Spinning apparatus, apparatus and process for manufacturing nonwoven fabric, and nonwoven fabric

Abstract

Provided are a spinning apparatus capable of stably spinning fibers having a small fiber diameter with a high productivity, an apparatus comprising the same for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric, a process for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric using the nonwoven fabric manufacturing apparatus, and a nonwoven fabric produced by the process. The spinning apparatus of the present invention comprises one or more exits for extruding liquid, which are capable of extruding a spinning liquid, and one or more exits for ejecting gas, which extend linearly and are located upstream of each of the exits for extruding liquid and which are capable of ejecting a gas, wherein a shearing force by the gas and its accompanying airstream can be single-linearly exerted on the spinning liquid extruded. The apparatus of the present invention for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric comprises a fibers collection means as well as the spinning apparatus. The process of the present invention for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric is a process using the apparatus for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric. The nonwoven fabric of the present invention is a nonwoven fabric produced by the process.

1 . A spinning apparatus comprising one or more exits for extruding liquid, which are capable of extruding a spinning liquid, and one or more exits for ejecting gas, which extend linearly and are located upstream of each of the exits for extruding liquid and which are capable of ejecting a gas, wherein
 (1) the spinning apparatus comprises a columnar hollow for liquid (Hl), in which the exit for extruding liquid forms one end of the columnar hollow for liquid,   (2) the spinning apparatus comprises a columnar hollow for gas (Hg) of which one end is the exit for ejecting gas,   (3) a virtual column for liquid (Hvl) which is extended from the columnar hollow for liquid (Hl) is located adjacent to a virtual column for gas (Hvg) which is extended from the columnar hollow for gas (Hg),   (4) a central axis of an extruding direction in the columnar hollow for liquid (Hl) is parallel to a central axis of an ejecting direction in the columnar hollow for gas (Hg), and   (5) when the columnar hollow for gas and the columnar hollow for liquid are cross-sectioned with a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the columnar hollow for gas (Hg), there exists only one straight line having the shortest distance between an outer boundary of the cross-section of the columnar hollow for gas (Hg) and an outer boundary of the cross-section of the columnar hollow for liquid (Hl).   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric, comprising the spinning apparatus according to  claim 1  and a fibers collection means. 
     
     
         3 . A process for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric, using the apparatus according to  claim 2 . 
     
     
         4 . A nonwoven fabric produced by the process according to  claim 3 .