Methods for producing through-fluid bonded nonwoven webs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12320046-B2
Application number	US-202318317143-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2023
Priority date	Nov 30, 2018
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

Abstract

A method of creating a soft and lofty continuous fiber nonwoven web is provided. The method includes providing first and second, different molten polymers to a spinneret defining a plurality of orifices and flowing a fluid intermediate the spinneret and a moving porous member. The method includes using the fluid to draw the first and second molten polymers, in a direction toward the porous member, through at least some of the plurality of orifices to form a plurality of individual continuous fiber strands. The method includes depositing the continuous fiber strands onto the porous member at a first location to produce an intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web, and varying, in at least two different zones, a vacuum force applied to the moving porous member and to the intermediate web downstream of the first location and without any heat applied.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of creating a soft and lofty continuous fiber nonwoven web, the method comprising:
providing a first molten polymer and a second molten polymer to a spinneret defining a plurality of orifices, wherein the first molten polymer has a first melting temperature, wherein the second molten polymer has a second melting temperature, and wherein the first melting temperature is in the range of about 10 degrees C. to about 180 degrees C. different than the second melting temperature;
flowing a fluid intermediate the spinneret and a moving porous member, wherein the moving porous member is positioned below the spinneret;
using the fluid to draw or push the first and second molten polymer components, in a direction that is toward the moving porous member, through at least some of the plurality of orifices to form a plurality of individual continuous fiber strands;
depositing the continuous fiber strands onto the moving porous member at a first location to produce an intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web;
varying, in different machine direction oriented zones, a vacuum force applied to the moving porous member and to the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web downstream of the first location and downstream of a vacuum box under the first location; and
varying a temperature applied to the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web after varying the vacuum force, wherein varying the temperature consists of:
applying heat to the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web; and
applying cooling to the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the moving porous member comprises:
a first zone downstream of the first location;
a second zone downstream of the first zone;
a third zone downstream of the second zone; and
a fourth zone downstream of the third zone;
wherein a first vacuum force is applied to the moving porous member and to the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web in the first zone and the third zone;
wherein a second vacuum force is applied to the moving porous member and to the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web in the second and fourth zones; and
wherein the second vacuum force is less than the first vacuum force.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second vacuum force is about zero.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the moving porous member comprises:
a fifth zone downstream of the fourth zone; and
a sixth zone downstream of the fifth zone;
wherein the first vacuum force is applied to the moving porous member and to the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web in the fifth zone; and
wherein the second vacuum force is applied to the moving porous member and to the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web in the sixth zone.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first zone, the second zone, the third zone, and the fourth zone has a different length in the machine direction than at least one other length in the machine direction of the first zone, the second zone, the third zone, and the fourth zone.

6. The method of claim 2 , comprising blocking the second vacuum force from contact with the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web in at least one of the second zone and the fourth zone.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
through-fluid bonding the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web after the varying the temperature step to produce a continuous fiber nonwoven web.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web comprises crimped fibers.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the applying heat step is before the applying cooling step.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the applying cooling step is before the applying heat step.

11. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
reducing or eliminating the vacuum being applied to the moving porous member and to the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web after the applying cooling step and before the through-fluid bonding step.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising:
heating the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web during the reducing or eliminating the vacuum step.

13. The method of claim 7 , comprising:
after the through-fluid bonding step, conveying the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web over a distance without further through-fluid bonding, and then second through-fluid bonding the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web to produce a continuous fiber nonwoven web.

14. The method of claim 1 , comprising allowing at least some of the continuous fibers of the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web to crimp on the moving porous member proximate to or downstream of the first location.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the continuous fiber strands comprise polyethylene and polypropylene.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the continuous fiber strands comprise polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and/or polylactic acid.

17. The method of claim 1 , comprising aspirating the continuous fiber strands intermediate the spinneret and the moving porous member.

18. The method of claim 1 , comprising passing the continuous fiber strands through a venturi intermediate the spinneret and the moving porous member.

19. The method of claim 1 , comprising providing hot air during the varying the vacuum force step, wherein the hot air is in the range of about 30 degrees C. to about 130 degrees C.

20. A method of creating a soft and lofty continuous fiber nonwoven web, the method comprising:
providing a first molten polymer and a second molten polymer to a spinneret defining a plurality of orifices, wherein the first molten polymer has a first melting temperature, wherein the second molten polymer has a second melting temperature, and wherein the first melting temperature is in the range of about 10 degrees C. to about 180 degrees C. different than the second melting temperature;
flowing a fluid intermediate the spinneret and a moving porous member, wherein the moving porous member is positioned below the spinneret;
using the fluid to draw or push the first and second molten polymer components, in a direction that is toward the moving porous member, through at least some of the plurality of orifices to form a plurality of individual continuous fiber strands;
depositing the continuous fiber strands onto the moving porous member at a first location to produce an intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web;
varying, in at least two different machine direction zones, a vacuum force applied to the moving porous member and to the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web downstream of the first location and downstream of a vacuum box under the first location;
varying, in at least two different cross-machine direction zones, a vacuum force applied to the moving porous member;
through-fluid bonding the web to produce a continuous fiber nonwoven web;
after the through-fluid bonding step, conveying the continuous fiber nonwoven web over a distance without further through-fluid bonding; and
second through-fluid bonding the continuous fiber nonwoven web.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Brennan Jonathan P
• Auer Jeffrey A
• Monebrake David Wesley
• Dreher Andreas J
• Debeer Antonius Lambertus

Classifications

• D10B2321/022

  polypropylene · CPC title

• D02G1/004

  by heating fibres, filaments, yarns or threads so as to create a temperature gradient across their diameter, thereby imparting them latent asymmetrical shrinkage properties · CPC title

• B29L2031/731

  Filamentary material, i.e. comprised of a single element, e.g. filaments, strands, threads, fibres (cables B29L2031/707) · CPC title

• B29L2031/726

  Fabrics (nets B29L2028/00) · CPC title

• B29C2791/006

  Using vacuum · CPC title