Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
  • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
  • D04H1/70—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres
  • D04H1/74—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres the fibres being orientated, e.g. in parallel (anisotropic fleeces)
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
  • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
  • D04H1/40—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties
  • D04H1/44—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties the fleeces or layers being consolidated by mechanical means, e.g. by rolling
  • D04H1/46—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties the fleeces or layers being consolidated by mechanical means, e.g. by rolling by needling or like operations to cause entanglement of fibres
  • D04H1/492—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties the fleeces or layers being consolidated by mechanical means, e.g. by rolling by needling or like operations to cause entanglement of fibres by fluid jet
  • D04H1/495—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties the fleeces or layers being consolidated by mechanical means, e.g. by rolling by needling or like operations to cause entanglement of fibres by fluid jet for formation of patterns, e.g. drilling or rearrangement
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
  • D04H3/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of yarns or like filamentary material of substantial length
  • D04H3/08—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of yarns or like filamentary material of substantial length characterised by the method of strengthening or consolidating
  • D04H3/10—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of yarns or like filamentary material of substantial length characterised by the method of strengthening or consolidating with bonds between yarns or filaments made mechanically
  • D04H3/11—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of yarns or like filamentary material of substantial length characterised by the method of strengthening or consolidating with bonds between yarns or filaments made mechanically by fluid jet
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41P—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO PRINTING, LINING MACHINES, TYPEWRITERS, AND TO STAMPS
  • B41P2235/00—Cleaning
  • B41P2235/10—Cleaning characterised by the methods or devices
  • B41P2235/20—Wiping devices
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T442/00—Fabric [woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.]
  • Y10T442/60—Nonwoven fabric [i.e., nonwoven strand or fiber material]
  • Y10T442/689—Hydroentangled nonwoven fabric
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T442/00—Fabric [woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.]
  • Y10T442/60—Nonwoven fabric [i.e., nonwoven strand or fiber material]
  • Y10T442/697—Containing at least two chemically different strand or fiber materials
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T442/00—Fabric [woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.]
  • Y10T442/60—Nonwoven fabric [i.e., nonwoven strand or fiber material]
  • Y10T442/697—Containing at least two chemically different strand or fiber materials
  • Y10T442/698—Containing polymeric and natural strand or fiber materials

