Discretizer and method of using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11148147-B2
Application number	US-201916708596-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2019
Priority date	Jun 12, 2015
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

Discretizers that exhibit improved solid additive laden fluid flow emanating from the discretizers and methods of using same, particularly for making fibrous structures are provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for discretizing a source of solid additives, the method comprising the steps of providing a discretizer comprising a housing and a rotor movable within the housing, wherein the housing comprises a discharge outlet and one or more inserts such that the discharge outlet exhibits a discharge area less than a projected area upon a discharge plane of a screen that partially surrounds the rotor; supplying a source of solid additives selected from the group consisting of: bales of fibers, rolled pulp, web of pulp, and mixtures thereof to the discretizer such that the discretizer discretizes the source of solid additives into a plurality of solid additives during operation of the discretizer.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the discretizer is a hammer mill.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the discretizer avoids creating zones of separated flow during operation.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the discharge area in the discharge plane is oriented at a discharge angle of greater than 20°.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the discharge area of the discharge outlet is equal to or less than the rotor's projected area upon the discharge plane.

6. A method for discretizing a source of solid additives, the method comprising the steps of providing a hammer mill comprising a housing and a rotor movable within the housing, wherein the housing comprises a discharge outlet and one or more inserts such that the discharge outlet exhibits a discharge area less than a projected area upon a discharge plane of a screen; supplying a source of solid additives selected from the group consisting of: bales of fibers, rolled pulp, web of pulp, and mixtures thereof to the hammer mill such that the hammer mill discretizes the source of solid additives into a plurality of solid additives during operation of the hammer mill.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the hammer mill avoids creating zones of separated flow during operation.

8. The method according to claim 6 wherein the discharge area in the discharge plane is oriented at a discharge angle of greater than 20°.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the discharge area of the discharge outlet is equal to or less than the rotor's projected area upon the discharge plane.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Young Christopher Michael
• Barnholtz Steven Lee
• Wang Fei

Classifications

• B02C13/02 Primary

  with horizontal rotor shaft (with axial flow B02C13/10) · CPC title

• B02C2013/28609

  Discharge means · CPC title

• B32B7/04

  Interconnection of layers · CPC title

• B02C13/284

  Built-in screens · CPC title

• B32B5/26

  another layer {next to it} also being fibrous or filamentary {(relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12)} · CPC title