Patent Document ID: 20090127742
Application ID: 12273611
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for simultaneously activating a stretchable material in multiple directions, the method comprising: feeding the stretchable material into a nip formed between a first roll that is rotatable in a first direction and a second roll that is rotatable in a second direction, wherein the first and second rolls comprise a first region comprising a least one three-dimensional surface feature, the three-dimensional surface feature(s) of the first region of the first roll and the three-dimensional surface feature(s) of the first region of the second roll being complementary to one another and positioned relative to one another such that when the first roll is rotated in the first direction and the second roll is rotated in the second direction the three-dimensional surface features of the first regions of the first and second rolls intermesh, the intermeshing surface features being operatively configured to activate the stretchable material in a first direction; a second region comprising at least one three-dimensional surface feature, the three-dimensional surface feature(s) of the second region of the first roll and the three-dimensional surface feature(s) of the second region of the second roll being complementary to one another and positioned relative to one another such that when the first roll is rotated in the first direction and the second roll is rotated in the second direction the three-dimensional surface features of the second regions of the first and second rolls intermesh, the intermeshing surface features of the second regions of the first and second rolls being operatively configured to activate the stretchable material in a second direction which is different from the first direction; and a buffer region disposed between the portions of the first and second regions that include three-dimensional surface features.