JP2019112747A - Method of manufacturing nonwoven fabric - Google Patents

Abstract

To manufacture a soft and bulky nonwoven fabric by performing accurately convexoconcave formation different in height using a fiber web before processing to a nonwoven fabric.SOLUTION: The method of manufacturing a nonwoven fabric includes; a push-in process of placing a fiber web on a support medium having a plurality of convexities, concavities disposed between a plurality of the convexities, and apertures disposed on bottom parts of the concavities, and having the concavities extending in a first direction and convexities disposed separately in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, and pushing-in the fiber web along the concavities extending in the first direction by a push-in part of a push-in member; and a heat fusion process of blowing hot air to fuse fibers each other in the fiber web.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for producing a non-woven fabric.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART Conventionally, the technique which manufactures the nonwoven fabric which has uneven | corrugated shape is known.
For example, in the manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric given in patent documents 1, the nonwoven fabric which has concavo-convex shape is obtained by two-stage hot-air processing to the fiber web before being nonwoven-ized. Specifically, the fiber web is shaped along the asperity shape of the support by the first hot air, and is temporarily fused, and the asperity shape of the fiber web is fixed by the second as a result of the hot air to form a non-woven fabric.
Patent Document 2 describes a technique for forming irregularities on a non-woven fabric in which the intersections of the fibers are already fusion-bonded and fixed, instead of the fiber web as described above. In the same document, it is described that the nonwoven fabric to be processed is preheated and then the nonwoven fabric is stretched by a pair of stretching rolls rotating while meshing to form irregularities.

JP 2012-144834 A JP, 2016-123651, A

In the manufacturing method described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to obtain a non-woven fabric with high shapeability by enhancing the retention of the uneven shape imparted to the fiber web in which the fibers easily move. With regard to forming irregularities, from the viewpoint of enhancing the feel of the non-woven fabric, it is desired to be softer and bulky (large apparent thickness), and there is room for improvement.
On the other hand, in the manufacturing method described in Patent Document 2, since not a fiber web but a non-woven fabric is to be processed, it is difficult to cause the movement of the fibers due to the fusion between the fibers, and the shapeability to the uneven shape is low. In addition, since the nonwoven fabric in which the movement of the fibers is hard to occur is stretched by meshing of the rolls, a hard portion is generated. Therefore, it is difficult to maintain the softness of the entire shaped nonwoven fabric. Furthermore, if the degree of stretching is too high in order to enhance the shaping property, the strength of the non-woven fabric may be reduced and a desired uneven shape may not be obtained.

  The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a soft and bulky non-woven fabric by using a fiber web before being made into a non-woven fabric to precisely perform uneven shaping with a difference in height.

  The present invention has a plurality of projections, a recess disposed between the plurality of projections, and an opening disposed at the bottom of the recess, the recesses extending in the first direction, and A fiber web is placed on a support body spaced apart in a second direction in which the convex portion intersects the first direction, and the fiber is arranged along the recess extending in the first direction. A method of manufacturing a non-woven fabric is provided, which has a pushing step of pushing the web by a pushing portion of a pushing member and a heat fusion step of subsequently blowing hot air to fuse the fibers in the fiber web.

  The present invention also includes a plurality of projections, a recess disposed between the plurality of projections, and an aperture disposed at the bottom of the recess, the recesses extending in the first direction The plurality of convex portions have supports spaced apart in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and include push-in portions inserted along the concave portions extending in the first direction. The manufacturing apparatus of the nonwoven fabric which has a pushing member and has a hot-air spraying part downstream of the said pushing member is provided.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to produce a soft and bulky non-woven fabric by performing uneven shaping with a difference in height with high accuracy using a fiber web before being made into non-woven fabric.

It is the schematic block diagram which showed one preferable embodiment (1st Embodiment) of the manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus of the nonwoven fabric of this invention. (A) is a perspective view which shows typically the support body used in 1st Embodiment, (B) is a top view which expands a part of peripheral surface of a support body shown (A), and is shown typically is there. (A) is a perspective view which shows typically the pushing member used in 1st Embodiment, (B) is a top view which expands a part of surrounding surface of the pushing member shown to (A), and is shown typically It is. (A) is a drawing substitute photograph which shows the specific example of the nonwoven fabric which can be manufactured in a 1st embodiment with the first side up, and (B) shows the second side of the nonwoven shown in (A) (C) is a drawing substitute photograph showing the right side surface along the first direction of the nonwoven fabric shown in (A). (A) is a drawing substitute photograph which shows another specific example of the nonwoven fabric which can be manufactured in a 1st embodiment with the 1st side turned up, and (B) is the second of the nonwoven fabric shown to (A) It is a drawing substitute photograph which shows a surface as an upper side, (C) is a drawing substitute photograph which shows the right side along the first direction of the nonwoven fabric shown to (A). It is the schematic block diagram which showed another preferable embodiment (2nd Embodiment) of the manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus of the nonwoven fabric of this invention. It is a top view which expands a part of pushing member used in a 2nd embodiment, and is shown typically. (A) is a perspective view which shows typically the pushing member used in another preferable embodiment (3rd Embodiment) of the manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus of the nonwoven fabric of this invention, (B) is (A) It is a top view which expands a part of peripheral surface of a pushing member shown to, and is shown typically. (A) is a drawing substitute photograph which shows the specific example of the nonwoven fabric which can be manufactured in a 3rd embodiment with the first side up, and (B) shows the second side of the nonwoven shown in (A) It is a drawing substitute photograph shown with the upper side.

The manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric concerning the present invention has the following two processes.
(A1) The support includes a plurality of projections, a recess disposed between the plurality of projections, and an aperture disposed at the bottom of the recess, the recesses extending in the first direction And the plurality of convex portions are spaced apart in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the fiber web is placed on the support, and the concave portion extends in the first direction. Pushing in the fiber web by means of the pushing part of the pushing member.
(A2) Next, a heat fusion step of fusing the fibers in the fiber web by blowing hot air.

The apparatus for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric according to the present invention includes the support and the pressing member used in the pressing step of (A1), and the hot air used in the heat-sealing step of (A2) disposed downstream of the pressing member. It has a spray unit.
In addition, upstream of the support and the pusher, a supply of fiber web is arranged. The feed section of the fiber web comprises a production section of the fiber web and a feed section. In the production section, fiber webs of various thicknesses and basis weights can be produced. The fiber web can be produced, for example, by means of a carding machine and also by the air laid process or spunbond process. In the feeding unit, the produced fiber web is fed to the position of the support and the pressing unit by various means such as a belt conveyor.

  The "fiber web" used in the present invention is a fiber aggregate in which the constituent fibers are loosely entangled without being fusion-fixed and which itself does not have a shape-retaining property as a sheet. That is, it is a fiber assembly before being made into non-woven fabric. Therefore, the mobility between the fibers in the fiber web is high, and the deformability of the fiber web in the pressing step (A1) is high.

In the pressing step (A1) (hereinafter, also referred to as step (A1)), the uneven shaping is performed on the fiber web before being made into a non-woven fabric by a contact method. Specifically, the pushing portion of the pushing member directly pushes the fiber web by mechanical pressure. As a result, the fiber web is shaped to be uneven along the shape of the support. In addition, compared with the case of pressing by non-mechanical pressure such as wind, fibers can be strongly oriented, and orientation perpendicular to the plane of the non-woven fabric can be obtained.
In the step (A1), depending on the depth of pressing, it is possible to give the desired unevenness in height to the fiber web of various thicknesses. That is, the unevenness height difference can be accurately applied by controlling the pressing depth. At this time, it is not necessary to increase the pressing force so much as to increase the unevenness height difference formed on the fiber web, and the fiber web can be shaped softly. In addition, it is possible to suppress the disturbance of the fiber and to improve the shapeability.

  Further, in the step (A1), since the fiber web is directly pressed in the contact system, it is difficult for the fibers to be returned, and the retention of the uneven shape is high. Furthermore, since the object to be shaped is a fiber web, shaping is performed by changing the arrangement and orientation of the fibers, instead of stretching and shaping the sheet surface as in conventional non-woven fabrics in which the movement of fibers is limited. I do. Therefore, compared with the conventional drawing process to the nonwoven fabric, the shaping property can be enhanced without breakage without excessively increasing the pressing force. Also, when the nonwoven fabric is shaped, the fiber orientation (for example, MD orientation) possessed by the nonwoven fabric itself is maintained after shaping, while when the fibrous web is shaped, the orientation originally possessed by the fibrous web Regardless of, all directions can be along the orientation direction by shaping. Also, the shaping does not use heating or squeezing to melt the fibers. Therefore, unlike shaping a non-woven fabric, partial curing of fibers due to shaping hardly occurs. Even when shaping is performed to increase the height difference of the unevenness, the overall fluffy softness, in other words, the overall cotton-like softness is maintained. From these things, the height of the convex part in the support body, the rising angle of the convex part, and the width of setting of the length of the pushing part of the pushing member are larger than those in the prior art, and the shapeability can be enhanced.

  In the step (A1), it is preferable to press the fiber web so that the thickness surface of the fiber web is lower than the height of the top of the convex portion of the support. On the other hand, it is preferable to keep the indentation depth to a position not reaching the bottom of the recess of the support. When the indentation depth is such that the thickness surface of the fiber web is lower than the height of the top of the convex portion of the support, unevenness is provided on both sides, and the concave and convex portions on one side of the fiber web are opposite It becomes the convex part and the concave part of the surface.

In the step (A1), from the viewpoint of preventing interference between the support and the pressing member, the width of the pressing portion of the pressing member is smaller than the distance between the convex portions of the support (the width of the recess). Is preferred. Also, this can avoid excessive pressure on the fiber web, which is preferable from the viewpoint of avoiding the curing of the fiber web.
Specifically, the difference between the width of the push-in portion of the push-in member and the distance between the convex portions of the support is preferably 1 mm or more, more preferably 1.5 mm or more, and 2 mm or more from the viewpoint of avoiding interference between both members. More preferable. The difference is preferably 10 mm or less, more preferably 9 mm or less, and still more preferably 8 mm or less, from the viewpoint of making the unevenness on the fiber web excellent. Specifically, 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less are preferable, 1.5 mm or more and 9 mm or less are more preferable, and 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less are still more preferable.
The above-mentioned relation is shown about the interval in the 2nd direction. That is, the relationship between the interval (H1) of the plurality of convex portions separated in the second direction and the width (H2) in the second direction of each pressing portion extending in the first direction is shown. The relationship between the spacing (H1) and the width (H2) is that, as described later, the plurality of convex portions are also separated in the first direction, and the push-in member extends in the second direction correspondingly The same applies in the case of having a plurality of push-in portions spaced in the direction. That is, the same applies to the interval (H3) between the plurality of convex portions separated in the first direction and the width (H4) in the first direction of each pressing portion extending in the second direction. This point will be described in detail in the embodiments described later.

