Coforming Processes and Forming Boxes Used Therein

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016355950-A1
Application number	US-201514970586-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2015
Priority date	Jun 3, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Coforming processes for commingling two or more separate materials, for example solid additives, for example fibers and/or particulates, and filaments, and equipment; namely, forming boxes, useful in such coforming processes and more particularly to coforming processes for commingling filaments with one or more fibers, such as pulp fibers, and forming boxes useful therein are provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A coform box defined by a housing comprising one or more filament inlets and one or more additive inlets such that at least one of the one or more filament inlets is at an angle of less than 90° to at least one of the additive inlets.

2 . The coform box according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the filament inlets is a polymer filament inlet.

3 . The coform box according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the filament inlets is in fluid communication with a die.

4 . The coform box according to claim 3 wherein the die is a multi-row capillary die.

5 . The coform box according to claim 1 wherein the coform box is geometrically symmetric with respect to the coform box's cross machine-direction axis.

6 . The coform box according to claim 1 wherein the coform box exhibits symmetric momentum with respect to the coform box's cross machine-direction axis.

7 . The coform box according to claim 1 wherein the coform box exhibits symmetric horizontal momentum with respect to the coform box's cross machine-direction axis.

8 . The coform box according to claim 1 wherein the at least one filament inlet is at an angle of less than 85° to the at least one additive inlet.

9 . The coform box according to claim 1 wherein the at least one filament inlet is positioned between two of the additive inlets.

10 . The coform box according to claim 1 wherein the coform box exhibits a JAR of greater than 0.5 during operation.

11 . The coform box according to claim 1 wherein the coform box exhibits a JAR of less than 15 during operation.

12 . The coform box according to claim 1 wherein one or more of the polymer filament inlets are in fluid communication with a polymer filament source during operation.

13 . The coform box according to claim 1 wherein the polymer filament source comprises a spinnerette.

14 . The coform box according to claim 1 wherein the additive inlets are in fluid communication with an additive source.

15 . The coform box according to claim 1 wherein at least two of the additive inlets are independently controllable during operation.

16 . The coform box according to claim 15 wherein the at least two additive inlets are independently controllable with respect to concentration, type of additive, composition, aspect ratio of additive, and mixtures thereof.

17 . The coform box according to claim 1 wherein at least two of the filament inlets are independently controllable during operation.

18 . The coform box according to claim 17 wherein the at least two filament inlets are independently controllable with respect to concentration, type of polymer, composition, aspect ratio of additive, and mixtures thereof.

19 . The coform box according to claim 1 wherein the angle is controllable.

20 . The coform box according to claim 1 wherein the angle is adjustable.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Young Christopher Michael
• Wang Fei
• Barnholtz Steven Lee
• Eroglu Hasan
• Stewart Edwin Arthur
• Mckibben John Ferney
• Mellin Gustav Andre

Classifications

• D01D5/0985

  by means of a flowing gas (e.g. melt-blowing) · CPC title

• D01F11/00 Primary

  Chemical after-treatment of artificial filaments or the like during manufacture · CPC title

• D01D5/00

  Formation of filaments, threads, or the like · CPC title

• D01D5/06 Primary

  Wet spinning methods {(D01D5/0046 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• D04H1/732

  by fluid current, e.g. air-lay · CPC title