Melt spinning extrusion head system

• US 20040126454A1
• Filed: 12/31/2002
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Brown, Kurtis Lee, Haynes, Bryan David, Freese, Chad Michael, Forbes, Brian Stephen, Gerndt, Robert James, Cook, Michael Charles
• Granted Patent: US 7,014,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 425/382.2
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/05 Filamentary, e.g. strands
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/695 Flow dividers, e.g. breaker plates
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 1/06 Feeding liquid to the spinning head constructions of pumps F04
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 4/06 Distributing spinning solution or melt to spinning nozzles

Abstract

The present invention provides a series of plates for distributing a molten polymer composition, the series of plates includes at least two plates: a first plate that includes an upper surface, a lower surface, and a plurality of polymer distribution channels connecting the upper surface and the lower surface. In certain illustrated embodiments, the plurality of polymer distribution channels consist essentially of substantially horizontal channels at one or both the upper surface and lower surface and substantially linear downwardly sloping channels connecting the substantially horizontal channels at the upper surface to the substantially horizontal channels at the lower surface, the upper surface to the substantially horizontal channels at the lower surface or the substantially horizontal channels at the upper surface to lower surface; and a second plate that includes an upper surface, a lower surface, and a plurality of polymer distribution channels connecting the upper surface and the lower surface wherein the plurality of polymer distribution channels consist essentially of substantially horizontal channels at one or both the upper surface and lower surface and substantially linear downwardly sloping channels connecting the substantially horizontal channels at the upper surface to the substantially horizontal channels at the lower surface, the upper surface to the substantially horizontal channels at the lower surface or the substantially horizontal channels at the upper surface to lower surface.

Claims

1. A series of stacked plates for distributing a molten polymer composition, the series of stacked plates comprising:

at least a first plate that comprises

an upper surface,

a lower surface, and

a plurality of polymer distribution channels connecting the upper surface and the lower surface wherein the plurality of polymer distribution channels consist essentially of substantially horizontal channels at one or both the upper surface and lower surface and substantially linear downwardly sloping channels connecting the substantially horizontal channels at the upper surface to the substantially horizontal channels at the lower surface, the upper surface to the substantially horizontal channels at the lower surface or the substantially horizontal channels at the upper surface to lower surface; and

a second plate that comprises

an upper surface,

a lower surface, and

a plurality of polymer distribution channels connecting the upper surface and the lower surface wherein the plurality of polymer distribution channels consist essentially of substantially horizontal channels at one or both the upper surface and lower surface and substantially linear downwardly sloping channels connecting the substantially horizontal channels at the upper surface to the substantially horizontal channels at the lower surface, the upper surface to the substantially horizontal channels at the lower surface or the substantially horizontal channels at the upper surface to lower surface.

2. The series of stacked plates of claim 1, wherein the substantially linear and downward sloping channels are substantially vertical.

3. The series of stacked plates of claim 2, wherein the substantially horizontal channels are substantially linear.

4. The series of stacked plates of claim 1, wherein the first plate comprises at least 8 substantially linear and downward sloping channels and the second plate comprises at least 32 substantially linear and downward sloping channels.

5. The series of stacked plates of claim 1, wherein the linear and substantially downward sloping polymer distribution channels connect to and terminate at diverging lower substantially horizontal channels.

6. A series of stacked plates for distributing a molten polymer composition to a plurality of spinnerets comprising a network of connected polymer distribution channels wherein the connected network of connected polymer distribution channels consists essentially of linear and downward sloping channels disposed within the interior of a plate and a plurality of substantially horizontal channels that are located on one or more surfaces of a plate.

7. The series of stacked plates for distributing a molten polymer composition to a plurality of spinnerets of claim 6, wherein the substantially linear and downward sloping channels are substantially vertical and the substantially horizontal channels are also substantially linear.

8. A series of stacked plates for distributing a molten polymer composition, the series of stacked plates comprising:

a first plate that comprises an inlet for receiving a molten polymer composition and a substantially horizontal lower surface, the inlet connecting to a plurality of diverging and substantially horizontal channels that are provided on the substantially horizontal lower surface of the first plate;

a second plate that comprises a substantially horizontal upper surface, a substantially horizontal lower surface and a plurality of linear and downward sloping channels that connect the diverging and substantially horizontal channels on the lower surface of the first plate to a plurality of diverging and substantially horizontal channels that are provided on the lower surface of the second plate; and

a third plate that comprises a substantially horizontal upper surface, a substantially horizontal lower surface and a plurality of substantially downwardly sloping channels that connect the diverging and substantially horizontal channels on the lower surface of the second plate to a plurality of diverging and substantially horizontal channels that are provided on the lower surface of the third plate.

