Patent ID: 7867348
Filing Date: 2011-01-11
Classification: A61F,D04H,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of manufacturing a nonwoven fabric of substantially uniform thickness, the nonwoven fabric having heat-adhesive heat-shrinkable fibers, the method comprising: a heat shrinkage process in which a fiber web having the heat-adhesive heat-shrinkable fibers is heat processed at a temperature at which the heat-shrinkable fibers can be melted and shrunk, and a pressing process in which a plurality of convex portions, generated on at least one side of the fiber web by a heat process in the heat shrinkage process which heat-shrinks the heat-shrinkable fibers, are pressed in a thickness direction of the fiber web, whereby the nonwoven fabric is provided with a plurality of high density regions formed dominantly on at least one side in a thickness direction of the nonwoven fabric and having a higher density than an average density of the nonwoven fabric, and the nonwoven fabric is provided with a plurality of low density regions having a lower density than the average density, wherein the plurality of high density regions and the plurality of low density regions are dispersedly formed in a planar direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the nonwoven fabric and at least a portion of the plurality of low density regions extend across both sides of the nonwoven fabric in the thickness direction.