Airless quench method and apparatus for meltblowing
AssigneeJ&M Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsMartin A. Allen, John T. Fetcko
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Meltblown thermoplastic fibers are cooled by microsized water droplets produced by airless ruby nozzles. The droplets have an average diameter of less than 20 microns.
Claims21
An apparatus for meltblowing thermoplastic materials, comprising:
- (a) a meltblowing die for extruding a thermoplastic to produce a plurality of side-by-side molten or semi-molten fibers;
- (b) a collector surface whereupon the extruded fibers deposit to form a nonwoven web;
- (c) a plurality of airless nozzles, each nozzle comprising (i) a plate having an orifice formed therein, (ii) an impact pin positioned opposite the orifice, and (iii) means for delivering pressurized water to the nozzles whereby water flows through each nozzle and impacts on the impact pin breaking the water into microsized droplets forming a fog;
- and
- (d) means for delivering the fog into contact with the fibers.
A method for cooling thermoplastic fibers discharged from a meltblowing die onto a collector, the improvement comprising contacting the fibers at a location between the discharge and collector with a fog of microsized water droplets generated by airless nozzles.
An apparatus for cooling meltblown thermoplastic fibers extruded from a meltblown die as a row of side-by-side fibers, and collected on a moving collector to form a nonwoven web, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) a duct having an outlet positioned adjacent to the row of fibers and directed thereat, and an inlet;
- (b) a row of airless nozzles mounted in the duct and extending parallel to the row of fibers, said nozzles generating a fog having a droplet size less than 20 microns;
- and
- (c) a fan for delivering air to the inlet to contact the fog and discharge an air/fog mixture from the duct outlet into contact with the row of fibers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.