  In the step (A1), from the viewpoint of preventing the fibers from melting, the temperature of the support is preferably lower than the melting point of the resin having the lowest melting point among the fibers of the fiber web. Specifically, in the step (A1), the temperature of the support is preferably 130 ° C. or less, more preferably 110 ° C. or less, and still more preferably 100 ° C. or less.

In addition, the thickness and basis weight of the fiber web can be appropriately set within a range in which the pressing process can be appropriately performed to maintain the softness in the step (A1). For example, the thickness of the fiber web is preferably 3 mm or more, more preferably 5 mm or more, and still more preferably 6 mm or more, from the viewpoint of clarifying the height difference of unevenness. The thickness of the fiber web is preferably 150 mm or less, more preferably 120 mm or less, and still more preferably 100 mm or less, from the viewpoint of maintaining the overall softness. Specifically, 3 mm or more and 150 mm or less are preferable, 5 mm or more and 120 mm or less are more preferable, and 6 mm or more and 100 mm or less are more preferable. Further, the basis weight of the fiber web is preferably 10 g / m ² or more, more preferably 12 g / m ² or more, and still more preferably 15 g / m ² or more, from the viewpoint of clarifying the height difference of unevenness. The thickness of the fibrous web, from the viewpoint of maintaining the overall softness, preferably 100 g / ^{m 2} or less, more preferably 80 g / ^{m 2,} more preferably 60 g / ^{m 2} or less. Specifically, 10 g / m ² or more and 100 g / m ² or less is preferable, 12 g / m ² or more and 80 g / m ² or less is more preferable, and 15 g / m ² or more and 60 g / m ² or less is more preferable.

In the heat-sealing step (hereinafter also referred to as step (A2)) of the above (A2), the fiber web shaped in the step (A1) is subjected to heat treatment while being shaped into irregularities on a support. At this time, the hot air is blown through the opening formed at the bottom of the recess of the support. In this way, the fibers of the fiber web are fusion-bonded to form a nonwoven fabric to obtain an uneven nonwoven fabric.
In the step (A2), the temperature of the hot air is set higher than the melting point of the resin having the lowest melting point among the fibers possessed by the fiber web. In consideration of a general fiber material used for the non-woven fabric, the difference between the temperature of the hot air and the melting point of the resin having the lowest melting point among the fibers in the fiber web is preferably 0 ° C. or more, more preferably 5 ° C. or more, 10 ° C. or more is more preferable. Moreover, 60 degrees C or less is preferable, 40 degrees C or less is more preferable, and 30 degrees C or less is still more preferable. Specifically, 0 ° C. or more and 60 ° C. or less is preferable, 5 ° C. or more and 40 ° C. or less is more preferable, and 10 ° C. or more and 30 ° C. or less is more preferable.
Further, in the step (A2), the wind speed of the hot air is preferably 2 m / s or more, more preferably 3 m / s or more, although it depends on the height of the convex portion of the support. As a result, the heat transfer to the fibers can be made sufficient to fuse the fibers together, and the fixing of the uneven shape can be made sufficient. Moreover, 50 m / s or less is preferable and, as for the wind speed of hot air, 40 m / s or less is more preferable. Thereby, excessive heat transfer to the fibers can be suppressed, and the texture of the non-woven fabric can be improved.

  By using the method and apparatus for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric according to the present invention, it is possible to perform uneven shaping with a difference in height accurately and to manufacture a soft and bulky nonwoven fabric. In particular, the treatment process is divided into the step (A1) and the step (A2), and by performing the treatment in this order, the uneven shape with a difference in height with respect to the fiber web can be accurately and efficiently. It can be done.

  The bulky nonwoven fabric produced in this manner has a large amount of compressive deformation in the thickness direction, a high thickness recovery rate, and can be excellent in cushioning properties and good in texture. Moreover, in order to shape the fiber web before forming into a non-woven fabric, the orientation of the fibers can be controlled to produce a non-woven fabric having a high shape-retaining property with an uneven shape.

In the present invention, the support has a recess extending in a first direction, and the protrusions are separated in a second direction crossing the first direction. The recess extending in the first direction means that the recess is continuous in a first direction.
The first direction and the second direction can be appropriately set in accordance with the concavo-convex shape to be shaped as long as they are directions intersecting each other. For example, the first direction may coincide with a machine direction (MD) in a manufacturing process. The machine flow direction as referred to herein is the direction in which the manufacturing process is sequentially advanced, and is the transport direction of the fiber web. That is, it is the longitudinal direction of the fiber web to be conveyed. Further, the second direction can be made to coincide with a cross direction (CD) orthogonal to the machine flow direction. The width direction said here is the width direction of the fiber web conveyed. When the first direction is aligned with the MD direction and the second direction is aligned with the CD direction, irregularities are formed along the width direction of the fiber web coincident with the second direction. The recess and the protrusion formed on the fiber web extend in the machine flow direction (longitudinal direction) of the fiber web coincident with the first direction.

