FORMING APERTURED POLYMERIC WEBS

• Main Authors: GEORGE MERRIL VERNON, ELMER KELLY LINMAN, JOHN JOSEPH CURRO, DONALD LEROY GERTH, JAMES CLARK BAIRD
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.12.1986
• Edition: 4
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; BRAIDING; COTTON-WOOL; CUTTING; CUTTING-OUT; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS,NON-WOVEN FABRICS; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRST-AID KITS; FOMENTATION; HAND CUTTING TOOLS; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; KNITTING; LACE-MAKING; MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARYMATERIAL; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; NON-WOVEN FABRICS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PERFORATING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PROSTHESES; PUNCHING; SEVERING; SEVERING BY MEANS OTHER THAN CUTTING; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; STAMPING-OUT; TEXTILES; TRANSPORTING; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; TRIMMINGS; WADDING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

@ A continuous, multi-phase process for debossing and perforating a substantially continuous web of substantially planar polymeric film to coincide with the image of one or more forming structures, each having a patterned forming surface with a multiplicity of holes and an opposed surface. Each forming structure is open from the holes in the forming surface to its opposed surface. The web of film has an indefinite length, a first surface, a second surface and a thickness. The thickness comprises the distance between the first surface and the second surface. The process comprises at least two sequential.forming phases, one of which involves three-dimensional conformance of the web to the macroscopic profile of the forming structure and another of which involves aperturing of the web to coincide with fine-scale apertures in either the same or a separate forming structure. The order in which the phases are carried out will depend upon the properties desired in the resultant macroscopically expanded, three-dimensional, apertured polymeric web. Because the process is carried out in sequential phases, previously incompatible characteristics which could not be provided by prior art single-phase forming processes can now be achieved.