Methods of creating soft and lofty nonwoven webs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12460330-B2
Application number	US-202318449737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2023
Priority date	Nov 30, 2018
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

A method of creating a soft and lofty continuous fiber nonwoven web is provided. The method includes providing molten polymer to a spinneret defining a plurality of orifices, and flowing a fluid intermediate the spinneret and a moving porous member. The moving porous member is positioned below the spinneret. The method includes using the fluid to draw or push the molten polymer, 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. The method includes depositing the continuous fiber strands on the moving porous member at a first location to create an intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web, and removing and/or diverting some of the fluid proximate to the first location to maintain loft and softness in the deposited intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of manufacturing a soft and lofty continuous fiber nonwoven web, the method comprising:
providing molten polymer to a spinneret defining a plurality of orifices; 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 molten polymer, 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 on the moving porous member at a first location to produce an intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web; first removing some of the fluid under the first location; second removing and/or diverting some of the fluid proximate to, but downstream of, the first location in a direction that is away from the deposited intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web to maintain loft and softness in the deposited intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web; reorienting the continuous fibers of the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web downstream of the first location; and blowing-off the second removed and/or diverted fluid downstream of the first location.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the blowing-off step comprises heating the fluid and pre-bonding portions of the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web on the moving porous member and downstream of the first location.

3 . The method of claim 1 , comprising:
providing a fluid handling roll proximate to the first location to accomplish the removing step and the blowing-off step, the fluid handling roll comprising:
an outer shell; and
a plurality of fluid ports defined in the outer shell;
rotating the fluid handling roll about a rotational axis;
wherein the fluid handling roll comprises a vacuum zone proximate to the first location and a blow-off zone downstream of the first location;
creating a negative fluid pressure in the fluid ports in the vacuum zone to remove the fluid proximate to the first location; and creating a positive fluid pressure in the fluid ports in the blow-off zone to blow-off the removed fluid downstream of the first location.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the second removed fluid is used to intermittently pre-bond portions of the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web downstream of the first location.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the moving porous member comprises a porous screen or mesh, the method comprising creating a negative fluid pressure in the moving porous member.

6 . The method of claim 1 , comprising:
providing a perforated roll or perforated plate downstream of the first location and proximate to the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web; and flowing a heated fluid through the perforations to intermittently pre-bond portions of the continuous fibers of the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web together.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the pre-bonds are intermittent in a machine direction and a cross-machine direction.

8 . The method of claim 1 , comprising:
third removing and/or diverting the fluid from the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web downstream of the first location to shield the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web from surrounding fluids.

9 . The method of claim 8 , comprising:
reducing vacuum forces applied to the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web during the third removing and/or diverting step.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the diverting step comprises providing an elongated plate or an elongated conveyor extending in a general direction of the moving porous member, and wherein the elongated plate or the elongated conveyer is positioned over at least a portion of the moving porous member.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the elongated plate or the elongated conveyor is angled with respect to a machine direction of the moving porous member in the range of about −40 degree to about 40 degrees, and wherein the elongated plate or the elongated conveyor is spaced a distance in the range of 0.5 mm to about 15 mm from the moving porous member.

12 . The method of claim 1 , comprising conveying the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web through a through-fluid bonding oven to form a continuous fiber nonwoven web.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the moving porous member comprises at least one portion that is non-porous.

14 . A method of manufacturing a soft and lofty continuous fiber nonwoven web, the method comprising:
providing molten polymer to a spinneret defining a plurality of orifices; 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 molten polymer, 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 on the moving porous member at a first location to produce an intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web; first removing some of the fluid under the first location; second removing and/or diverting some of the fluid proximate to, but downstream of, the first location in a direction that is not toward the deposited intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web to maintain loft and softness in the deposited intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web; reorienting the continuous fibers of the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web downstream of the first location; conveying the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web through a through-fluid bonding oven to form a continuous fiber nonwoven web; and blowing-off the second removed and/or diverted fluid downstream of the first location.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the blowing-off step comprises heating the fluid and pre-bonding portions of the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web on the moving porous member and downstream of the first location.

16 . The method of claim 14 , comprising:
providing a fluid handling roll proximate to the first location to accomplish the removing step and the blowing-off step, the fluid handling roll comprising:
an outer shell; and
a plurality of fluid ports defined in the outer shell;
rotating the fluid handling roll about a rotational axis;
wherein the fluid handling roll comprises a vacuum zone proximate to the first location and a blow-off zone downstream of the first location;
creating a negative fluid pressure in the fluid ports in the vacuum zone to remove the fluid proximate to the first location; and creating a positive fluid pressure in the fluid ports in the blow-off zone to blow-off the removed fluid downstream of the first location.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the second removed fluid is used to intermittently pre-bond portions of the intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web downstream of the first location.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the moving porous member comprises at least one portion that is non-porous.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Xu Han
• Erdem Gueltekin

Classifications

• B29C2791/006

  Using vacuum · CPC title

• B29C2791/003

  Making articles of indefinite length (B29C53/48 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D01F8/06

  with at least one polyolefin as constituent · CPC title

• D04H1/4382

  Stretched reticular film fibres; Composite fibres; Mixed fibres; Ultrafine fibres; Fibres for artificial leather · CPC title

• D04H1/4291

  Olefin series · CPC title