  “Consistent with the machine flow direction” means that the first direction is in the range of not less than −0.5 ° and not more than 0.5 ° with respect to the machine flow direction. Further, with respect to the machine flow direction, the first direction is preferably −0.2 ° or more, more preferably −0.1 ° or more, and preferably + 0.2 ° or less, more preferably +0.1. It is the range below °. As a result, the gap between the convex portion of the support and the pressing portion of the pressing member can be sufficiently set within a set range, and interference with each other can be avoided, and good shaping can be performed. Specifically, -0.2 degrees or more and +0.2 degrees or less are preferable, and -0.1 degrees or more and +0.1 degrees or less are more preferable.

  Furthermore, in the support according to the present invention, it is preferable that the convex portions are also separated in the first direction from the viewpoint of forming more various asperities. From the viewpoint of shapeability, it is more preferable to have a recess extending in the second direction between the convex portions separated in the first direction. The pushing member may push the fiber web even along the recess extending in the second direction. In the present invention, even if concavo-convex shaping is performed along each of the first direction and the second direction crossing each other as described above, the entire softness can be maintained as described above, so a soft and bulky non-woven fabric is manufactured. be able to.

In the method for producing the nonwoven fabric of the present invention, after the pressing step of (A1), the pressing member may be removed from the fiber web, and then the hot air of the heat sealing step of (A2) may be sprayed. When hot air is blown without the pressing member, it is possible to produce a puffy nonwoven fabric, in other words, a soft and puffy nonwoven fabric.
Furthermore, after the pushing member is removed from the fiber web as described above, another fiber web is placed on the surface of the fiber web opposite to the support while keeping the fiber web along the support. You may In this case, the heat-sealing step (A2) is carried out on the fiber web along the support and the other fiber web placed thereon to produce a bulkier non-woven fabric with a two-layer structure.
Further, the pushing member and the support are structured to blow through hot air, and after the pushing step of (A1), the fiber web is sandwiched between the support and the pushing member, and the support in the heat fusion step of (A2) A process of blowing hot air may be performed in a state in which the body and the pressing member are loosely inserted. Depending on the shape of the pressing member, it is possible to perform shaping with a more even shape.

In the present invention, a cooling unit is provided downstream of the hot-air blowing unit, and after the heat-sealing step of (A2), a cooling step (A3) of cooling the support and the shaped nonwoven fabric is provided. Is preferred. The cooling step preferably cools the support to a temperature lower than the melting point of the resin having the lowest melting point among the fibers contained in the fiber web. Specifically, in the cooling step, the support is preferably cooled to 130 ° C. or less, more preferably 110 ° C. or less, and even more preferably 100 ° C. or less.
By the cooling step of (A3), when the shaped nonwoven fabric is peeled from the support, the shape is easily maintained, and the cushioning properties imparted by the shaping become good. In addition, since the support is cooled, the occurrence of melting of the fiber web can be prevented in the subsequent pushing process of (A1) on the fiber web.

  In the method and apparatus for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric according to the present invention, the concavo-convex shaping on the fiber web may be performed batchwise or continuously. When carrying out continuously, it is preferable that a support body is a structure which has a surrounding surface which turned convex part outward, and it rotates. Similarly, it is preferable that the push-in member is configured to have a circumferential surface with the surface loosely inserted with the support facing outward and to rotate. As a structure which rotates, the thing of various aspects usually used for manufacture of a nonwoven fabric can be adopted without particular restriction. For example, those having a rotating drum shape, those having a belt shape and the like can be mentioned.

  BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric according to the present invention will be more specifically described with reference to the drawings, using preferred embodiments (first to third embodiments). The matters described above can be applied to any of the first to third embodiments.

  First, with reference to FIGS. 1-3, the manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric of 1st Embodiment is demonstrated with the manufacturing apparatus 100 of the nonwoven fabric preferably used.

  The nonwoven fabric manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a drum-shaped support 1 and a pushing member 2. The drum-shaped support 1 and the pressing member 2 are disposed to face each other, and sandwich and rotate the fiber web 70 to be processed which is conveyed from the upstream.

  Upstream of the drum-shaped support 1 and the push-in member 2, the supply portion (not shown) of the fiber web 70 described above is provided, and the fiber web 70 of desired thickness and basis weight is manufactured. The sheet is fed to the position of the pushing member 2. A feed belt conveyor 9 is shown in FIG. 1 as a feed section of the feed section of the fiber web 70.

The support 1 is, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a plurality of projections 11, a recess 12 disposed between the plurality of projections 11, and an opening disposed in the bottom 12 T of the recess 12. It has a hole 13. Thereby, the support body 1 is configured to have a circumferential surface with the convex portion 11 directed outward and to rotate.
The plurality of recesses 12 have a first recess 121 extending in the first direction X. The plurality of convex portions 11 are spaced apart in a second direction Y intersecting the first direction X. The first direction X in the first embodiment corresponds to the machine flow direction (MD) in the manufacturing apparatus 100. The machine flow direction is the direction of rotation of the drum-shaped support 1 and the direction in which the fiber web 70 is conveyed along the support 1. The second direction Y in the first embodiment is a direction coincident with a width direction (CD) orthogonal to the machine flow direction (MD) in the manufacturing apparatus 100. The width direction is the rotation axis direction of the drum-shaped support 1 and is the width direction of the fiber web 70.
Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the protrusions 11 are also spaced apart in the first direction X. That is, on the circumferential surface of the support 11, a plurality of the convex portions 11 are provided separately from each other in the rotational direction and the rotational axis direction. Thus, the recess 12 has a second recess 122 extending in the second direction Y in addition to the first recess 121 extending in the first direction X described above. The recesses 12 are arranged in a lattice on the peripheral surface of the support 1 by the first recess 121 and the second recess 122.