Definitions

• the invention disclosed herein is directed to wipes, preferably wipes for use in graphic arts or lithography, made from a hydroentangled nonwoven fabric, whereby the outer surface fibers of a single fibrous batt are highly hydroentangled and the inner fibers of the single fibrous batt are lightly entangled, the resulting fabric thus exhibits a low linting, lofty structure, and favorable tactile and ductile softness while obtaining sufficient physical strength.
• the use of natural fiber materials in industrial applications has been found to be highly advantageous in situations where a non-linting, absorbent pad or wiper is required.
• a material that has been employed in such applications is found in the Webril material from the Kendall Company of Massachusetts.
• the Webril material is a compressed, mercerized cotton fibrous batt.
• the mercerization process involves the swelling of the natural cotton's ribbon like profile into an approximately round profile of larger diameter.
• caustic washes are utilized while the cotton batt is under tension to induce the swelling of the cotton fiber.
• a method for forming a suitable nonwoven fabric meeting the aforementioned requirements has been identified in the application of fluidic energy such that a single fibrous batt is imparted with a highly entangled surface of outer fibers while retaining the loft and absorbency of a lightly entangled central layer of core fibers.
• the present invention is directed to a method of forming a nonwoven fabric, the outer surface of which exhibits highly entangled fibers whereas the inner layer exhibits lightly entangled fibers.
• the present invention contemplates that a fabric is formed from a fibrous batt that is subjected to fluidic energy, preferably hydraulic energy, applied to one or both faces of a fibrous batt. The hydraulic energy is moderated against the basis weight of the fibrous batt to achieve the degree of surface entanglement desired.
• a method of making a nonwoven fabric embodying the present invention includes the steps of providing a fibrous batt comprising a fibrous matrix.
• the fibrous matrix may comprise synthetic fibers or blends of natural and synthetic fibers.
• the synthetic fibers are chosen from the group consisting of viscose cellulose, polyacrylates, polyolefins, polyamides, polyesters and combinations thereof. Further, the synthetic fibers may comprise homogeneous, bicomponent and/or multi-component profiles, and the blends thereof.
• the fibrous batt is carded and cross- lapped to form a fibrous batt.
• the fibrous batt is then continuously indexed through a station composed of a rotary foraminous surface and a fluidic manifold. Fluid streams from the fluidic manifold impinge upon the fibrous batt at a controlled energy level so as to integrate a portion of the overall fibrous content.
• the energy level is controlled such that the energy is sufficient to induce high levels of entanglement in the surface fibers, but has insufficient transmitted energy to induce high levels of entanglement of the inner fibers.
• a plurality of such stations can be employed whereby fluid streams are at the same or differing energy levels, impinging one or alternately both surfaces of the fibrous batt.
• the present method further contemplates the provision of a three-dimensional image transfer device having a movable imaging surface.
• a three-dimensional image transfer device having a movable imaging surface.
• Such three-dimensional image transfer devices are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,098,764, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference.
• the image transfer device may comprise a drum-like apparatus that is rotatable with respect to one or more hydroentangling manifolds.
• tension control means can be employed to further enhance the physical performance of the resulting lofty material.
• a further aspect of the present invention is directed to a method of forming a nonwoven fabric which exhibits a sufficient degree of softness and nonlinting performance, while providing the necessary resistance to tearing and abrasion, to facilitate use in a wide variety of applications.
• the fabric exhibits a high degree of loft and absorbency, thus permitting its use in those applications in which the fabric is applied as a cleaning wipe. Further, the material exhibits pleasant aesthetics, thus lending itself to application in medical applications.
• a method of making the present durable nonwoven fabric comprises the steps of providing a fibrous matrix or batt, which is subjected to controlled levels of hydraulic energy.
• a homogeneous cotton fibrous batt has been found to desirably yield a fabric with soft hand and good absorbency.
• the fibrous batt is formed into a differentially entangled nonwoven fabric by the application of sufficient energy to entangle only the outer layers of the fibrous batt.
• the fabric can be passed over an image transfer device defined by three-dimensional elements against which the differentially entangled nonwoven fabric is forced during further application of further energy, whereby the fibrous constituents of the web are imaged and patterned by movement into regions between the three-dimensional elements of the transfer device.
• chemistries can be incorporated into the resulting differentially entangled fabric.
• Such chemistries include for example antimicrobial and antistatic agents that can be durably applied to the constituent fibers of the fibrous batt, to the fibrous batt during manufacture, and/or to the resulting fabric.
• FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of an apparatus for manufacturing a differentially entangled nonwoven fabric, embodying the principles of the present invention
• FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic view of five consecutive entangling sections and an image transfer station.
• the present invention is directed to a method of forming nonwoven fabrics by hydroentanglement, wherein the outer surface of the fabric is substantially more entangled than the core layer. Hydroentanglement by this method is controlled by the application of fluidic energy such that the energy imparted into fibers of the fabric is sufficient to highly entangle only the outer fibers.
• the inner fibers are lightly entangled such that the overall structure is resistant to separation of the layers, yet retain much of the loftiness or bulk of the fibrous core layer that is responsible for tactile and ductile softness as well as absorbency.
• differential fiber entanglement is achieved, with the physical properties, both aesthetic and mechanical, of the resultant fabric being desirably achieved.
• a nonwoven fabric for application as a wipe can be produced such that the level of surface entanglement can be controlled resulting in surface layers that are extremely resistant to linting while the fabric retains some loft of the fibrous inner layer.
• a material of this nature is found to have use in the graphic arts and lithography as it can be employed as a non-abrasive, drapeable, absorbent wiper. Excessive linting from the wipe would be detrimental to the application, so increasing the level of entanglement of the surface fibers should act to decrease linting from the highly entangled surface layer, which should act as a barrier to loss of fibers or particulates form the lightly entangled core.
