Forming system for the manufacture of thermoplastic nonwoven webs and laminates

An air handler for positioning below a melt spinning apparatus configured to discharge filaments of material onto a collector moving in a machine direction and collecting air discharged from the melt spinning apparatus, said air handler comprising:

• an outer housing having first walls defining a first interior space, one of said first walls having an intake opening positioned below the collector for admitting the discharged air into said first interior space and another of said first walls having an exhaust opening for exhausting the discharged air;
• an inner housing positioned within said first interior space and having second walls defining a second interior space coupled in fluid communication with said exhaust opening in said outer housing, one of said second walls of said inner housing having an elongate slot with a major dimension extending in cross-machine direction, said elongate slot coupling said first interior space in fluid communication with said second interior space;
• and
• an air-directing member positioned outside of said first interior space proximate to said intake opening, said air-directing member extending in a cross-machine direction and dividing said intake opening into first and second portions in the machine direction.

A system for depositing a spunbond layer on a collector moving in a machine direction, comprising:

• a melt spinning apparatus operative to extrude filaments of material, said melt spinning apparatus positioned vertically above the collector;
• and
• an air management operative to collect air discharged from the melt spinning apparatus, said air handler comprising:
• a first air handler positioned directly below said melt spinning apparatus in a forming zone, a second air handler being positioned upstream of the second air handler and the forming zone, and a third air handler being positioned downstream of the second air handler and the forming zone, each of said air handlers including:
• an outer housing having first walls defining a first interior space, one of said first walls having an intake opening positioned below the collector for admitting the discharged air into said first interior space and another of said first walls having an exhaust opening for exhausting the discharged air;
• and
• an inner housing positioned within said first interior space and having second walls defining a second interior space coupled in fluid communication with said exhaust opening in said outer housing, one of said second walls of said inner housing having an elongate slot with a major dimension extending in cross-machine direction, said elongate slot coupling said first interior space in fluid communication with said second interior space;
• and
• said second and third air handlers each including:
• an air-directing member positioned outside of said first interior space proximate to a corresponding one of said intake openings, said air-directing member extending in a cross-machine direction and dividing said corresponding one of said intake openings into first and second portions in the machine direction;
• and
• an adjustable flow control device positioned in said first interior space, said first flow control device operative for controlling the flow of the discharged air between said first interior space and said second interior space.

A apparatus configured to discharge filaments of material onto a collector moving in a machine direction, comprising:

• a melt spinning apparatus operative for extruding filaments of material;
• a filament drawing device positioned between said melt spinning apparatus and the collector, said filament drawing device having an inlet for receiving the filaments of material from said melt spinning apparatus and an outlet for discharging said filaments of material toward the collector, said filament drawing device operative for providing a flow of process air sufficient to attenuate the filaments of material and the flow of process air entraining secondary air from the ambient environment between said outlet and the collector;
• an air handler having an intake opening positioned proximate to the collector, said air handler collecting process air discharged from said filament drawing device and entrained secondary air through said intake opening;
• and
• a forming chamber having a side wall at least partially surrounding said intake opening of said air handler and said outlet of said filament drawing device, an entrance opening downstream of the intake opening, and an exit opening upstream of the intake opening, said side wall defining a process space for the passage of the filaments of material from said outlet of said filament drawing device to the collector and partitioning said process space from the surrounding ambient environment and said entrance and exit openings dimensioned so that at least the collector can traverse said process space, and said side wall of said forming chamber including a perforated metering sheet configured to regulate the flow of air from the ambient environment into said process space.

A method for depositing a nonwoven web of filaments of material on a collector moving in a machine direction, comprising:

• extruding filaments of material from a melt spinning assembly;
• mixing the filaments of material with a flow of process air;
• depositing the filaments of material on the collector;
• and
• collecting the process air with an intake opening of an air management system having a substantially uniform collection of the process air in a cross-machine direction and a selectively variable ratio of air flow velocity in the machine direction to air flow velocity in the machine direction.