9. The series of stacked plates of claim 8, wherein the substantially linear and downward sloping channels are substantially vertical.

10. The series of stacked plates of claim 8, wherein the substantially horizontal channels are also substantially linear.

11. The series of stacked plates of claim 8, wherein the substantially linear and downward sloping channels of the second plate connect to and terminate at a plurality of substantially horizontal channels on the substantially horizontal lower surface of the second plate and the substantially linear and downward sloping channels of the third plate connect to and terminate at a plurality of substantially horizontal channels on the substantially horizontal lower surface of the third plate.

12. The series of stacked plates of claim 8, wherein each of the substantially linear and downward sloping channels of the second and third plates connects to and terminates at a plurality of diverging substantially horizontal channels.

13. The series of stacked plates of claim 8, wherein the second plate comprises from 2 to 16 substantially linear and downward sloping channels and the third plate comprises from 4 to 64 substantially linear and downward sloping channels.

14. A series of stacked plates for distributing a molten polymer composition, the series of stacked plates comprising:

a first plate that comprises a substantially horizontal upper surface, a substantially horizontal lower surface and a plurality of substantially horizontal channels for receiving a molten polymer composition provided on the substantially horizontal upper surface of the first plate wherein each of the substantially horizontal channels connects to a substantially linear and substantially downwardly sloping channel that terminates at the substantially horizontal lower surface; and

a second plate that comprises a substantially horizontal upper surface, a substantially horizontal lower surface and a plurality of substantially horizontal channels for receiving a molten polymer composition from the substantially downwardly sloping channels terminating at the substantially horizontal lower surface of the first plate provided on the substantially horizontal upper surface of the second plate wherein each of the substantially horizontal channels connects to a substantially linear and substantially downwardly sloping channel that terminates at the substantially horizontal lower surface.

15. The series of stacked plates of claim 14, wherein the substantially linear and downward sloping channels are substantially vertical.

16. The series of stacked plates of claim 14, wherein the substantially horizontal channels are also substantially linear.

17. The series of stacked plates of claim 14, wherein

each of the substantially horizontal channels on the substantially horizontal upper surface of the first plate connects to and terminates at a substantially linear and downward sloping channel and each of the substantially linear and downward sloping channels connects to and terminates at the lower surface of the first plate;

each of the substantially horizontal channels on the substantially horizontal upper surface of the second plate connects to and terminates at a substantially linear and downwardly sloping channel and each of the substantially linear and downwardly sloping channels connects to and terminates at the lower surface of the second plate.

18. The series of stacked plates of claim 14, wherein the first plate comprises from 2 to 8 substantially linear and substantially vertical channels and the second plate comprises from 2 to 16 substantially linear and substantially vertical channels.

19. A series of stacked plates for distributing a molten polymer composition, the series of stacked plates comprising:

a first plate that comprises a substantially horizontal upper surface, a substantially horizontal lower surface, a plurality of a substantially linear and substantially downwardly sloping channels for receiving a molten polymer composition that connect to and terminate at a plurality of diverging substantially horizontal channels that are provided on the substantially horizontal lower surface; and

a second plate that comprises a substantially horizontal upper surface, a substantially horizontal lower surface, a plurality of a substantially linear and substantially downwardly sloping channels for receiving a molten polymer composition from the plurality of diverging substantially horizontal channels that are provided on the substantially horizontal lower surface of the first plate wherein each of the substantially linear and substantially downwardly sloping channels connects to and terminates at a plurality of diverging substantially horizontal channels that are provided on the substantially horizontal lower surface of the second plate.

20. The series of stacked plates of claim 19, wherein the substantially linear and downward sloping channels are substantially vertical.

21. The series of stacked plates of claim 19, wherein the substantially horizontal channels are also substantially linear.

