Method and apparatus for manufacturing non-woven articles
AssigneeEldim, Inc.
InventorGeorge J. Bontaites, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of manufacturing a non-woven material using a contoured honeycomb drum with an outer microporous surface, more particularly with a contoured outer surface, for the manufacture of contoured non-woven fibrous materials. The method can use spunbond or melt blown techniques for depositing solidifying filaments on the microporous surface such that the non-woven material conforms to the contour of the drum, and then removing the non-woven material from the drum. The drum of the current invention facilitates continuous production of non-woven articles with three dimensional shapes such as surgical masks or pleated air filters.
Claims6
A method of forming a non-woven article comprising the steps of:
- providing a drum comprising:
- a generally tubular honeycomb member having an outer surface forming a contour;
- depositing solidifying filaments on the contour to form a non-woven fibrous material substantially matching at least a portion of the contour;
- and
- removing the fibrous material from the drum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.