  In addition, that the 1st direction X corresponds to the machine flow direction is that each degree which both directions make | forms the range mentioned above, and it is preferable to exist in the above-mentioned preferable range. However, the first direction X and the second direction Y are not limited to those of the present embodiment, and can be set variously according to the target shaping. Moreover, the separation direction of the convex part 11 and the extension direction of the recessed part 12 are not limited to this embodiment. The protrusions 11 may not be spaced apart in the first direction X, and the recesses 12 may not have to extend in the second direction Y.

  FIGS. 2A and 2B show the convex portion 11 as having a quadrangular prism shape and having the top portion 11T of the convex portion 11 flat. However, the shape of the convex part 11 is not limited to this. The shape of the convex portion 11 can be set variously in accordance with the target shape for shaping as long as the fiber web 70 can be appropriately pressed by the pressing member 2. Moreover, the height of the convex part 11 can be variously set according to the height difference of the unevenness | corrugation made into the objective. The height of the convex portion 11 depends on the thickness and basis weight of the fiber web 70 to be formed, but from the viewpoint of clarifying the height difference of the unevenness, 3 mm or more is preferable, 4 mm or more is more preferable, and 5 mm or more More preferable. Further, the height of the convex portion 11 is preferably 15 mm or less, more preferably 13 mm or less, and still more preferably 12 mm or less, from the viewpoint of holding the uneven shape of the processed nonwoven fabric itself. Specifically, 3 mm or more and 15 mm or less are preferable, 4 mm or more and 13 mm or less are more preferable, and 5 mm or more and 12 mm or less are more preferable.

As shown in FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B), the pushing member 2 is configured to have a surface, which is loosely inserted with the support 1, facing the outer surface, and to rotate. The pushing member 2 of the first embodiment is also referred to as a grid roll, and specifically has the following configuration.
The push-in member 2 has a push-in portion 21 inserted along the concave portion 12 of the support 1 on the circumferential surface of the drum shape. The push-in portion 21 has a first push-in portion 211 inserted along the first recess 121 extending in the first direction X of the support 1. Furthermore, the push-in portion 21 has a second push-in portion 212 which is inserted along the second recess 122 extending in the second direction Y of the support. Thus, the push-in portions 21 are arranged in a lattice on the circumferential surface of the drum-shaped push-in member 2. The circumferential surface of the push-in member 2 is hollowed between the push-in portions 21 and has a grid-like space 22. As described above, the push-in member 2 has the grid-like push-in portion 21 and the grid-like space portion 22 on the drum-shaped peripheral surface.

  FIGS. 3A and 3B show that the first push-in portions 211 have a disk shape and are disposed apart from each other in the rotational axis direction. Further, the second push-in portions 212 are shown as being linear extending in the rotational axis direction of the push-in member 2 and arranged to be separated from each other along the outer periphery of the push-in member 2. However, the shape and arrangement of the first push-in portion 211 and the second push-in portion 212 are not limited to these. The shape and arrangement of the first push-in portion 211 and the second push-in portion 212 are such that the thickness and basis weight of the fiber web 70 to be shaped, such as the shape of the recess 12 of the support 1, as long as the fiber web 70 can be pushed properly. Various settings can be made according to the amount and the like.

  The support 1 and the push-in member 2 are loosely inserted with each other so that the convex portion 11 and the push-in portion 21 do not interfere with each other, and rotate in the machine flow direction. Therefore, the width of the push-in portion 21 is smaller than the distance between the convex portions 11. In the first embodiment, the distance between the protrusions 11 is the distance in the second direction Y (the width of the first recess 121, H1) and the distance in the first direction X (the width of the second recess 122, H3). The width of the push-in portion 21 has a width in the second direction Y (the width of the first push-in portion 211, H2) and a width in the first direction X (the width of the second push-in portion 212, H4). In either direction, the width of the push-in portion 21 is smaller than the distance between the convex portions 11, and the difference between the two is preferably in the range described above.

In the push-in process (A1) in the method of manufacturing the nonwoven fabric of the first embodiment, the support 1 and the push-in member 2 hold the fiber web 70 fed by the feed belt conveyor 9 and play while rotating with each other. It is done by inserting each other.
In the first embodiment, the push-in portions 21 arranged in a grid of the push-in member 2 are loosely inserted into the grid-like recessed portions 12 of the support 1 to push the fiber web 70 into the recess 12. The support 1 supports the fiber web 70 at the top 11 T of the projection 11 and enters the space 22 of the pushing member 2. In this manner, the pushing member 2 pushes in the recess 12 of the support 1 until the thickness surface of the fiber web 70 is lower than the height of the top 11 T of the protrusion 11. That is, the push-in portion 21 of the push-in member 2 is positioned closer to the concave portion 12 than the top portion 11T of the convex portion 11 in a state of being inserted into the concave portion 12. At this time, it is preferable that the push-in depth of the push-in portion 21 of the push-in member 2 be kept at a position which does not reach the bottom 12 T of the recess 12 of the support 1. The pressing depth can be determined by setting of the positional relationship between the support 1 and the pressing member 2 or the like.
As a result, the fiber web 70 is shaped along the uneven surface consisting of the convex portion 11 and the concave portion 12 of the support 1 in accordance with the pushing by the pushing portion 21.

