Patent ID: 6503598
Filing Date: 2003-01-07
Classification: A61F,Y10T

Abstract:
A flexible composite sheet for use in a disposable garment, comprising:a thermoplastic synthetic film having an upper and a lower surface and longitudinal and transverse directions, said thermoplastic synthetic film being about 0.001 to about 0.05 mm thick and including a plurality of substantially flat portions each being about 0.03 to about 1 mm wide, said plurality of substantially flat portions extending in parallel to one another in said longitudinal direction, said thermoplastic synthetic film further including a plurality of intermittent apertures extending in said longitudinal direction between said substantially flat portions so as to form a plurality of aperture rows extending in parallel to one another in said longitudinal direction; pairs of said substantially flat portions having said aperture rows therebetween being interconnected by a plurality of bridge portions which extend therebetween and across said aperture rows, said bridge portions extending across the respective aperture rows are formed intermittently in the transverse direction, said bridge portions comprising two types of bridge portions including bridge portions that extend upward or downward from the upper surfaces of the substantially flat portions to the upper surfaces of the respective adjacent substantially flat portions so as to describe arcs and bridge portions that are flush with the substantially flat portions; said intermittent apertures being defined by edges of said substantially flat portions that extend in said longitudinal direction and edges of said bridge portions which extend in said transverse direction; said substantially flat portions being formed at least along said edges thereof that extend in said longitudinal direction with a plurality of substantially pointed tooth-shaped portions that extend upward from upper surfaces of said substantially flat portions; a nonwoven fibrous layer having a lower surface and a substantially uniform basis weight and bonded to the lower surface of said thermoplastic synthetic resin film; and a plurality of discrete depressed areas formed by depressing discrete areas of said composite sheet downward from the upper surface of said thermoplastic synthetic resin film toward the lower surface of the nonwoven fibrous layer by a depth of at least 0.1 mm, said depressed areas having bottoms and side walls, and at least some of said plurality of intermittent apertures extending into said bottoms and into said side walls, said nonwoven fibrous layer containing thermoplastic synthetic fibers in an amount of at least 30% by weight and having a density that is higher in first regions immediately underlying said discrete depressed areas than in regions immediately surrounding said first regions.