Laminated nonwoven fabric

1. A method for producing a laminated nonwoven fabric, comprising:

stacking a first outer nonwoven layer comprising single component thermoplastic continuous fibers which are made from a thermoplastic resin and have a diameter of 5 to 30 μm, an inner nonwoven layer comprising single component thermoplastic fibers which are made from a thermoplastic resin and have a diameter of 0.5 to 10 μm, and a second outer nonwoven layer comprising single component thermoplastic continuous fibers which are made from a thermoplastic resin and have a diameter of 5 to 30 μm to provide a multilayer nonwoven stack,

wherein the inner nonwoven layer is positioned between the first and second outer nonwoven layers in the multilayer nonwoven stack, and

wherein the single component thermoplastic fibers of each layer of the multilayer nonwoven stack are made from the same thermoplastic resin, the thermoplastic resin having a melting point,

performing a first step of applying heat and pressure to the multilayer nonwoven stack by passing the multilayer nonwoven stack though a first nip between a first flat rigid heated roll and a first non-heated elastic roll having a Shore D hardness of 60 to 95,

wherein the first flat rigid heated roll is heated to a temperature 5° C. or more lower than the melting point of the thermoplastic resin, and

wherein the first flat rigid heated roll and the first non-heated elastic roll apply a pressure of 30 to 200 kg/cm 2 to the multilayer nonwoven stack in the first nip,

rapidly cooling the multilayer nonwoven stack after it passes through the first nip,

after the step of rapidly cooling, performing a second step of applying heat and pressure to the multilayer nonwoven stack by passing the multilayer nonwoven stack though a second nip between a second flat rigid heated roll and a second non-heated elastic roll having a Shore D hardness of 60 to 95 to form the laminated nonwoven fabric,

wherein the second flat rigid heated roll is heated to a temperature 5° C. or more lower than the melting point of the thermoplastic resin,

wherein the second flat rigid heated roll and the second non-heated elastic roll apply a pressure of 30 to 200 kg/cm 2 to the multilayer nonwoven stack in the second nip,

wherein the first and second steps of applying heat and pressure flatten the single component thermoplastic fibers of each layer of the multilayer nonwoven stack such that in the laminated nonwoven fabric the single component thermoplastic continuous fibers of a first outer face layer of the first outer nonwoven layer and a second outer face layer of the second outer nonwoven layer have a first average oblateness and the single component thermoplastic fibers of a first inner face layer of the first outer nonwoven layer and a second inner face layer of the second outer nonwoven layer have a second average oblateness, the ratio of the first average oblateness to the second average oblateness being 1.2 or more and the second average oblateness being 0.1 or more, and

wherein the laminated nonwoven fabric has a tensile strength in a machine direction per unit basis weight of 1.00 (N/1.5 cm)/(g/m 2 ) or more and a tear strength in the machine direction per unit basis weight of 0.04N/(g/m 2 ) or more.

2. A method for producing a laminated nonwoven fabric, comprising:

stacking a first outer nonwoven layer comprising single component thermoplastic continuous fibers which are made from a thermoplastic resin and have a diameter of 5 to 30 μm, an inner nonwoven layer comprising single component thermoplastic fibers which are made from a thermoplastic resin and have a diameter of 0.5 to 10 μm, and a second outer nonwoven layer comprising single component thermoplastic continuous fibers which are made from a thermoplastic resin and have a diameter of 5 to 30 μm to provide a multilayer nonwoven stack,

wherein the inner nonwoven layer is positioned between the first and second outer nonwoven layers in the multilayer nonwoven stack, and

wherein the single component thermoplastic fibers of each layer of the multilayer nonwoven stack are made from the same thermoplastic resin, the thermoplastic resin having a melting point,

performing a first step of applying heat and pressure to the multilayer nonwoven stack by passing the multilayer nonwoven stack though a first nip between a first flat rigid heated roll and a first non-heated elastic roll having a Shore D hardness of 60 to 95,

wherein the first flat rigid heated roll is heated to a temperature 5° C. or more lower than the melting point of the thermoplastic resin, and

wherein the first flat rigid heated roll and the first non-heated elastic roll apply a pressure of 30 to 200 kg/cm 2 to the multilayer nonwoven stack in the first nip,

rapidly cooling the multilayer nonwoven stack immediately after it passes through the first nip with a cooled roll,

after the step of rapidly cooling, performing a second step of applying heat and pressure to the multilayer nonwoven stack by passing the multilayer nonwoven stack though a second nip between a second flat rigid heated roll and a second non-heated elastic roll having a Shore D hardness of 60 to 95 to form the laminated nonwoven fabric,

wherein the second flat rigid heated roll is heated to a temperature 5° C. or more lower than the melting point of the thermoplastic resin,

wherein the second flat rigid heated roll and the second non-heated elastic roll apply a pressure of 30 to 200 kg/cm 2 to the multilayer nonwoven stack in the second nip,

wherein the first and second steps of applying heat and pressure flatten the single component thermoplastic fibers of each layer of the multilayer nonwoven stack such that in the laminated nonwoven fabric the single component thermoplastic continuous fibers of a first outer face layer of the first outer nonwoven layer and second outer face layer of the second outer nonwoven layer have a first average oblateness and the single component thermoplastic fibers of a first inner face layer of the first outer nonwoven layer and a second inner layer of the second outer nonwoven layer have a second average oblateness, the ratio of the first average oblateness to the second average oblateness being 1.2 or more and the second average oblateness being 0.1 or more, and

wherein the laminated nonwoven fabric has a tensile strength in a machine direction per unit basis weight of 1.00 (N/1.5 cm)/(g/m 2 ) or more and a tear strength in the machine direction per unit basis weight of 0.04N/(g/m 2 ) or more.

3. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the second average oblateness is from 0.1 to 0.8.

4. The process according to claim 2 , wherein a total thickness of the laminated nonwoven fabric is from 15 to 300 μm.

5. The process laminated according to claim 2 , wherein a total basis weight of the laminated nonwoven fabric is from 10 to 250 g/m 2 .

6. The process according to claim 2 , wherein:

a first inner surface of the first outer nonwoven layer contacts a first outer surface of the inner nonwoven layer in the multilayer nonwoven stack,

a second inner surface of the second outer nonwoven layer contacts a second outer surface of the inner nonwoven layer in the multilayer nonwoven stack, and

the first and second steps of applying heat and pressure cause the first outer nonwoven layer to be bonded to the inner nonwoven layer over the entire first inner surface and the second outer nonwoven layer to be bonded to the inner nonwoven layer over the entire second inner surface.

7. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the inner nonwoven layer comprises from 5 to 40 wt % of the laminated nonwoven fabric.

8. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the thermoplastic resin from which the single component thermoplastic continuous fibers of the first and second outer nonwoven layers are made is a polyester-based resin or a polyimide-based resin.