Equipment and processes for the application of atomized fluid to a web substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10060062-B2
Application number	US-201313774144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2013
Priority date	Feb 22, 2013
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for the application of atomized fluid to a web material having a first surface and a second surface opposed thereto is disclosed. The apparatus is provided with a fluid source disposed adjacent to the first surface of the web material and a receipt plenum disposed adjacent to the second surface of the web material. The receipt plenum provides a source of negative pressure to the second surface of the web material. A fluid disposed from the fluid source contacts the first surface of the web material and is caused to traverse therethrough by the source of negative pressure. A portion of the fluid contacting the first surface of the web material is contained by the receipt plenum.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for the application of steam and embossing to a permeable, web material comprising a wet-laid substrate, the apparatus comprising:
a source plenum comprising a fluid inlet configured to supply air;
a receipt plenum positioned adjacent to and above the source plenum, wherein the source plenum and the receipt plenum define an opening therethrough;
a permeable belt extending through the opening between the source plenum and the receipt plenum, wherein the permeable belt comprises a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the source plenum is in facing relationship to the first side of the permeable belt and the receipt plenum is in facing relationship to the second side of the permeable belt, wherein the web material comprising a wet-laid substrate is disposed on the first side of the permeable belt and in facing relationship with the source plenum;
a fluid source disposed within the source plenum, wherein the fluid source supplies steam such that the steam engages the web material comprising a wet-laid substrate and a portion of steam passes through the first side of permeable belt to the second side of the permeable belt and into the receipt plenum, and wherein the fluid source comprises an atomizer disposed in proximate fluid contact with the web material comprising a wet-laid substrate so that the cumulative volume median drop size of the fluid source is about 30 microns or less;
an exhaust operatively connected to the receipt plenum, wherein the exhaust provides a negative pressure causing the steam to pass through the web material comprising a wet-laid substrate and the permeable belt and into the receipt plenum;
an embossing unit situated downstream from the source and receipt plenums;
wherein the steam increases the temperature and the humidity of the web material comprising a wet-laid substrate; and
wherein the web material comprising a wet-laid substrate is embossed via the embossing unit downstream of the application of steam so that a deformation height from embossing is higher than that without the application of steam.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the exhaust comprises at least one of a pump, a fan, a blower, and a turbine.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the permeable belt is a continuous loop that traverses the opening and wherein the permeable belt is a foraminous woven member.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the permeable belt is provided with a continuous network region having a plurality of openings disposed within, and surrounded by, the continuous network region.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus provides substantially uniform flow of the atomized fluid across the permeable belt disposed proximate the opening.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the source plenum comprises a second fluid source and a third fluid source disposed adjacent the web material comprising a wet-laid substrate.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second fluid source supplies steam and the third fluid source supplies steam, such that the steam flows from the source plenum onto the web material comprising a wet-laid substrate.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the steam becomes entrapped by the web material comprising a wet-laid substrate.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the source of negative pressure provides the negative pressure to the web material comprising a wet-laid substrate while the web material comprising a wet-laid substrate traverses the opening.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid source provides the steam to at least one discrete portion of the permeable web material comprising a wet-laid substrate, the at least one discrete portion being disposed in the cross-machine direction of the web material comprising a wet-laid substrate and in registration with a downstream process.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid source provides the steam to a plurality of discrete portions, the plurality of discrete portions forming a pattern upon the web material comprising a wet-laid substrate.

Assignees

• Valle Miguel Angel
• Glass Katie Kristine
• Eroglu Hasan
• Loebker David Warren
• Alexander Kurt David
• Mellin Andre
• Mcneil Kevin Benson
• Cabell David William
• Michael John Gerhard
• Jackson Stanford Royce
• Knobloch Thorsten
• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Valle Miguel Angel
• Glass Katie Kristine
• Eroglu Hasan
• Loebker David Warren
• Alexander Kurt David
• Mellin André
• Mcneil Kevin Benson
• Cabell David William
• Michael John Gerhard
• Jackson Stanford Royce
• Knobloch Thorsten

Classifications

• D06C23/04

  by shrinking, embossing, moiréing, or crêping · CPC title

• D06B3/203

  by suction, e.g. by means of perforated drums · CPC title

• D06B1/02

  by spraying or projecting (D06B1/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D06B1/08

  from outlets being in, or almost in, contact with the textile material · CPC title

• B31F2201/0784

  Auxiliary operations · CPC title