  In the pressing step (A1), it is preferable that the temperature setting of the support 1 is made as described above, since generation of melting of the fibers in the fiber web 70 can be prevented at the time of shaping.

  In the first embodiment, the support 1 may have suction portions (not shown) at positions facing the push-in member 2 and regions before and after the support inside the drum. In the support 1, negative pressure is applied to the fiber web 70 by the suction portion, so that the fiber web 70 easily conforms to the circumferential surface of the support 1 and the formability is further enhanced.

  The support 1 is rotated and conveyed in a state in which the fiber web 70 that is unevenly shaped in the pressing step (A1) is placed along the circumferential surface of the support 1. By the rotation, the fiber web 70 is conveyed to the position of the hot air blowing unit 3 having the hot air nozzle, which is downstream of the pushing member 2.

The heat sealing step of (A2) in the method of manufacturing the nonwoven fabric of the first embodiment is performed at the position of the hot air blowing unit 3. The hot air blowing unit 3 has a heater 31 and blows hot air 3W against the surface of the fiber web 70 which the pressing member 2 was pressed against in the previous step. The hot air 3W makes the shaped fiber web 70 non-woven. The hot air 3W is blown through the openings 13 of the support 1 into the inside of the support 1.
In the first embodiment, the support 1 preferably has a hot air suction portion 35 at a position facing the hot air blowing portion 3 inside the drum. The hot air suction unit 35 sucks the hot air 3W, and the exhaust device 36 connected to the hot air suction unit 35 exhausts the hot air 3W to the outside. This prevents the disturbance of the fibers of the fiber web 70 without disturbing the blown hot air 3W. Moreover, it can prevent that the drum outer periphery of the support body 1 becomes high temperature too much. By these, the occurrence of fusion of fibers is more effectively prevented for the fiber web 70 in the pushing step (A1) performed upstream on the same support 1, and stable shaping without disorder of the fibers It can be performed. In addition, the fiber web 70 can be easily held by the support 1, and the entire steps (A1) and (A2) can be stably performed. The temperature and the wind speed of the hot air 3W are preferably set in the above-mentioned range.

  The non-woven fabric 80 manufactured through the steps (A1) and (A2) is separated from the outer periphery of the support 1 as the support 1 rotates, and is conveyed by the guide roll 91.

  In the first embodiment, after the pushing step (A1), the pushing member 2 is removed from the fiber web 70 and the support 1 of the fiber web 70 is kept along with the support 1. The other fiber web may be placed on the opposite side (not shown). That is, after the pressing step of (A1), the heat sealing step of (A2) may be performed in a state in which the fiber web is laminated in two layers.

  In the first embodiment, it is preferable to dispose the cooling unit 4 having a cooling nozzle at a position where the non-woven fabric 80 obtained by blowing the hot air 3W is along the outer periphery of the drum of the support 1. The cooling unit 4 blows cold air 4 W on the non-woven fabric 80 to perform a cooling process (a cooling process of (A3)). Thereby, as described above, the support 1 can be suppressed to a certain temperature or lower, and the obtained non-woven fabric 80 can be peeled off while maintaining the shape, and good cushioning can be maintained. In the cooling step, it is preferable to perform cooling to the temperature in the range described above. In this case, it is preferable that the support 1 have the cold air suction portion 45 at the position facing the cooling portion 4 and in the region before and after the position inside the drum. The cold air suction unit 45 sucks the cold air 4W, and the exhaust device 46 connected to the cold air suction unit 45 exhausts the cold air 4W to the outside. Thereby, the disorder of the fiber of the fiber web 70 hold | maintained at the outer periphery of the support body 1 can be prevented more effectively. Moreover, the whole process of (A1)-(A3) can be performed more stably.

  According to the method and apparatus for manufacturing the nonwoven fabric of the first embodiment, for example, when the support 1 is as shown in FIG. 2, the nonwoven fabric 80A as shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C is manufactured. Can. Moreover, nonwoven fabric 80C of a 2 layer structure as shown to FIG. 5 (A)-(C) can be manufactured. The nonwoven fabric 80C can be manufactured by removing the push-in member 2 and laminating another fiber web after the push-in process of (A1) as described above, and performing the heat-sealing process of (A2).

  FIG. 4A shows the non-woven fabric 80A with the first surface Z1 on the upper side. The first surface Z1 is a surface disposed opposite to the support 1 in the manufacturing direction of the nonwoven fabric. In the first surface Z1 of the non-woven fabric 80A, longitudinal and lateral ridges 81 and 82 are arranged in an orthogonal grid, and box-shaped concave portions 83 are regularly spaced longitudinally and transversely between them. The longitudinal and lateral ridges 81 and 82 are formed by pushing the fiber web 70 along the first recess 121 and the second recess 122 of the support 1. The box-shaped concave portion 83 in the non-woven fabric 80A is formed by shaping the fiber web 70 along the wall surface of the convex portion 11 of the support 1 and the top 11T. FIG. 4B shows the non-woven fabric 80A with the second surface Z2 (the opposite surface of the first surface Z1) on the upper side. The second surface Z2 is a surface into which the push-in portion 21 is pushed in in the method of manufacturing the non-woven fabric, and a surface to which the hot air 3W is blown. In the second surface Z2 of the non-woven fabric 80A, quadrangular prism-shaped convex portions 84 corresponding to the concave portions 83 in the first surface Z1 are regularly spaced longitudinally and laterally. The convex portion 84 in the non-woven fabric 80A is formed by shaping the fiber web 70 along the wall surface and the top of the convex portion 11 of the support 1. FIG. 4C shows the side surface of the non-woven fabric 80A, and the quadrangular prism-like convex portions 84 protruding from the second surface Z2 are regularly spaced. As described above, by shaping the fiber web 70 using the pushing member 2, it is possible to manufacture a nonwoven fabric having various uneven shapes having a clear difference in height according to the shape of the convex portion 11 of the support. .

