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US 12,343,666 B2Granted
Filter media including out-of-plane solid elements, methods of forming them, and uses thereof
AssigneeHollingsworth & Vose Company
InventorsMark Rowlands, James M. Witsch, Wei Mu, Stephan Daus
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Filter media including out-of-plane solid elements are generally described. Inventive methods of forming them and uses thereof are also described.
Claims22
A filter media, comprising:
- a non-woven fibrous layer defining a plane, wherein the non-woven fibrous layer has an average fiber length of less than or equal to 26 mm;
- wherein at least a section of the non-woven fibrous layer has a gradient in relative frequency of out-of-plane solid elements having an out-of-plane orientation angle of greater than 30 degrees;
- wherein the section has a thickness that extends from a top surface of the section to a bottom surface of the section, wherein the top surface is the surface with the highest relative frequency of out-of-plane solid elements;
- wherein the section has a total volume that includes a first volume portion, a second volume portion and a third volume portion;
- wherein the first volume portion starts at a cross-sectional area located at 20% of the thickness and extends to a cross-sectional area located at 40% of the thickness, wherein a first relative frequency of the out-of-plane solid elements in the first volume portion is assigned to be located at a cross-sectional area located at 30% of the thickness;
- wherein the second volume portion starts at a cross-sectional area located at 40% of the thickness and extends to a cross-sectional area located at 60% of the thickness, wherein a second relative frequency of the out-of-plane solid elements in the second volume portion is assigned to be located at a cross-sectional area located at 50% of the thickness;
- wherein the third volume portion starts at a cross-sectional area located at 60% of the thickness and extends to a cross-sectional area located at 80% of the thickness, wherein a third relative frequency of the out-of-plane solid elements in the third volume portion is assigned to be located at a cross-sectional area located at 70% of the thickness;
- wherein the gradient in relative frequency of the out-of-plane solid elements is represented by a linear equation fit to the first relative frequency of the out-of-plane solid elements, the second relative frequency of the out-of-plane solid elements, and the third relative frequency of the out-of-plane solid elements;
- wherein the linear equation is y=mx+b, where y is the relative frequency of the out-of-plane solid elements (expressed in percentage), x is the assigned location within the thickness of the section (expressed in percentage of the thickness from the top surface of the section), m is the slope, and b is the y-intercept;
- wherein the slope is greater than or equal to −10 and less than or equal to −0.01;
- and
- wherein the linear equation has an R2 value of greater than or equal to 0.9.
9 more elements
A method, comprising:
- providing a non-woven precursor layer defining a plane and comprising fibers, wherein the fibers have an average fiber length of less than or equal to 26 mm;
- impinging fluid on a top surface of the precursor layer to produce a modified layer,
- wherein at least a section of the modified layer comprises out-of-plane solid elements having an out-of-plane orientation angle of greater than 30 degrees;
- wherein the section has a thickness that extends from a top surface of the section to a bottom surface of the section, wherein the top surface is the surface with the highest relative frequency of out-of-plane solid elements;
- wherein the section has a total volume that includes a first volume portion, a second volume portion and a third volume portion;
- wherein the first volume portion starts at a cross-sectional area located at 20% of the thickness and extends to a cross-sectional area located at 40% of the thickness, wherein a first relative frequency of the out-of-plane solid elements in the first volume portion is assigned to be located at a cross-sectional area located at 30% of the thickness;
- wherein the second volume portion starts at a cross-sectional area located at 40% of the thickness and extends to a cross-sectional area located at 60% of the thickness, wherein a second relative frequency of the out-of-plane solid elements in the second volume portion is assigned to be located at a cross-sectional area located at 50% of the thickness;
- wherein the third volume portion starts at a cross-sectional area located at 60% of the thickness and extends to a cross-sectional area located at 80% of the thickness, wherein a third relative frequency of the out-of-plane solid elements in the third volume portion is assigned to be located at a cross-sectional area located at 70% of the thickness;
- wherein the section has a gradient in relative frequency of the out-of-plane solid elements across at least a portion of the thickness and the gradient is represented by a linear equation fit to the first relative frequency of the out-of-plane solid elements, the second relative frequency of the out-of-plane solid elements, and the third relative frequency of the out-of-plane solid elements;
- wherein the linear equation is y=mx+b, where y is the relative frequency of the out-of-plane solid elements (expressed in percentage), x is the assigned location within the thickness of the section (expressed in percentage of the thickness from the top surface of the section), m is the slope, and b is the y-intercept;
- wherein the slope is greater than or equal to −10 and less than or equal to −0.01;
- and
- wherein the linear equation has an R2 value of greater than or equal to 0.9.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.