Patent ID: 6735832
Filing Date: 2004-05-18
Classification: B32B,D04H

Abstract:
A method of forming a nonwoven laminate comprising the steps of:providing an image transfer device having a three-dimensional imaging surface; providing an entangled fibrous layer against the three-dimensional imaging surface of said image transfer device; supplying an open mesh scrim to said image transfer device adjacent said entangled fibrous layer; supplying a thermally bonded fibrous layer to said image transfer device adjacent said open mesh scrim; and applying high pressure fluid jets to said thermally bonded fibrous layer at said image transfer device; said high pressure fluid jets providing consolidation of the laminate by resulting in the entangling of at least 35 percent of the fibers or filaments of the thermally bonded fibrous layer with fibers of the entangled fibrous layer through the open mesh scrim layer; said high pressure fluid jets further imparting the image of said imaging transfer device, in which said entangled fibrous layer is supplied to said imaging surface upstream of said scrim and said thermally bonded fibrous layer, and wherein high pressure fluid jets are applied to said entangled fibrous layer to impart an image, followed by juxtaposition of said scrim and said thermally bonded fibrous layer and application of a second set of high pressure fluid jets are applied to the combined layers to produce the composite structure.