Method and apparatus for manufacturing electrostatically spun structure
First Claim
1. A method of electrostatically spinning a tubular fibrous structure using an electrostatically charged, spinning mandrel and an electrostatically charged grid means in the region of the mandrel to produce an electrostatic field, which method comprises the steps of introducing into said electrostatic field a fiberizable material, collecting on said mandrel a first portion of said liquid in the form of fibers attracted directly to the mandrel and a second portion of said liquid in the form of fibers having been deflected towards said grid means to follow a longer path to said mandrel than the fibers from said first portion of liquid, whereby a tubular fibrous structure is produced having fibers of different diameters and varying fiber orientations.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Electrostatic spinning method for producing tubular fibrous structures from fiberizable material wherein the fiberizable material is collected on an electrostatically charged mandrel wherein the fiberizable material takes different paths from the source to the mandrel to produce a structure of smaller diameter fibers randomly oriented, larger diameter fibers and/or bundles of fibers circumferentially oriented and elongated voids circumferentially oriented.
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Citations
12 Claims
- 1. A method of electrostatically spinning a tubular fibrous structure using an electrostatically charged, spinning mandrel and an electrostatically charged grid means in the region of the mandrel to produce an electrostatic field, which method comprises the steps of introducing into said electrostatic field a fiberizable material, collecting on said mandrel a first portion of said liquid in the form of fibers attracted directly to the mandrel and a second portion of said liquid in the form of fibers having been deflected towards said grid means to follow a longer path to said mandrel than the fibers from said first portion of liquid, whereby a tubular fibrous structure is produced having fibers of different diameters and varying fiber orientations.
- 4. A method of electrostatically spinning a tubular fibrous structure using an electrostatically charged, spinning mandrel and an electrostatically charged pair of grid means disposed in the region of the mandrel and on opposite sides to produce an electrostatic field, and means for introducing fiberizable material into the electrostatic field, which method comprises the steps of arranging one of the grid means closer to the electrostatically charged surface of the mandrel than the other grid means, selecting desired electrostatic potentials for the mandrel and the grid means, and introducing said fiberizable material into the electrostatic field, whereby a tubular fibrous structure is produced having fibers of different diameters and varying fiber orientations.
- 9. Apparatus for electrostatically spinning a tubular fibrous structure, which apparatus comprises a mandrel to act as a collector for electrostatically spun fibers, means for electrostatically charging the mandrel and for varying the electrostatic charge thereon, means for rotating the mandrel, a pair of grid means in the region of the mandrel with one of said grid means disposed on one side of said mandrel and the other of said grid means disposed on the opposite side of said mandrel, means for electrostatically charging the grid means and for varying the electrostatic charge thereon, and means for introducing a fiberizable material into the electrostatic field, the surface of one of said grid means being closer to said mandrel than the surface of the other of said grid means.
Specification