Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Patent
1995-03-06
1998-09-15
Clarke, Robert A.
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
6043852, 604393, A61F 1315
Patent
active
058073680
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is a 371 application of international application PCT/US93/05649, filed Jun. 14, 1993.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns elastomeric films and more specifically concerns an improved elastomeric laminate.
BACKGROUND
Elastomeric films have for some time been used and discussed in the literature with regard to their applications in disposable products, such as baby diapers and adult incontinent devices. These elastomeric webs or films are used primarily in the body hugging portions of garments. Many of these elastics are temperature-treated to provide for controlled elastic recovery. In diapers, for example, elastomeric bands are typically used in the waistband portions such as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,580, issued to Reising et al., and Lash, U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,189. Both of these patents describe the use of elastomeric materials which have a heat stable and a heat unstable form. The heat unstable form is created by stretching the material when heated around its crystalline or second phase transition temperature followed by a rapid quenching to freeze in the heat unstable extended form. The heat unstable elastomeric film can then be applied to the, e.g., diaper and then heated to its heat stable elastomeric form.
Berger, U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,815, proposed a method for attaching a stretched relaxed elastic ribbon to a garment by stretching conventional elastic ribbons and immediately freezing the elastomeric material at relatively extreme low temperatures (e.g., well below ambient).
UK Pat. Application 2190406 A proposed maintaining a conventional elastomer in a stretched condition, while attaching it to the member to be shirred (e.g., a diaper), by a rigidifying member, which would then be removed or destroyed following the attachment procedure. As described, the elastomers are first stretched then applied to the rigidifying member in its stretched form.
Matray et al., UK Pat. 2,160,473, proposes an elastomer which will shrink at an elevated temperature (e.g., at or above 175.degree. F. or 79.4.degree. C.). The allegedly novel feature of this material, compared to the heat shrink materials discussed above, is that it does not require preheating or cold treatment during the stretching operation but rather could be stretched at ambient temperatures by a differential speed roll process or by "cold rolling". The polymer proposed was a copolymer having alternating segments of polyamidepolyether block polymers, commercially available under the trade name Pebax, particularly Pebax Extrusion grades 2533 and 3533.
Problems with these elastomeric films include the difficulties inherent in applying a stretched elastic film to a flexible substrate such as a disposable diaper. For example, these film elastics, after being attached to a flexible substrate, such as by adhesives, will place shear stresses on the attachment areas. This can result in the elastic detaching from the flexible substrate, particularly after repeated elongations.
In copending PCT Application No. US90/05783, filed Oct. 10, 1990 (WO 91/07277, published 30 May 1991), having a common assignee, there is disclosed an elastomeric laminate having at least one elastomeric layer and at least one skin layer which addresses some of the above-noted problems in the art.
Despite the numerous advantages in the materials of the copending application, there is room for improvement for some applications. In order to activate the nonelastomeric laminate into a state that will allow it to recover and become elastomeric, the laminate must be stretched a substantial amount, for many materials contemplated as useful for the skin and core layers. Further, when the elastic is applied to a garment, equally high stretch ratios are generally required to provide sufficient elastic force to functionally elasticize the garment. This is problematic for applications where low elastic stretch ratios would be desirable, for example, when high levels of gathering of a garment is undesirable or where required by manufacturing needs. There is als
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WO 91/07277 corresponding to U.S.S.N. 07/438,593.
Bond William J.
Clarke Robert A.
Griswold Gary L.
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Sprague Robert W.
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