Patent ID: 9486979
Filing Date: 2016-11-08
CPC Classification: A61F,B32B,D04H,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A nonwoven fabric having a surface concavo-convex structure, which is formed by pressing a planar element having a plurality of apertures against at least one surface of a nonwoven fabric that has been treated by passing hot air through a web comprising heat adhesive fibers so as to heat-bond the heat adhesive fibers in the nonwoven fabric at interlacing points between the heat adhesive fibers, wherein the nonwoven fabric is heat-bonded entirely across the heat adhesive fibers at the interlacing points between the heat adhesive fibers, the pressing process is performed in a state in which the nonwoven fabric is heated in a degree that does not further promote the heat bonding, bulky hill parts forming convex parts in the surface concavo-convex structure and less bulky plain parts forming concave parts in the surface concavo-convex structure are intermingled with each other on the surface of the nonwoven fabric including the heat adhesive fibers, each of the bulky hill parts forming the convex parts is formed at a position corresponding to one of the plurality of the apertures of the planar element, and each of the less bulky plain parts forming the concave parts is formed at a position corresponding to one part of a non-aperture area of the planar element, when the planar element is pressed against the nonwoven fabric, the concave parts in a shape of a plain at the positions corresponding to the non-aperture area of the planar element surround the convex parts and form a network linking the concave parts with each other via the plain of the nonwoven fabric, the bulky hill parts of the nonwoven fabric are formed so that a bulkiness of the bulky hill parts is not suppressed toward a space above the bulky hill parts, while the heat adhesive fibers in the bulky hill parts are heat-bonded at the interlacing points between the heat adhesive fibers in the bulky hill parts, the heat adhesive fibers are heat adhesive conjugated fibers, the heat adhesive conjugate fibers in the web are heat adhesive conjugate fibers that have been cut, and wherein the nonwoven fabric has an apparent specific volume in a range from 20 to 70 cm