Fastening systems comprising nonwoven substrates with hooks formed integrally thereon

Abstract

A wearable article includes hook-and-loop fastening components. The hook-and-loop fastening components have a section of nonwoven web material on which an array of hooks is formed. At least some of the hooks may be integrally formed from the nonwoven material. The section of nonwoven web material may also include a section of loops material, wherein at least some of the loops may be integrally formed from the web material. The section of loops material may have a machine direction dimension of at least 20 mm and a cross direction dimension of at least 20 mm, and a surface area of at least 314 mm2. The article may further include an identifiable linear path, the identifiable linear path having a width greater than 2 mm and forming an angle with the machine direction of 45 degrees or less. Any such identifiable path at least partially overlies the loops-forming bond(s), at a plurality of locations along the identifiable linear path.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A disposable open-form diaper, comprising:
 a chassis comprising a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet and an absorbent core structure disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet; a front waist region; a rear waist region; and a crotch region disposed between the front waist region and the rear waist region; a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis;   a fastening member joined to the chassis in the rear waist region and extending laterally away from the longitudinal axis, including a first fastening component disposed thereon; and   a second fastening component disposed on the front waist region;   wherein one or both of the first and second fastening components comprises a section of nonwoven web material on which an array of hooks is formed, wherein the section of web material comprises filaments of polymeric material; and   wherein at least a portion of the array comprises integral hooks, wherein said integral hooks are thermally formed at least in part of the polymeric material of the filaments such that said integral hooks are integral with the nonwoven web material.   
     
     
         2 . The diaper of  claim 1 , wherein the integral hooks is formed on a wearer-facing surface of the fastening member. 
     
     
         3 . The diaper of  claim 1 , wherein the integral hooks is formed on an outward-facing surface of the front waist region. 
     
     
         4 . The diaper of  claim 1 , wherein one or more hooks are imparted with unidirectionality along a direction that is 45 degrees or less with respect to the lateral axis. 
     
     
         5 . The diaper of  claim 1 , wherein one or more hooks are imparted with bidirectionality along a direction that is 45 degrees or less with respect to the lateral axis. 
     
     
         6 . The diaper of  claim 1 , wherein one or more hooks are imparted with directionality toward the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         7 . The diaper of  claim 1 , wherein the array of hooks has a machine direction dimension of at least about 20 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The diaper of  claim 1 , wherein the array of hooks comprises a curvilinear shape. 
     
     
         9 . The diaper of  claim 1 , wherein the array of hooks comprises a plurality of discrete, discontinuous areas of hooks formation interspersed in and within a second continuous area of the nonwoven web material where no hooks are formed. 
     
     
         10 . The diaper of  claim 1 , wherein the array of hooks comprises at least one continuous area of hooks formation, surrounding at least one discontinuous area of the nonwoven web material in which no hooks are formed. 
     
     
         11 . The diaper of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the hooks are integrally formed at least in part of a second polymeric material supplementing the polymeric material of the filaments. 
     
     
         12 . The diaper of  claim 1 , wherein the section of nonwoven material is discrete from and attached to the backsheet. 
     
     
         13 . The diaper of  claim 1 , wherein when the section of nonwoven web material is deemed to lie along an x-y plane, the hooks are formed to extend in a z-direction with respect to the x-y plane, and the hooks comprise a first plurality of hooks that hook over in a first direction and a second plurality of hooks that hook over in a direction differing from the first direction. 
     
     
         14 . The diaper of  claim 13  wherein the section of nonwoven web material is disposed on the front waist region, the first plurality of hooks is disposed on the web material proximate a left side of the front waist region, and the second plurality of hooks is disposed on the web material proximate a right side of the front waist region. 
     
     
         15 . The diaper of  claim 1  wherein the array of hooks is set back from one or more edges of the section of nonwoven web material. 
     
     
         16 . A disposable open-form diaper, comprising:
 a chassis comprising a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet and an absorbent core structure disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet; a front waist region; a rear waist region; and a crotch region disposed between the front waist region and the rear waist region; a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis;   a first fastening component disposed in one of the front or rear waist regions;   a second fastening component disposed in another of the front or rear waist regions;   wherein the first fastening component comprises a discrete patch of hooks; and   wherein the second fastening component comprises a plurality of integral hooks, the integral hooks being formed at least in part of a section of material on which an array of hooks is formed.   
     
     
         17 . The diaper of  claim 16  wherein the second fastening component is disposed in the first waist region. 
     
     
         18 . The diaper of  claim 16  wherein the plurality of integral hooks is imparted with multidirectional directionality. 
     
     
         19 . The diaper of  claim 16  wherein the section of material on which the array of hooks is formed further comprises a section of loops material adapted to cooperate with the first fastening component. 
     
     
         20 . The diaper of  claim 16 , wherein when the section of material on which the array of hooks is formed is deemed to lie along an x-y plane, the hooks are formed to extend in a z-direction with respect to the x-y plane, and the hooks comprise a first plurality of hooks that hook over in a first direction and a second plurality of hooks that hook over in a direction differing from the first direction.