Patent attributes
A stretch nonwoven fabric 10 contains inelastic fibers having a varied thickness along the length and elastic fibers. The nonwoven fabric 10 preferably includes an elastic fiber layer 1 and a substantially inelastic, inelastic fiber layer 2 on at least one side of the elastic fiber layer 1. The fibers with a varied thickness along the length are contained in the inelastic fiber layer 2. The nonwoven fabric 10 is conveniently produced by (a) superposing a web containing low-drawn, inelastic fibers having an elongation of 80% to 800% on at least one side of a web containing elastic fibers, (b) subjecting the webs, while in a non-united state, to through-air technique to obtain a fibrous sheet having the webs united together by thermal bonding the fibers at their intersections, and (c) stretching the fibrous sheet in at least one direction to draw the low-drawn inelastic fibers, followed by releasing the sheet from the stretch.
