Non-woven fabric and process for forming the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a non-woven fabric comprising a first non-woven web suitable for use in a hygiene absorbent article, which web comprises a side which is provided with a first pattern of individualised bonded areas which defines a second pattern of non-bonded areas which non-bonded areas have a hexagonal type of shape, and wherein the surface of the bonded areas is in the range of 10-30% of the total surface of the side and the surface of the non-bonded area is in the range of from 70-90% of the total surface of the side. The present invention further relates to an absorbent article comprising the present non-woven fabric, and a process for forming the non-woven fabric.

1 . A non-woven fabric, comprising:
 a non-woven web suitable for use in a hygiene absorbent article, the web including a side which is provided with an overall pattern that includes a first pattern and a second pattern, in which the first pattern is a pattern of individualized bonded areas which have a non-linear shape, which first pattern defines the second pattern of non-bonded areas which non-bonded areas have a hexagonal type of shape,   wherein the non-woven web has a basis weight in the range of from 8-30 g/m 2 , and   wherein the surface of the bonded areas is in the range of 10-30% of the total surface of the side and the surface of the non-bonded area is in the range of from 70-90% of the total surface of the side.   
     
     
         2 . The non-woven fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface of the non-bonded area is at least 70% and less than 80% of the total surface area of the bonding pattern. 
     
     
         3 . The non-woven fabric according to  claim 2 , wherein the surface of the non-bonded area is in the range of from 72-78% of the total surface area of the bonding pattern. 
     
     
         4 . The non-woven fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface of the bonded area is more than 20% and at most 30% of the total surface area of the bonding pattern. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The non-woven fabric process according to  claim 1 , wherein the bonded areas have a circle, diamond, rectangle, square, oval, triangle, heart, moon star, hexagonal, octagonal or another polygon shape. 
     
     
         8 . The non-woven fabric according to  claim 7 , wherein the bonded areas have a circle or hexagonal shape. 
     
     
         9 . The non-woven fabric according to  claim 8 , wherein the bonded areas have a circle shape. 
     
     
         10 . The non-woven fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the first non-woven web comprises fibers which are formed from a thermoplastic material selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polyamides, polyolefins, polyurethanes, and any mixture thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The non-woven fabric according to  claim 10 , wherein the fibers are formed from polyethylene, polypropylene, a co-polymer of polyethylene and polypropylene, a blend of polyethylene and polypropylene, a polyester, co-polymers of polyesters and/or blends of polyesters. 
     
     
         12 . The non-woven fabric according to  claim 10 , wherein the fibers are single component or multi-component fibers. 
     
     
         13 . The non-woven fabric according to  claim 1  comprising additional non-woven webs. 
     
     
         14 . A hygiene absorbent article, comprising:
 the non-woven fabric according to  claim 1 .   
     
     
         15 . The hygiene absorbent article according to  claim 14 , wherein the non-woven fabric is a back sheet and/or a landing zone of the absorbent article. 
     
     
         16 . The hygiene absorbent article according to  claim 14 , wherein the hygiene absorbent article is a disposable hygiene absorbent article selected from the group consisting of incontinence articles, diapers, wipes and fem-care articles. 
     
     
         17 . A process for forming a non-woven fabric, comprising:
 (a) forming a non-woven web; and   (b) feeding the non-woven web into a nip defined between oppositely positioned first and second rolls, whereby at least one of the rolls has a patterned outer surface to apply a bonding pattern to the first non-woven web, whereby the bonding pattern comprises the first and second pattern as defined in  claim 1 .   
     
     
         18 . The process for forming a non-woven fabric according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 (a) forming a first non-woven web;   (b) forming a second non-woven web;   (c) feeding the first non-woven web and the second non-woven web into a nip defined between oppositely positioned first and second rolls, whereby at least one of the rolls has a patterned outer surface to apply a bonding pattern to the first non-woven web, whereby the bonding pattern comprises the first and second pattern as defined in  claim 1 ;   and   (d) bonding the first and second non-woven web together to form the non-woven fabric.