Patent ID: 6893522

Claim:
A method for preparing a composite non-woven fabric comprising the steps of: a) providing a first non-woven hydroentangled substrate web layer containing moisture and having predominantly staple length fibers, and a lesser weight percentage of a first binder fiber component, said first binder fibers having a desired melting temperature range; b) depositing a substantially dry second non-woven layer on said first layer to form an unbonded composite, said second layer predominantly having a high bulk, high loft pulp fiber component and a lesser weight percentage of a second binder fiber component, said second binder fibers having a desired melting temperature range substantially equal to said first binder fiber component melting temperature; c) thermally bonding with a heated gaseous medium said unbonded composite, said gaseous medium heated to a temperature in the range of said first and second binder fiber melting temperature; said first and second binder fiber components at least partially melting and flowing into an interface region between said first and second layers; and cooling said layers; said layers thereby being stabilized and bonded together without increasing the density of either layer, while removing moisture from said first layer; and d) further comprising the step of providing a third layer, said third layer comprised of hydroentangled staple fibers having a third fiber binder component having a melting temperature substantially equal to said first and second binder fibers, said second layer sandwiched between said first and third layers to form said unbonded composite, said unbonded composite being thermally bonded by heated air at a temperature in the range of said binder fiber melting point.