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US 6,846,448 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for making on-line stabilized absorbent materials
AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
InventorsTimothy James Rymer, Michael Barth Venturino, Mark Scott Lancaster, Robert Eugene Vogt, Dennis John DeGroot, Michael Joseph Garvey, James Alvin Boldra, Frank Paul Abuto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for forming a stabilized airlaid layer (86) can include an airforming of a substantially unbonded fibrous layer (66) which includes absorbent fibers and binder-fibers. The fibrous layer (66) is exposed to high-frequency electromagnetic energy during a distinctively short activation period to activate the binder-fibers to provide the stabilized, airlaid layer (86). In a particular aspect the activation period can be not more than about 3 sec.
Claims20
A method for forming a stabilized airlaid layer, comprising:
- an airforming of a substantially unbonded fibrous layer, which is substantially free of active inter-fiber bonds, said fibrous layer including absorbent fibers arid binder-fibers;
- a moving of said fibrous layer at a fibrous layer speed of at least a minimum of about 0.5 m/sec;
- and
- an exposing of said fibrous layer to high-frequency electromagnetic energy during an activation period of not more than a maximum of about 3 sec to activate said binder-fibers to provide said stabilized, airlaid layer.
1 more element
A method for forming a stabilized airlaid layer, comprising:
- an airforming of a substantially unbonded fibrous layer, which is substantially free of active inter-fiber bonds, said fibrous layer including substantially unbonded absorbent fibers and substantially unbonded binder-fibers which are substantially unbonded to one another;
- a moving of said fibrous layer at a fibrous layer speed of at least a minimum of about 0.5 m/sec;
- and
- an exposing of said fibrous layer to high-frequency electromagnetic energy during an activation period of not more than a maximum of about 3 sec to activate said binder-fibers to provide a stabilized, airlaid layer.
1 more element
A method for forming an airlaid layer, comprising:
- an airforming of a fibrous layer which includes absorbent fibers and binder-fibers, said absorbent fibers and binder-fibers arranged substantially free of active inter-fiber bonds, and said fibrous layer formed with a cross-directional width that substantially corresponds to a single-article dimension;
- a moving of said fibrous layer at a fibrous layer speed of at least a minimum of about 0.5 m/sec;
- an exposing of said fibrous layer to high-frequency electromagnetic energy during an activation period of not more than a maximum of about 3 sec to activate said binder-fibers to provide a stabilized, airlaid layer.
A method for forming an airlaid layer, comprising:
- an airforming of a fibrous layer which includes absorbent fibers and binder-fibers;
- a moving of said fibrous layer at a fibrous layer speed of at least a minimum of about 0.5 m/sec;
- an exposing of said fibrous layer to high-frequency electromagnetic energy in a tuned activation chamber during an activation period of not more than a maximum or about 3 sec to thereby activate said binder-fibers to provide a stabilized, airlaid layer, said activation chamber operatively tuned to provide a reflected power value of not more than a maximum of about 50%.
A method for forming an airlaid layer, comprising:
- an airforming of a fibrous layer which includes absorbent fibers and binder-fibers, said absorbent fibers and binder-fibers arranged substantially free of active inter-fiber bonds;
- a moving of said fibrous layer at a fibrous layer speed of at least a minimum of about 0.5 m/sec;
- an exposing of said fibrous layer to high-frequency electromagnetic energy in a tuned activation chamber to activate said binder-fibers and thereby provide a stabilized, airlaid layer, said activation chamber operatively tuned to provide a Q-factor of at least a minimum of about 200.
A method for forming an airlaid layer, comprising:
- an airforming of a fibrous layer which includes absorbent fibers and binder-fibers, said absorbent fibers and binder-fibers substantially free of active inter-fiber bonds, and said fibrous layer formed with a non-constant, contoured basis weight;
- a moving of said fibrous layer at a fibrous layer speed of at least a minimum of about 0.5 m/sec;
- an exposing of said binder-fibers to high-frequency electromagnetic energy during an activation period of not more than a maximum of about 3 sec to provide a stabilized, airlaid layer.
A method for forming a stabilized airlaid layer, comprising:
- a providing of absorbent fibers with a fiberizer;
- a directing of said absorbent fibers into a forming chamber;
- an introducing of binder-fibers into said forming chamber by directing said binder-fibers into said forming chamber at an binder-fiber inlet location that is closely adjacent said fiberizer;
- an airforming of a fibrous layer which includes a mixture of said absorbent fibers and binder-fibers, said absorbent fibers and binder-fibers arranged substantially free of active inter-fiber bonds;
- a moving of said fibrous layer at a fibrous layer speed of at least, minimum of about 0.5 m/sec;
- an exposing of said fibrous layer to high-frequency electromagnetic energy during an activation period of not more than a maximum of about 3 sec to thereby activate said binder-fibers to provide said stabilized, airlaid layer.
3 more elements
A method for forming a stabilized airlaid layer, comprising:
- an airforming of a fibrous layer which includes absorbent fibers and binder-fibers, said absorbent fibers and binder-fibers arranged substantially free of active inter-fiber bonds, said binder-fibers having a fiber length of at least a minimum of about 6 mm;
- a moving of said fibrous layer at a fibrous layer speed of at least a minimum of about 0.5 m/sec;
- and
- an exposing of said fibrous layer to high-frequency electromagnetic energy during an activation period of not more than a maximum of about 3 sec to activate said binder-fibers to provide said stabilized, airlaid layer.
