ARTICLE AND METHOD FOR FORMING AN ARTICLE

1 . An article comprising:

a plastic material; and

an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) laminate coupled to said plastic material.

2 . An article in accordance with claim 1 wherein said plastic material defines an opening, and said ePTFE laminate is coupled to said plastic material to seal said opening.

3 . An article in accordance with claim 2 wherein said article comprises a microvent.

4 . An article in accordance with claim 1 wherein said plastic material comprises polybutylene terephthalate.

5 . An article in accordance with claim 1 wherein said ePTFE laminate comprises at least one ePTFE membrane laminated to a textile base material.

6 . An article in accordance with claim 5 wherein said at least one ePTFE membrane is one of thermally laminated and adhesively laminated to said textile base material.

7 . An article in accordance with claim 5 wherein said textile base material comprises at least one polymer having a melting point greater than a melting point of said plastic material.

8 . An article in accordance with claim 7 wherein a difference between the at least one polymer melting point and the plastic material melting point is not greater than 60° C.

9 . An article in accordance with claim 7 wherein a difference between the at least one polymer melting point and the plastic material melting point is not greater than 45° C.

10 . An article in accordance with claim 7 wherein a difference between the at least one polymer melting point and the plastic material melting point is not greater than 30° C.

11 . An article in accordance with claim 5 wherein said textile base material comprises at least one polymer having a melting point equal to a melting point of said plastic material.

12 . An article in accordance with claim 1 wherein said ePTFE laminate comprises a textile base material including one of a woven textile fabric and a nonwoven textile fabric.

13 . An article in accordance with claim 1 wherein said ePTFE laminate is laser welded to said plastic material.

14 . A method for coupling an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) laminate to a plastic material to form an article, said method comprising:

providing a plastic material;

positioning the ePTFE laminate on the plastic material; and

coupling the ePTFE laminate to the plastic material.

15 . A method in accordance with claim 14 wherein providing a plastic material comprises providing a plastic material comprising polybutylene terephthalate.

16 . A method in accordance with claim 14 further comprising forming the ePTFE laminate comprising at least one ePTFE membrane laminated to a textile base material including one of a woven textile fabric and a nonwoven textile fabric.

17 . A method in accordance with claim 14 wherein coupling the ePTFE laminate to the plastic material comprises laser welding a textile base material of the ePTFE laminate to the plastic material.

18 . A method in accordance with claim 14 wherein providing a plastic material comprises providing a plastic material comprising a carbon black to facilitate focusing energy on a weld line formed as the ePTFE laminate is coupled to the plastic material.

19 . A microvent comprising:

a plastic housing defining an opening; and

an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) laminate coupled to said plastic housing to seal said opening, said ePTFE laminate comprising an ePTFE membrane laminated to a thermoplastic polymeric textile base material.

20 . A microvent in accordance with claim 19 wherein said textile base material comprises at least one polymer having a melting point greater than a melting point of said plastic material, and a difference between the at least one polymer melting point and the plastic material melting point is not greater than 60° C.

21 . A microvent in accordance with claim 18 wherein said ePTFE laminate comprises a textile base material including one of a woven textile fabric and a nonwoven textile fabric laser welded to said plastic housing.