Thickness/weight profiled fibrous blanket; profiled density and/or thickness product; and method

A method of making a fibrous blanket with a profiled weight and thickness, comprising:

• forming a fiber containing gas stream;
• directing the fiber containing gas stream toward a moving gas permeable collection conveyor;
• manipulating the fiber containing gas stream as the fiber containing gas stream travels toward the gas permeable collection conveyor to collect the fibers, in selected varying amounts, across a width of the gas permeable collection conveyor that is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the gas permeable collection conveyor, to form a fibrous blanket;
• the fibrous blanket being a coherent randomly oriented entangled mass of the fibers;
• the fibrous blanket having a width, a length and a thickness;
• the fibrous blanket having first and second major surfaces that are each defined by the width and length of the fibrous blanket;
• the first major surface of the fibrous blanket being substantially planar;
• the second major surface of the fibrous blanket being non-planar;
• the fibrous blanket having first and second lateral edges that each extend between the first and second major surfaces of the fibrous blanket for the length of the fibrous blanket;
• the fibrous blanket having a weight per unit area of the first major surface of the fibrous blanket;
• and the weight of the fibrous blanket per unit area of the first major surface of the fibrous blanket and the thickness the fibrous blanket varying, in a selected manner across the width of the fibrous blanket, in a direction perpendicular to the first and second lateral edges of the fibrous blanket as a function of a perpendicular distance from the first lateral edge of the fibrous blanket.

A method of making a molded part, comprising:

• forming a fibrous blanket;
• the fibrous blanket being a coherent randomly oriented entangled mass of the fibers;
• the fibrous blanket containing an uncured binder for bonding fibers of the fibrous blanket together at their points of intersection;
• the fibrous blanket having a width, a length and a thickness;
• the fibrous blanket having first and second major surfaces that are each defined by the width and length of the fibrous blanket;
• the first major surface of the fibrous blanket being substantially planar;
• the second major surface of the fibrous blanket being non-planar;
• the fibrous blanket having first and second lateral edges that each extend between the first and second major surfaces of the fibrous blanket for the length of the fibrous blanket;
• the fibrous blanket having a weight per unit area of the first major surface of the fibrous blanket;
• and the weight of the fibrous blanket per unit area of the first major surface of the fibrous blanket and the thickness the fibrous blanket varying, in a selected manner across the width of the fibrous blanket, in a direction perpendicular to the first and second lateral edges of the fibrous blanket as a function of a perpendicular distance from the first lateral edge of the fibrous blanket;
• locating the fibrous blanket between mold sections that, when brought together, have spaced apart opposing surfaces that form a mold cavity having a desired configuration for the molded part;
• compressing the fibrous blanket between the mold sections, to shape the fibrous blanket to conform to the configuration of the mold cavity, by bringing the mold sections together with the fibrous blanket located between the mold sections;
• and
• at least partially setting the binder within the fibrous blanket, while the fibrous blanket is compressed between the mold sections, sufficiently to cause the fibrous blanket to substantially retain the configuration of the mold cavity after the fibrous blanket is removed from the mold cavity as the molded part.

An apparatus for forming a fibrous blanket with a profiled weight and thickness, comprising:

• a gas permeable collection conveyor;
• the gas permeable collection conveyor having a width and a length;
• drive means for moving the gas permeable collection conveyor in a direction perpendicular to the width of the gas permeable collection conveyor;
• means for drawing gases through the gas permeable collection conveyor in a direction from an outer fiber collection surface of the gas permeable collection conveyor to an inner surface of the gas permeable collection conveyor;
• means for creating a fiber containing gas stream and directing the fiber containing gas stream toward the outer fiber collection surface of the gas permeable collection conveyor;
• and
• means for manipulating the fiber containing gas stream as the fiber containing gas stream travels toward the outer collection surface of gas permeable collection conveyor to collect the fibers in selected varying amounts across a width of the gas permeable collection conveyor, perpendicular to the direction of movement of the gas permeable collection conveyor, to form a fibrous blanket;
• the fibrous blanket being a coherent randomly oriented entangled mass of the fibers;
• the fibrous blanket having a width, a length and a thickness;
• the fibrous blanket having first and second major surfaces that are each defined by the width and length of the fibrous blanket;
• the first major surface of the fibrous blanket being substantially planar;
• the second major surface of the fibrous blanket being non-planar;
• the fibrous blanket having first and second lateral edges that each extend between the first and second major surfaces of the fibrous blanket for the length of the fibrous blanket;
• the fibrous blanket having a weight per unit area of the first major surface of the fibrous blanket;
• and the weight of the fibrous blanket per unit area of the first major surface of the fibrous blanket and the thickness the fibrous blanket varying, in a selected manner across the width of the fibrous blanket, in a direction perpendicular to the first and second lateral edges of the fibrous blanket as a function of a perpendicular distance from the first lateral edge of the fibrous blanket.