Meltblown die having a reduced size

• US 20050133971A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Global Sales LLC (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Haynes, Bryan David, Cook, Michael Charles
• Granted Patent: US 6,972,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/555
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 4/025 Melt-blowing or solution-blowing dies
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/0985 by means of a flowing gas (e.g. melt-blowing)
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/56 in association with fibre formation, e.g. immediately following extrusion of staple fibres
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 425/017 Filament stretching apparatus

Abstract

The present invention provides a meltblown die which has a considerable smaller width in the machine direction of the meltblowing process compared to conventional and commercially used meltblown dies. The meltblown die of the present invention has a. a die body; b. a die tip mounted to the die body; c. a first air plate mounted to the die body; and d. a second air plate mounted to the die body. In addition, the small size of the meltblown die of the present invention provides advantages over conventional meltblown die, including improved air entrainment.

Claims

1. A meltblowing die comprising

a. a die body;

b. a die tip comprising a top side, a bottom side, a first side and a second side, wherein the top side is mounted to the die body, the bottom side is opposite the topside, the first side and the second side each extend from the topside towards the bottom side, the first side and the second side are opposite each other,

c. a first air plate, wherein a portion of the first air plate is in contact with the first side of the die tip and a series of passages are formed by the first side of the die tip and the first air plate; and

d. a second air plate, wherein a portion of the second air plate is in contact with the second side of the die tip and a series of passages are formed by the second side of the die tip and the second air plate.

2. The meltblowing die of claim 1, wherein the die body further comprises a mounting plate, wherein the die tip and the first and second air plates are mounted to the mounting plate.

3. The meltblowing die of claim 1, wherein the first side of the die tip and the second side of the die tip each have a surface comprising a series of raised portions extending from the top side the die tip towards the bottom side of the die tip defining a series of channels in each side of the die tip extending from the top side of the die tip towards the bottom side of the die tip and the first air plate contacts at least a portion of the raised portions of the first side of the die tip and the second air plate is in contact with at least a portion of the raised portions of the second side of the die tip.

4. The meltblowing die of claim 2, wherein the first side of the die tip and the second side of the die tip each have a surface comprising a series of raised portions extending from the top side the die tip towards the bottom side of the die tip defining a series of channels in each side of the die tip extending from the top side of the die tip towards the bottom side of the die tip and the first air plate contacts at least a portion of the raised portions of the first side of the die tip and the second air plate is in contact with at least a portion of the raised portions of the second side of the die tip.

5. The meltblowing die of claim 2, wherein the die tip is mounted to the mounting plate with a mounting means which extends from the mounting plate into the die tip.

6. The meltblowing die of claim 4, wherein the die tip is mounted to the mounting plate with a mounting means which extends from the mounting plate into the die tip.

7. The meltblowing die of claim 2, wherein the first air plate and the second air plate are mounted with a mounting means to the mounting plate.

8. The meltblowing die of claim 4, wherein the die body comprises an inlet for a material to be formed into fibers and an inlet for a attenuation fluid which attenuates the fibers.

9. The meltblowing die of claim 2, wherein the mounting plate has a series of passages which allow an attenuation fluid to flow from the die body to the series of passages formed by the first and second air plates and the first and second sides of the die tip.

10. The meltblowing die of claim 4, wherein the mounting plate has a series of passages which allow an attenuation fluid to flow from the die body to the series of passages formed by the first and second air plates and the first and second sides of the die tip.

11. The meltblowing die of claim 2, wherein the mounting plate comprises a distribution chamber which provides a pathway for a material to be formed into fibers from the die body to the die tip wherein the distribution chamber has a non-linear course in the cross-machine direction.

12. The meltblowing die of claims 11, wherein the non-linear course of the distribution chamber comprises a serpentine shape.

13. The meltblowing die of claim 10, wherein the mounting plate comprises a distribution chamber which provides a pathway for a material to be formed into fibers from the die body to the die tip wherein the distribution chamber has a non-linear course in the cross-machine direction.

14. The meltblowing die of claim 11, wherein the die tip further comprises a breaker plate/filter assembly, a series of polymer ports, and a pooling chamber, wherein the polymer ports provide pathways for a material to be formed into fibers from the breaker plate and filtering assembly to the pooling chamber.

15. The meltblowing die of claim 14, further comprises a series of capillaries which connect the pooling chamber to an outlet of the die tip.

16. The meltblowing die of claim 15, wherein the die tip comprises two pieces, an upper piece and a lower piece, wherein the upper piece comprises the breaker plate/filter assembly, and the series of polymer ports, and the lower piece comprises the polymer pooling chamber, the series of capillaries and the outlet of the die tip.

17. The meltblowing die of claim 1, wherein the meltblowing die has an overall width in the machine direction of between 5 and 12 cm.

18. A process of producing a nonwoven web comprising generating fibers with the meltblowing die of claim 1.

19. A meltblowing die comprising

a. a die body;

b. a die tip mounted to the die body;

c. a first air plate mounted to the die body;

d. a second air plate mounted to the die body; and

e. a distribution chamber which provides a pathway for a material to be formed into fibers from the die body to the die tip wherein the distribution chamber has a non-linear course in the cross-machine direction.

20. The meltblowing die of claim 19, wherein the die body further comprises a mounting plate, wherein the die tip and the first and second air plates are mounted to the mounting plate and the distribution chamber is located in the mounting plate.

21. The meltblowing die of claims 20, wherein the non-linear course of the distribution chamber comprises a serpentine shape.

22. A meltblowing die comprising

a. a die body

b. a die tip mounted to the die body;

c. a first air plate mounted to the die body; and

d. a second air plate mounted to the die body,

wherein the meltblowing die has an overall width in the machine direction of less than 16 cm.

23. The meltblowing die of claim 22, wherein the meltblowing die has an overall width in the machine direction of between 5 and 12 cm.