  FIG. 5 (A) shows the first surface Z1 on the upper side, and the same ridge as in FIG. 4 (A) is disposed. FIG. 5B shows the second surface Z2 corresponding to FIG. 4B on the upper side, and the second nonwoven fabric 80B is laminated on the second surface Z2 of the shaped nonwoven fabric 80A. FIG. 5C shows the side surface of the non-woven fabric 80C, and a space 90 penetrating longitudinally and transversely in the planar direction is disposed between the second surface Z2 of the non-woven fabric 80A and the second non-woven fabric 80B.

  As mentioned above, according to the manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus of the nonwoven fabric of a 1st embodiment, bulky and soft nonwoven fabric can be manufactured still more than the shaping | molding by the conventional hot air. In addition, as a result of the concavo-convex shaping by mechanical pressing, it is possible to accurately perform the concavo-convex shaping with a difference in height. Furthermore, the orientation of the fibers can be controlled in the desired direction. As a result, it is possible to manufacture a non-woven fabric having a cushioning property that is further excellent in compressive deformation and thickness recovery than in the prior art, a high shape retention property, and a good feeling.

  Next, with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the method of manufacturing the nonwoven fabric of the second embodiment will be described together with the nonwoven fabric manufacturing apparatus 200 that is preferably used. In the second embodiment, the pushing member is different from that of the first embodiment, and the other members are common. The differences will be described below. The items that are not particularly described can be the same as in the first embodiment.

  In the manufacturing apparatus 200 of the second embodiment, the push-in member 2A is made of a string-like material (wire). That is, the wire is assembled in a mesh shape. In other words, the push-in member 2A is a net, the deformability of the intersection of the wires is high, and the whole is flexible or flexible. Therefore, the pushing member 2A is easily fitted to the fiber web 70 to be processed.

  Various materials can be used as the string-like material. For example, it may be a single fiber made of resin. It is preferable that it is a heat resistant material, and what has a heat resistance of 180 degreeC or more is more preferable. Specifically, it is particularly preferable to be made of one or more materials selected from glass fiber, aramid fiber, polyphenylene sulfide, and fluorocarbon resin. Further, it is preferable that the surface is resin-coated or the like so that the fiber web does not get entangled so that the string-like material is not melted or fuzzed, regardless of what the string-like material is.

  The pushing member 2A has a string-like pushing portion 21A, as shown in FIG. The push-in portion 21A has a first push-in portion 211A and a second push-in portion 212A which are loosely inserted into the first concave portion 121 and the second concave portion 122 of the support 1. The pushing member 2A has a grid-like space 22A between the string-like pushing parts 21A. The convex portion 11 of the support 1 is loosely inserted in the grid-like space portion 22A.

  The pushing member 2A is formed into a belt shape and is rotated by a plurality of guide rolls 92A to 92I as shown in FIG. That is, the push-in member 2A is configured to have a circumferential surface with the surface loosely inserted with the support 1 facing outward, and to rotate. In this case, the pushing member 2A may be continuous or may be a combination of a plurality of units. In any case, it is preferable to mount conveying means 23 such as profile belts or chains on both sides of the width of the pushing member 2A as a rotating structure.

As in the first embodiment, the pushing member 2A and the support 1 are loosely inserted with each other so that the convex portion 11 and the pushing portion 21A do not interfere with each other, and rotate in the machine flow direction. Also in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the width (H2, H4 shown in FIG. 7) of the push-in portion 21A is greater than the spacing between the convex portions 11 (H1, H3 shown in FIG. 2B). Preferably, the difference between the two is in the range described above.
In FIG. 6, the pusher member 2A corresponds to the position of the support 1 corresponding to the position where the heat fusion process of (A2) and the cooling process of (A3) are performed by the guide rolls 92A to 92I from the pushing process of (A1). The circumferential area is covered and rotated. Thus, the steps (A1) to (A3) can be performed with the push-in member 2A being loosely inserted in the support 1. In this case, the hot air 3W and the cold air 4W are blown through the opening 13 of the support 1 from the gap between the string-like push-in portion 21A and the convex portion 11 of the support 1. The arrangement of the pushing member 2A is not limited to the arrangement shown in FIG. 7 described above. The placement range can be set appropriately as long as the pressing member 2A is installed in the range of loosely inserting the support 1 at least at the position of the pressing process (A1). The pushing member 2A can determine its length in accordance with the arrangement range.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that an alignment roll 24 in which tapered projections are arranged in the same arrangement as the projections 11 of the support 1 is connected to the pushing member 2A. As alignment roll 24, a chain sprocket etc. are mentioned, for example, and others can be used. Preferably, the alignment roll 24 is driven in synchronization with the support 1 so that the push-in member 2A is brought into phase contact with the support 1 and comes into contact with the support 1. The synchronization of driving can be performed by various methods. For example, there is a method of disposing a gear on the drum of the support 1 and driving the alignment roll 24 therefrom. There is also a method in which the alignment roll 24 is driven by branching from the same drive source as the drum of the support 1. Thus, the string-like push-in portion 21A of the push-in member 2A can be appropriately loosely inserted in the recess 12 without interfering with the projection 11 of the support 1. At the same time, the convex portion 11 of the support 1 can be appropriately loosely inserted in the grid-like space portion 22A of the pushing member 2A without interference.