1 more element
A method for forming an airlaid layer, comprising:
- an airforming of a fibrous layer which includes absorbent fibers and binder-fibers;
- a moving of said fibrous layer at a fibrous layer speed of at least a minimum of about 0.5 m/sec;
- an exposing of said fibrous layer to high-frequency electromagnetic energy during an activation period of not more than a maximum of about 3 sec to activate said binder-fibers to provide a stabilized, airlaid layer;
- a presenting of said stabilized layer at a setting temperature of not more than about 200° C. which is provided within a period of not more than about 3 sec after an ending of said exposing of the fibrous layer to high-frequency electromagnetic energy;
- a debulking of said stabilized layer to increase a density thereof, said debulking occurring at a temperature that is not higher than said setting temperature.
2 more elements
A method for forming an airlaid layer, comprising:
- an airforming of a fibrous layer which includes absorbent fibers and binder-fibers, said absorbent fibers and binder-fibers arranged substantially free of active inter-fiber bonds said fibrous layer having an average density of not more than a maximum of about 0.1 g/cm3, and an average basis weight of at least about 100 g/cm2;
- an exposing of said fibrous layer to high-frequency electromagnetic energy during an activation period of not more than a maximum of about 3 sec to activate said binder-fibers arid provide a stabilized, airlaid layer, said electromagnetic energy having a frequency of at least about 0.3 MHz;
- a debulking of said stabilized layer to provide a debulked, stabilized layer having a relatively greater average density.
A method for forming an airlaid layer, comprising:
- a providing of absorbent fibers from a fiberizer into a forming chamber;
- an introducing of a metered amount of binder-fibers into said forming chamber by directing said binder-fibers into said forming chamber at an binder-fiber inlet location that is closely adjacent said fiberizer;
- an airforming of an fibrous layer within said forming chamber, said fibrous layer including a mixture of said absorbent fibers and said binder-fibers, said absorbent fibers and binder-fibers arranged substantially free of active inter-fiber bonds;
- a scarfing of said fibrous layer to provide
- an average fibrous layer density of not more than a maximum of about 0.1 g/cm3, and
- a fibrous layer, basis weight of at least about 100 g/m2;
- a moving of said fibrous layer at a fibrous layer speed of at least a minimum of about 0.5 m/sec;
- an exposing of said fibrous layer to high-frequency electromagnetic energy during an activation period of not more than a maximum of about 3 sec to thereby activate said binder-fibers and provide a stabilized, airlaid layer, said electromagnetic energy having a frequency of at least about 0.3 MHz;
- a debulking of said stabilized layer to provide a debulked, stabilized layer having a relatively greater average density.
6 more elements
A method for forming an airlaid layer, comprising:
- an airforming of a fibrous layer which includes absorbent fibers and binder-fibers, said absorbent fibers and binder-fibers arranged substantially free of active inter-fiber bonds;
- a moving of said fibrous layer at a fibrous layer speed of at least a minimum of about 0.5 m/sec;
- an exposing of said fibrous layer to high-frequency electromagnetic energy in a tuned activation chamber during an activation period of not more than a maximum of about 3 sec to activate said binder-fibers to provide a stabilized, airlaid layer, said electromagnetic energy having a frequency of at least about 0.3 MHz;
- a tuning of said activation chamber to provide a Q-factor of at least about 200 when activating said binder-fibers, said tuning employing a variable geometry activation chamber.
1 more element
A method for forming an airlaid layer, comprising:
- a providing of absorbent fibers with a fiberizer,
- a directing of said absorbent fibers into a forming chamber;
- an introducing of a metered amount of binder-fibers into said forming chamber by directing said binder-fibers into said forming chamber at an binder-fiber inlet location that is closely adjacent said fiberizer, said metered amount of binder-fibers arranged to provide not more than about 30 wt % of said stabilized airlaid layer;
- an airforming of a fibrous layer within said forming chamber, said fibrous layer including a mixture of said absorbent fibers and said binder-fibers, said absorbent fibers and binder-fibers arranged substantially free of active inter-fiber bonds, and said fibrous layer formed with a cross-directional width that substantially corresponds to a selected single-article dimension;
- a scarfing of said fibrous layer to provide at least a portion of said fibrous layer with a basis weight of at least about 100 g/m2;
- a moving of said fibrous layer to provide a fibrous layer speed of at least a minimum of about 0.5 m/sec;
- an exposing of said fibrous layer to high-frequency electromagnetic energy within a tuned activation chamber during an activation period of not more than a maximum of about 3 sec to activate said binder-fibers to provide a stabilized, airlaid layer, said electromagnetic energy having a frequency of at least about 0.3 MHz;
- a tuning of said activation chamber to provide Q-factor of at least about 200 when activating said binder-fibers, said tuning employing a variable geometry activation chamber and a variable impedance;
- and
- a debulking of said stabilized layer to provide a debulked, stabilized layer having an average density of at least a minimum of about 0.05 g/cm3.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.