• the level of entanglement energy can be continuously varied to modify the physical properties of the wipe material to meet the required performance. It is within the scope of the present invention to control the level of entanglement in the resulting fabric to obtain materials with varying degrees of loft, absorbency, strength, and linting performance.
• Nonwoven fabrics are frequently produced using staple length fibers, the fabric typically has a degree of exposed surface fibers that will lint if not sufficiently retained into the structure of the fabric.
• the present invention provides a finished fabric that can be cut, processed or treated, and packaged for retail sale. The cost associated with forming and finishing steps can be desirably reduced.
• FIGURE 2 therein is illustrated an apparatus for practicing the present method for forming a nonwoven fabric.
• the fabric is formed from a fibrous batt that typically comprises natural fibers, but may comprise synthetic staple fibers and natural/synthetic fiber blends.
• the fibrous batt is preferably carded and cross-lapped to form a fibrous batt, designated P.
• the fibrous batt comprises 100% cross-lap fibers, that is, all of the fibers of the web have been formed by cross-lapping a carded web so that the fibers are oriented at an angle relative to the machine direction of the resultant web.
• the fibrous batt has a draft ratio of approximately 2.8 to 1.
• FIGURE 2 illustrates a hydroentangling apparatus for forming nonwoven fabrics in accordance with the present invention.
• the apparatus includes a foraminous forming surface in the form of belt 02 upon which the fibrous batt P is positioned for pre-entangling by entangling manifold 01 into a wetted, lightly entangled fibrous web P'. Pre-entangling of the fibrous web is subsequently effected by movement of the web P' sequentially over a drum 10 having a foraminous forming surface, with entangling manifold 12 effecting entanglement of the web.
• the entangling apparatus of FIGURE 2 may further include an imaging and patterning drum 18 comprising a three-dimensional image transfer device for effecting imaging and patterning of the now-entangled precursor web.
• the image transfer device includes a moveable imaging surface which moves relative to a plurality of entangling manifolds 61, 62, 63 and 64, which act in cooperation with three-dimensional elements defined by the imaging surface of the image transfer device to effect imaging and patterning of the fabric being formed.
• the total energy applied to the fibrous batt of the imaging manifolds is adjusted to maintain the energy input in the range of about 0.040 to 0.060 hp- hr/lb.
• the present invention contemplates that the fibrous web P' be advanced onto the moveable imaging surface of the image transfer device at a rate which is substantially equal to the rate of movement of the imaging surface.
• a J-box or scray can be employed for supporting the precursor web P' as it is advanced onto the image transfer device to thereby minimize tension within the fibrous web.
• Manufacture of a durable nonwoven fabric embodying the principles of the present invention is initiated by providing the precursor nonwoven web preferably in the form of a natural and/or synthetic fibers, most preferably a cotton or cotton blend, which desirably provides good tactile and ductile softness and absorbency.
• a natural and/or synthetic fibers most preferably a cotton or cotton blend, which desirably provides good tactile and ductile softness and absorbency.
• fabric weights on the order of about 1 to 8 ounces per square yard, with the range of 2 to 5 ounces per square yard being most preferred, provided the best combination of loft, softness, drapeability, absorbency, and durability. Examples
• a nonwoven fabric was made in accordance with the present invention by providing a fibrous batt comprising 100 weight percent cotton fiber.
• the fibrous batt had a basis weight of 3.4 ounces per square yard (plus or minus 7%).
• the fibrous web was 100% carded and cross-lapped, with a draft ratio of 2.8 to 1.
• the fabric comprised 100 weight percent cotton as available from Barnhardt Manufacturing Company under code number RMC#2811.
• the fibrous batt was entangled by a series of entangling manifold stations such as diagrammatically illustrated in FIGURE 1 and in greater detail in FIGURE 2.
• FIGURE 2 illustrates disposition of fibrous batt P on a foraminous forming surface in the form of belt 02, with the batt acted upon by a pre-entangling manifold 01 operating at 55 bar to form a wetted and lightly entangled fibrous web.
• the web then passes through a series of entangling stations comprising drums having foraminous forming surfaces, for entangling by entangling manifolds, with the web thereafter directed about the foraminous forming surface of a drum 10 for entangling by entanglement manifold 12 operating at 40 bar.
• the web is thereafter passed over successive foraminous drums 20, 30, 40 and 50, with successive entangling treatment by entangling manifolds 22, 32, 42 and 51.
• each of the entangling manifolds included 120 micron orifices spaced at 42.3 per inch, with manifolds 22, 32, 42 and 51 successively operated at 55, 40, 55, and 0 bar, with a line speed of 45 meters per minute.
• the total energy input into the fibrous batt is calculated to be 0.052 hp- hr/lb.
• a web having a trimmed width of 127 inches was employed. Comparative Example
• the comparative example is selected from a commercially available product in the form of Webril 100% Cotton Handi-Pad as available from the Kendall Company. This product is formed by compression forming cotton fiber during a mercerization process.
• Table 1 sets forth comparative test data for a fabric made by the present invention compared against a commercially available mercerized cotton fabric. Testing was done in accordance with the following test methods.
• Example 1 The physical test data for Example 1 and the Comparative Example are given in Table 1.
• the data in Table 1 show that the two materials have similar basis weights, but the nonwoven fabric manufactured by the present invention has much greater tensile strength in both the machine and cross direction, 20 and 40 times greater, respectively, than that of the Comparative material.
• the tensile properties of Example 1 are more uniform when comparing the machine direction to the cross direction tensile and elongation properties.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Nonwoven Fabrics (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

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Citations (7)

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• 2002
  • 2002-10-11 WO PCT/US2002/032498 patent/WO2003031710A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 2002-10-11 DE DE60219358T patent/DE60219358T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-10-11 US US10/269,243 patent/US20030124942A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2002-10-11 EP EP02801025A patent/EP1461483B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (7)

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