INDUSTRIAL FABRIC INCLUDING SPIRALLY WOUND MATERIAL STRIPS WITH REINFORCEMENT

• US 20130086781A1
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Albany International Corporation
• Original Assignee: Albany International Corporation
• Inventors: Eagles, Dana, Hansen, Robert, Karlsson, Jonas
• Granted Patent: US 8,728,280 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 28/104
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/14 characterised by the properties of the layers
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/732 by fluid current, e.g. air-lay
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 18/00 Needling machines
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 5/03 by fluid jet
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 1/0072 Link belts
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 1/0081 with single endless strands travelling in generally parallel convolutions
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 7/083 Multi-layer felts
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 7/086 Substantially impermeable for transferring fibrous webs

Abstract

An industrial fabric such as an endless belt or sleeve for use in the production of nonwovens, and a method of making thereof are disclosed. The industrial fabric is produced by spirally winding strips of polymeric material, such as an industrial strapping or ribbon material, and joining the adjoining sides of the strips of material using ultrasonic welding or laser welding techniques. The fabric may then be perforated using a suitable technique to make it permeable to air and/or water.

Claims

1. A belt or sleeve for use in nonwoven production, said belt or sleeve comprising:

one or more spirally wound strips of polymeric material, wherein said one or more strips of polymeric material is an industrial strapping or ribbon material.

2. The belt or sleeve according to claim 1, wherein said belt or sleeve is used in airlaid, melt blowing, spunbonding, or hydroentangling process.

3. The belt or sleeve according to claim 1, wherein said industrial strapping or ribbon material has a thickness of 0.30 mm or more, and a width of 10 mm or more.

4. The belt or sleeve according to claim 1, wherein said belt or sleeve is permeable or impermeable to air and/or water.

5. The belt or sleeve according to claim 4, wherein said belt or sleeve is permeable to air and/or water, and through voids or holes in said belt or sleeve are created using a mechanical or thermal means.

6. The belt or sleeve according to claim 5, wherein said through voids or holes are formed in a predetermined size, shape or orientation.

7. The belt or sleeve according to claim 6, wherein said through voids or holes have a nominal diameter in the range of 0.005 inches to 0.01 inches or more.

8. The belt or sleeve according to claim 1, further comprising one or more layers of woven or nonwoven materials, MD or CD yarn arrays, spirally wound strips of woven material having a width less than the width of the belt or sleeve, fibrous webs, films, or a combination thereof.

9. The belt or sleeve according to claim 1, wherein adjacent strips of polymeric material are mechanically interlocked.

10. The belt or sleeve according to claim 1, wherein said belt or sleeve has a texture on one or both surfaces.

11. The belt or sleeve according to claim 10, wherein said texture is provided by sanding, graving, embossing or etching.

12. The belt or sleeve according to claim 1, wherein said belt or sleeve is smooth on one or both surfaces.

13. The belt or sleeve according to claim 1, wherein said belt or sleeve comprises at least two layers of strapping materials spirally wound in opposite directions to each other, or opposite to the MD.

14. The belt or sleeve according to claim 1, further comprising a functional coating on one or both sides of the belt or sleeve.

15. The belt or sleeve according to claim 8, wherein said one or more layers is provided on one or both sides of the belt or sleeve, or in between two layers of strapping.

16. The belt or sleeve according to claim 14, wherein the functional coating has a texture on its top surface.

17. The belt or sleeve according to claim 1, wherein said industrial strapping or ribbon material includes a reinforcing material oriented in the MD of the fabric, sleeve or belt selected from the group consisting of fibers, yarns, monofilaments and multifilament yarns.

18. The fabric, belt or sleeve according to claim 17, wherein said fibers, yarns, monofilaments and multifilament yarns are made of a material selected from the group consisting of aramids, thermoplastic polymers, thermosetting polymers, glass, carbon, and steel.

19. A method for forming a belt or sleeve for use in nonwoven production, the method comprising the steps of:

spirally winding one or more strips of polymeric material around a plurality of rolls, wherein said one or more strips of polymeric material is an industrial strapping or ribbon material; and

joining edges of adjacent strips of material using a predetermined technique.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said predetermined technique is laser, infrared or ultrasonic welding.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein said industrial strapping or ribbon material has a thickness of 0.30 mm or more, and a width of 10 mm or more.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein said belt or sleeve is made permeable or impermeable to air and/or water.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said belt or sleeve is made permeable to air and/or water by creating through voids or holes in said belt or sleeve using a mechanical or thermal means.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein said through voids or holes are formed in a predetermined size, shape or orientation.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said through voids or holes have a nominal diameter in the range of 0.005 inches to 0.01 inches or more.

26. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of:

applying to an upper or lower surface of said belt or sleeve one or more layers of woven or nonwoven materials, MD or CD yarn arrays, spirally wound strips of woven material having a width less than the width of the belt or sleeve, fibrous webs, films, or a combination thereof.

27. The method according to claim 19, wherein adjacent strips of polymeric material are mechanically interlocked.

28. The method according to claim 19, wherein said belt or sleeve is provided with a texture on one or both surfaces.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein said texture is provided by sanding, graving, embossing or etching.

30. The method according to claim 19, wherein said belt or sleeve is smooth on one or both surfaces.

31. The method according to claim 19, wherein said belt or sleeve comprises at least two layers of strapping materials spirally wound in opposite directions to each other, or opposite to the MD.

32. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of coating on one or both sides of the belt or sleeve with a functional coating.

33. The method according to claim 26, wherein said one or more layers is provided on one or both sides of the belt or sleeve, or in between two layers of strapping.

34. The method according to claim 32, further comprising the step of providing a texture to the functional coating.

35. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of reinforcing said industrial strapping or ribbon material in the MD of the fabric, sleeve or belt with fibers, yarns, monofilaments or multifilament yarns.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein said fibers, yarns, monofilaments or multifilament yarns are made of a material selected from the group consisting of aramids, thermoplastic polymers, thermosetting polymers, glass, carbon, and steel.