Patent ID: 6468626
Filing Date: 2002-10-22
Classification: A61F,Y10T

Abstract:
A flexible sheet for use as a component of a disposable garment comprising:a flexible plastic sheet having an upper surface, a lower surface, a thickness of from about 0.001 to about 0.05 mm, a plurality of substantially flat portions having widths of from about 0.03 to about 1 mm and extending in parallel to one another in a first direction, and a plurality of intermittent apertures extending in said first direction between said substantially flat portions so as to form a plurality of aperture rows extending in parallel one to another in said first direction, pairs of said flat portions having said aperture rows therebetween being interconnected by a plurality of bridge portions that extend therebetween and across said aperture rows, said bridge portions extending across the respective aperture rows are formed intermittently in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, providing two types of bridge portions, those which extend upward or downward from the upper surfaces of the flat portions to the upper surfaces of the respectively adjacent flat portions so as to describe arcs and those which are flush with the flat portion, said intermittent apertures being defined by edges of said substantially flat portions which extend in said first direction and edges of said bridges portions which extend in said second direction, said substantially flat portions being formed at least along said edges thereof which extend in said first direction with a plurality of substantially tooth-shaped portions which extend upward from upper surfaces of said substantially flat portions, a plurality of circular projections extending convexly on the upper surface of the flexible plastic sheet and occupying from about 5 to about 70 percent of the total surface area of the flexible plastic sheet, said projections have heights of from about 0.01 to about 0.05 mm and diameters of from about 0.25 to about 5 mm, each of said plurality of circular projections containing a plurality of said intermittent apertures and bridge elements; and a fibrous layer joined to the lower surface of the flexible plastic sheet, said fibrous layer comprising component fibers that are assembled by mechanically intertwining and heat-sealing adhesively bonding them together, said fibrous layer further comprising at least one of thermoplastic synthetic fibers, chemical fibers and natural fibers and being partially exposed within the apertures of said flexible plastic sheet.