the bonder system includes a nip being configured to impart the stretched state to the quantity of material.