The present disclosure provides cover systems for covering components of a cabin interior of a vehicle, such as an automobile, a train car, a bus, a boat, or an aircraft, among others. For instance, the cover systems may cover one or more of a seat and a floor, among others, of the cabin interior. The fabric cover systems may absorb or partially absorb one or more of low-frequency sounds, such as low-frequency noise emitted by an engine, and high-frequency sounds, among others. The fabric cover systems may absorb or partially absorb odor molecules. The fabric covering systems may include multiple layers. For instance, one of the layers may include activated carbon fibers. The activated carbon fibers may absorb or partially absorb one or more of sounds, liquids, and odors, among others.

Nonwoven fabrics suitable for a wide variety of applications (e.g., healthcare, filtration, industrial, packaging, etc.) are provided. In one aspect, the nonwoven fabric includes a plurality of segmented fibers. Each of the plurality of segmented fibers may comprise a fiber axis and a plurality of alternating larger diameter and smaller diameter segments along the fiber axis. The plurality of segmented fibers may be substantially aligned in a first direction.

A method to manufacture an elastic laminate is disclosed. Thermoplastic Elastomeric Material (TEM) is selected from a polymer supply and fed into an extruder. The TEM film is extruded by the extruder by passing the TEM polymer through an extrusion die head to form a TEM film layer on a carrier web provided by a carrier supply. The TEM film layer is allowed to solidify on the carrier web, thereby forming a first laminate. The first laminate is stored in a first storage prior to being delivered to a delamination unit, which delaminates the first laminate by separating the TEM layer from the carrier web. The delaminated TEM layer is stretched at least in its Machine Direction (MD) in a stretching station via a plurality of web guide means. The stretched TEM layer is positioned between a first envelope web and optionally a second envelope web prior to being delivered to a bonding unit, which connects them to form a second bonded laminate. The second bonded laminate is unstretched and stored in a second storage for a predetermined time. The stored second bonded laminate is wound under controlled tension to form a roll or spool, thereby forming the elastic laminate.

A composite material contains a nonwoven layer (i) which contains fibers formed from a first thermoplastic elastomer having meshes with a mesh size in the range from 10 to 100 μm, and a membrane layer (ii) which contains a second thermoplastic elastomer and having a layer thickness of less than 30 μm. The membrane is either pore-free (ii.1) or is porous and has pores with an average pore diameter of less than 2000 nm (ii.2). The membrane (ii) is at least partially in direct contact with the fibers of the nonwoven layer (i) and covers the mesh openings in the nonwoven layer (i) at least partially. The fibers of the first nonwoven layer (i) and the membrane (ii) in the contact area are at least partly joined to one another in an interlocking manner.

Hydroentangled composites having a wide variety of uses (e.g., personal hygiene articles, facers for fenestration absorbent patches on surgical drapes, facers on absorbent surgical drapes, etc.) are provided. The hydroentangled composite includes at least two nonwoven webs hydroentangled together. The hydroentangled composite may have a three-dimensional structure. Additionally, the at least two nonwoven webs may have different bonding levels and/or lint levels.

A piece of substrate material is formed under heat and pressure against a cavity into a shaped substrate sheet having one or more depressions. Two substrate sheets are bonded together to form a substrate wherein the one or more depressions form one or more interior channels. The substrate, if not formed with pre-coated substrate material, is coated with a dope and quenched to form a filtering membrane. A plurality of membranes may be placed side by side to form a bundle with permeating ends of the membrane, which are open to the one or more interior channels, separated by gaps or spacers. The bundle is connected to a header to produce a module. The module can be assembled into a cassette.

In an example, a composite structure having a variable gage is described. The composite structure includes a first end having a first gage, a second end having a second gage, which is less than the first gage, a plurality of continuous plies, and a plurality of drop-off plies. Each continuous ply extends from the first end to the second end. Each drop-off ply includes a tip having a tapered shape. Each drop-off ply extends from the first end to a respective position of the tip of the drop-off ply between the first end and the second end. The tips of the plurality of drop-off plies are arranged in a monotonically-inward pattern.

The present disclosure relates to methods for assembling elastomeric laminates, wherein elastic material may be stretched and joined with either or both first and second substrates. A first beam is rotated to unwind a first plurality of elastic strands from the first beam in the machine direction. The first plurality of elastic strands are positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate to form the elastomeric laminate. Before the first plurality of elastic strands are completely unwound from the first beam, a second beam is rotated to unwind the second plurality of elastic strands from the second beam. Subsequently, the advancement of the first plurality of elastic strands from the first beam is discontinued. Thus, the elastomeric laminate assembly process may continue uninterrupted while switching from an initially utilized elastic material drawn from the first beam to a subsequently utilized elastic material drawn from the second beam.

A spunbond nonwoven laminate has a first spunbond nonwoven layer having crimped filaments formed by a first component on an outer surface of the filaments of the first layer consisting or substantially consisting of a polyolefin and a second component consisting or substantially consisting of a plastic having a higher melting point than the polyolefin of the first component of the filaments of the first layer. A second outermost spunbond nonwoven layer on the first layer having filaments as a cover layer and formed by a first component on an outer surface of the filaments of the second layer consisting or substantially consisting of a polyolefin, and a second component consisting or substantially consisting of a plastic having a higher melting point than the polyolefin of the first component of the filaments of the second layer.

An architectural covering with an operable vane having a fabric backing is provided. The vane may include a vane fabric and a backing material connected to the vane fabric by a layer of adhesive. The backing material may increase a machine-direction stiffness of the vane while slightly affecting a cross-direction stiffness of the vane. As such, the vane may have increased stiffness in its machine direction while simultaneously remaining flexible in its cross direction.