Elastic-powered shrink laminate

Abstract

An elastic-powered shrink laminate includes a shrinkable layer and an elastic layer bonded together while the elastic layer is in a dimensionally unstable, stretched state. The elastic layer remains substantially in the stretched state prior to shrinkage of the shrinkable layer. When the shrinkable layer is activated, the laminate retracts, and the retraction is aided (i.e. powered) by the elastic layer. The elastic-powered shrink laminate is useful in personal care absorbent articles where latent, post-assembly retraction of a waistband region is desired.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an elastic-powered shrink laminate of the invention, illustrating both essential and optimal layers.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of an elastic-powered laminate of the invention, illustrating the essential layers.

FIGS. 3( a), 3(b), 3(c) and 3(d) are front views of the elastic-powered laminate of FIG. 2, in different stages of processing, before and after heat shrinkage.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a process for making the elastic-powered laminate of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a partial cutaway perspective view of a personal care absorbent article incorporating the elastic-powered laminate in a waistband.

Claims

1. An elastic-powered shrink laminate, comprising: a heat shrinkable layer; andan elastic layer;wherein the heat shrinkable layer and elastic layer are bonded together when the elastic layer is in a dimensionally unstable, stretched state, and the elastic layer remains substantially in the stretched state prior to shrinkage of the heat shrinkable layer.

2. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the heat shrinkable layer has an activation temperature of about 28° C. to about 35° C.

3. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the heat shrinkable layer has an activation temperature of about 55° C. or higher.

4. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the heat shrinkable layer has an activation temperature of about 75° C. or higher.

5. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the heat shrinkable layer has a retraction potential of at least about 25%.

6. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the heat shrinkable layer has a retraction potential of at least about 50%.

7. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the heat shrinkable layer comprises a film.

8. The laminate of claim 7, wherein the film is a breathable film.

9. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the heat shrinkable layer comprises a nonwoven web.

10. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the heat shrinkable layer comprises a thermoplastic polymer selected from the group consisting of ethylene homopolymers, ethylene-alpha olefin copolymers, propylene homopolymers, propylene copolymers with ethylene or an alpha-olefin, amorphous poly-alpha olefin, polyvinyl chlorides, and combinations thereof.

11. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the heat shrinkable layer comprises a single-site catalyzed ethylene homopolymer or ethylene-alpha olefin copolymer.

12. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the elastic layer comprises a plurality of elastic filaments.

13. The laminate of claim 12, wherein the elastic filaments are disposed in a direction of orientation of the heat shrinkable layer.

14. The laminate of claim 12, wherein the elastic filaments are spaced apart and nonintersecting.

15. The laminate of claim 12, wherein the elastic filaments are substantially parallel to each other.

16. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the elastic layer comprises an elastomer selected from the group consisting of styrene-diene block copolymers, styrene-olefin block copolymers, polyurethanes, copolyether esters, polyamide-polyether block copolymers, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers, and combinations thereof.

17. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the elastic layer is stretched to a stretched length at least about 33% greater than an unstretched length when bonded to the heat shrinkable layer, and has a recovery potential of at least about 25% of the stretched length.

18. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the elastic layer is stretched to a stretched length at least about 100% greater than an unstretched length when bonded to the heat shrinkable layer, and has a recovery potential of at least about 50% of the stretched length.

19. The laminate of claim 1, comprising two of the heat shrinkable layers bonded on both sides of the elastic layer.

20. The laminate of claim 1, further comprising a nonwoven facing layer bonded to at least one of the heat shrinkable layer and the elastic layer.

21. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the heat shrinkable layer and elastic layer are substantially continuously bonded together.

22. An elastic-power shrink laminate, comprising: a heat shrinkable film layer having a retraction potential of at least 20%; andan elastic filament layer;wherein the heat shrinkable layer is bonded to the elastic filament layer when the elastic filament layer is stretched to a stretched length at least 25% greater than an unstretched length, the elastic filament layer has a recovery potential of at least 20% of the stretched length, and the elastic layer remains at about the stretched length prior to shrinkage of the heat shrinkable layer.

23. The laminate of claim 22, wherein the recovery potential of the elastic filament layer is about the same as the retraction potential of the heat shrinkable film layer.

24. The laminate of claim 22, wherein the recovery potential of the elastic filament layer exceeds the retraction potential of the heat shrinkable film layer.

25. The laminate of claim 24, wherein the recovery potential of the elastic filament layer is at least 1.5 times the retraction potential of the heat shrinkable layer.

26. The laminate of claim 24, wherein the recovery potential of the elastic filament layer is at least 2.0 times the retraction potential of the heat shrinkable layer.

27. An absorbent article comprising a liquid permeable bodyside liner, a substantially liquid impermeable outer cover, an absorbent core between them, and a waistband which includes an elastic-powered shrink laminate, wherein the elastic-powered shrink laminate comprises: a heat shrinkable layer; andan elastic layer bonded to the heat shrinkable layer when the elastic layer is in a dimensionally unstable, stretched state;the elastic layer remaining substantially in the stretched state prior to shrinkage of the heat shrinkable layer.