22. The series of stacked plates of claim 19, wherein

each of the substantially horizontal channels on the substantially horizontal upper surface of the first plate connects to and terminates at a substantially linear and downward sloping channel and each of the substantially linear and downward sloping channels connects to and terminates at the lower surface of the first plate;

each of the substantially horizontal channels on the substantially horizontal upper surface of the second plate connects to and terminates at a substantially linear and downwardly sloping channel and each of the substantially linear and downwardly sloping channels connects to and terminates at the lower surface of the second plate.

23. The series of stacked plates of claim 19, wherein the first plate comprises from 2 to 8 substantially linear and substantially vertical channels and the second plate comprises from 2 to 16 substantially linear and substantially vertical channels.

24. A series of stacked plates for distributing a molten polymer composition to a plurality of spinnerets, the series of stacked plates comprising:

a first plate that comprises a substantially horizontal lower surface and an inlet for receiving a molten polymer composition connecting to a plurality of diverging and substantially horizontal channels that are provided on the substantially horizontal lower surface of the first plate;

a second plate that comprises a substantially horizontal upper surface, a substantially horizontal lower surface and a plurality of substantially horizontal upper channels for receiving a molten polymer composition from the diverging and substantially horizontal channels that are provided on the lower surface of the first plate provided on the substantially horizontal upper surface of the second plate, wherein each of the substantially horizontal upper channels of the second plate connects to a substantially linear and downward sloping channel and each of the substantially linear and downward sloping channels connects to a plurality of diverging and substantially horizontal lower channels that are provided on the substantially horizontal lower surface of the second plate; and

a third plate that comprises a substantially horizontal upper surface, a substantially horizontal lower surface and a plurality of substantially horizontal upper channels for receiving a molten polymer composition from the and substantially horizontal lower channels that are provided on the lower surface of the second plate provided on the substantially horizontal upper surface of the third plate, wherein each of the substantially horizontal upper channels connects to a substantially linear and downwardly sloping channel and each of the downwardly sloping channels connecting to a plurality of diverging substantially horizontal lower channels that are provided on the substantially horizontal lower surface of the third plate; and

a fourth plate that comprises a substantially horizontal upper surface, a lower surface and a plurality of substantially horizontal upper channels for receiving a molten polymer composition from the substantially horizontal lower channels that are provided on the lower surface of the third plate provided on the substantially horizontal upper surface of the fourth plate, each of the substantially horizontal upper channels connecting to a substantially linear and downward sloping channel, each of the downward sloping channels terminating at the lower surface.

25. The series of stacked plates of claim 24, wherein the substantially linear and downward sloping channels are substantially vertical.

26. The series of stacked plates of claim 24, wherein the substantially horizontal channels are also substantially linear.

27. The series of stacked plates of claim 24, wherein:

each of the substantially horizontal upper channels on the substantially horizontal upper surface of the second plate connects to and terminates at a substantially linear and downward sloping channel and each of the substantially linear and downward sloping channels connects to and terminates at a plurality of diverging and substantially horizontal lower channels on the substantially horizontal lower surface of the second plate;

each of the substantially horizontal upper channels on the substantially horizontal upper surface of the third plate connects to and terminates at a substantially linear and downwardly sloping channel and each of the substantially linear and downwardly sloping channels connects to and terminates at a plurality of substantially horizontal lower channels on the substantially horizontal lower surface of the third plate;

each of the substantially horizontal upper channels on the substantially horizontal upper surface of the fourth plate connects to and terminates at a substantially linear and downward sloping channel; and

the first plate further comprises a substantially horizontal upper surface and the inlet originates at the upper surface and connects to and terminates at a first plurality of intermediate diverging channels which connect to and terminate at a plurality of substantially linear and downwardly sloping channels that each connect to and terminate at the plurality of diverging and substantially horizontal channels that are provided on the substantially horizontal lower surface of the first plate.

28. The series of stacked plates of claim 27, wherein the substantially linear and downward sloping channels are substantially vertical.

29. The series of stacked plates of claim 24, wherein the second plate comprises from 2 to 16 substantially linear and substantially vertical channels and the third plate comprises from 4 to 64 substantially linear and substantially vertical channels.

30. The series of stacked plates of claim 24, wherein the plurality of substantially horizontal channels on the upper surface of the second plate complement the horizontal channels that are provided on the lower surface of the first plate and the plurality of substantially horizontal channels on the upper surface of the third plate complement the horizontal channels that are provided on the lower surface of the second plate.