Method for forming spread nonwoven webs

Abstract

A new fiber-forming method, and related apparatus, and webs prepared by the new method and apparatus are taught. In the new method a) a stream of filaments is extruded from a die of known width and thickness; b) the stream of extruded filaments is directed through a processing chamber that is defined by two narrowly separated walls that are parallel to one another, parallel to said width of the die, and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stream of extruded filaments; c) the stream of filaments passed through the processing chamber is intercepted on a collector where the filaments are collected as a nonwoven fibrous web; and d) a spacing between the walls of the processing chamber is selected that causes the stream of extruded filaments to spread before it reaches the collector and be collected as a web significantly wider in width than the die. Generally the increase in width is sufficient to be economically significant, e.g., to reduce costs of web manufacture. Such economic benefit can occur in widths that are 50, 100 or 200 or more millimeters greater in width than the width of the die. Preferably, the collected web has a width at least 50 percent greater than said width of the die. The processing chamber is preferably open to the ambient environment at its longitudinal sides to allow pressure within the processing chamber to push the stream of filaments outwardly toward the longitudinal sides of the chamber.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for preparing a nonwoven fibrous web comprising a) extruding a stream of filaments from a die having a known width and thickness; b) directing the stream of extruded filaments through a processing chamber that is defined by two narrowly separated walls that are parallel to one another, parallel to said width of the die, and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stream of extruded filaments; c) intercepting the stream of filaments passed through the processing chamber on a collector where the filaments are collected as a nonwoven fibrous web; and d) selecting a spacing between the walls of the processing chamber that causes the stream of extruded filaments to spread and be collected as a functional web at least 50 millimeters wider than said width of the die.  
     
     
         2 . A method of  claim 1  in which the processing chamber defined by the two parallel walls is open to the ambient environment at its longitudinal sides.  
     
     
         3 . A method of  claim 1  in which the width of the walls in a direction transverse to the direction of filament travel is greater at points downstream of the filament travel than upstream points.  
     
     
         4 . A method of  claim 3  in which the processing chamber is closed to the ambient environment over at least part of the length of its longitudinal sides.  
     
     
         5 . A method of  claim 1  in which the parallel walls converge toward one another in the direction of filament travel.  
     
     
         6 . A method of  claim 1  in which the functional web collected is at least 100 millimeters wider than said width of the die.  
     
     
         7 . A method of  claim 1  in which the collected functional web is at least 200 millimeters wider than said width of the die.  
     
     
         8 . A method of  claim 1  in which the filaments spread to a width at least 50% greater than said width of the die before they reach the collector.  
     
     
         9 . A method of  claim 1  in which the filaments spread to a width at least two times said width of the die before they reach the collector.  
     
     
         10 . A method of  claim 1  in which the stream of filaments forms a lofty nonwoven web having a thickness of at least 5 mm and a loft of at least 10 cc/gram.  
     
     
         11 . A method of  claim 1  in which the solidity of the extruded filaments entering the processing chamber is controlled so that the filaments are autogenously bondable when collected on the collector.  
     
     
         12 . A method of  claim 1  in which at least one of the walls defining the processing chamber is instantaneously movable toward and away from the other wall and is subject to movement means for providing instantaneous movement during passage of the filaments.  
     
     
         13 . A method for preparing a nonwoven fibrous web comprising a) extruding a stream of filaments from a die having a known width and thickness; b) directing the stream of extruded filaments through a processing chamber that is defined by two narrowly separated walls that are parallel to one another, parallel to said width of the die, and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stream of extruded filaments; the processing chamber including air knives that exert a pulling force on the filaments in the direction of travel through the processing chamber; the parallel walls converging toward one another in the direction of filament travel at a point downstream from the air knives, and the processing chamber being open to the ambient environment at its longitudinal sides; c) intercepting the stream of filaments passed through the processing chamber on a collector where the processed filaments are collected as a nonwoven fibrous web; and d) selecting a spacing between the walls of the processing chamber that causes the stream of extruded filaments to spread and be collected as a functional web at least 100 millimeters wider than said width of the die.  
     
     
         14 . A method of  claim 13  in which the collected functional web has a width at least 200 millimeters greater than said width of the die.  
     
     
         15 . A method of  claim 13  in which the collected functional web has a width at least 50 percent greater than the width of said die.  
     
     
         16 . A method of  claim 13  in which at least one of the walls defining the processing chamber is instantaneously movable toward and away from the other wall and is subject to movement means for providing instantaneous movement during passage of the filaments.  
     
     
         17 . A method for preparing a nonwoven fibrous web comprising a) extruding a stream of filaments from a die having a known width; b) directing the stream of extruded filaments through a processing chamber that is defined by two narrowly separated walls that are parallel to one another, parallel to said width of the die, and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stream of extruded filaments; the processing chamber including air knives exerting a pulling force on the filaments in the direction of filament travel; c) intercepting the stream of filaments on a collector where the processed filaments are collected as nonwoven fibrous web; and d) selecting a spacing between the walls of the processing chamber, and arranging those walls to diverge away from one another in the direction of filament travel over a main length of the processing chamber downstream from the air knives, whereby to cause the stream of extruded filaments to have a selected width narrower than said width of the die before the stream reaches the collector.  
     
     
         18 . A fibrous nonwoven web comprising a collected mass of fibers prepared by the method of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         19 . A web of  claim 18  in which the collected mass of fibers is at least 5 mm thick and has a loft of at least 10 cc/g.  
     
     
         20 . A web of  claim 18  in which fibers of the collected mass are autogenously bonded together.  
     
     
         21 . A web of  claim 18  in which the collected mass of fibers in the fibrous nonwoven web comprises only fibers that traveled within the processing chamber over the length of the chamber.  
     
     
         22 . A fibrous nonwoven web comprising a collected mass of fibers prepared by a method of  claim 13 .  
     
     
         23 . A web of  claim 22  in which the collected mass of fibers is at least 5 mm thick and has a loft of at least 10 cc/g.  
     
     
         24 . A web of  claim 22  in which fibers of the collected mass are autogenously bonded together.