As described above, the pushing process of (A1) in the second embodiment is performed.
In the second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, in which the drum-shaped push-in member 2 is rotated and pushed in, a long belt-shaped push-in member 2A is used.
Therefore, in the second embodiment, it is possible to set so as to extend the time for which the push-in member 2A is loosely inserted in the recess 12 of the support 1 as compared with the first embodiment. This can be performed, for example, by increasing the co-travel distance with the fiber web 70 being conveyed depending on the arrangement position of the guide rolls 92A to 92I. As a result, the pressing time to the fiber web 70 becomes long, and more reliable shaping can be performed, which is preferable.
Further, in this case, the push-in members 2A can be made to merge from the tangential direction on the roll circumferential surface of the support 1 while being brought close to parallel with the fiber web 70 and pushed into the recess 12 of the support 1. This is preferable because the impact on the fiber web 70 can be further softened and the fiber web 70 can be quickly suppressed.

In the second embodiment, after the pressing step of (A1), the heat fusion step of (A2) may or may not be performed by removing the pressing member 2A from the fiber web 70. The pushing member 2A and the support 1 have a structure in which the hot air 3W blows through in the space 22A and the opening 13, respectively, and the heat fusion process of (A2) can be performed without any problem.
In the second embodiment, in the heat sealing step of (A2), after the pushing step of (A1), the state in which the support 1 and the string-like pushing portion 21A are loosely inserted with the fiber web 70 interposed therebetween. It is preferable to blow 3 W of hot air. As a result, the string-like push-in portion 21A softens the fiber web 70 and can suppress the scattering of the fibers, which makes it possible to perform shaping with a good formation.
Also in the second embodiment, for example, when the support 1 is shown in FIG. 2, a bulky nonwoven fabric as shown in FIGS. 4 (A) to 4 (C) and 5 (A) to 5 (C) is manufactured. be able to.

  As described above, in the method and apparatus for manufacturing the nonwoven fabric according to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to manufacture a bulkier and softer nonwoven fabric than shaping with the conventional hot air. In addition, it is possible to manufacture a non-woven fabric having a cushioning property that is further excellent in compression deformation and thickness recovery than in the past, a high shape retention property, and a good feeling.

  Next, the manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus of the nonwoven fabric of a 3rd embodiment are explained. In the third embodiment, the pushing member is different from that of the first embodiment, and the other members are common. The differences will be described below. The items that are not particularly described can be the same as in the first embodiment.

  In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the pushing member 2B has a drum shape in which a plurality of rings are combined in the rotational axis direction, and has a circumferential surface with the surface loosely inserted with the support 1 facing outward. , Is configured to rotate. The portion of the ring is the pressing portion 21B. A space 22B is formed between the rings.

  The push-in portion 21 B of the push-in member 2 B pushes the fiber web 70 along the first recess 121 extending in the first direction X of the support 1. On the other hand, the push-in member 2B does not have a push-in portion corresponding to the second concave portion 122 extending in the second direction Y of the support 1. Therefore, the pushing member 2B does not push the fiber web 70 along the second recess 122 extending in the second direction Y of the support 1. On the other hand, the convex part 11 of the support is loosely inserted in the space 22B between the rings in the pushing member 2B.

  As described above, the pushing process of (A1) in the third embodiment is performed. At this time, as described above, the fiber web 70 is not pushed along the second recess 122 extending in the second direction Y of the support 1. However, when the push-in portion 21B of the push-in member 2B continuously pushes in the fiber web 70 along the first concave portion 121 extending in the first direction X of the support 1, the convex portion 11 adjacent to the first concave portion 121. In the column of, the following rendition is made. That is, the pushing force of the pushing portion 21B spreads to the fiber web 70 on the row of the adjacent convex portions 11, and the fiber web 70 in the second concave portion 122 in the row is shallowly recessed and shaped. In the shallow and depressed portion, the tension of the convex portions 11 disposed at the front and back is weak. Therefore, compared with the spread of the fiber web 70 between the convex portion 11 of the support 1 and the pushing portion 21B of the pushing member 2B, the fiber web between the second concave portion 122 between the convex portions 11 and the pushing portion 21B The spread of 70 becomes smaller. As a result, along the line in which the convex portions 11 of the support 1 are aligned in the first direction X, a convex streak portion of the fiber web 70 is formed at the height of the convex portions 11 and the convex streak portion has a wavy shape in height. It will be possessed. That is, convex ridges having a shape in which a plurality of convex portions are connected in a ridge shape are formed. In addition, the ridges have a wave-like contour in which wide and narrow portions in plan view are alternately arranged.

  In the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, after the pushing process of (A1), the heat sealing process of (A2) is performed with the pushing member 2B removed from the fiber web 70.

  In the method and apparatus for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric according to the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, a bulkier and softer nonwoven fabric can be manufactured more than the conventional shaping by hot air. In addition, it is possible to manufacture a non-woven fabric having a cushioning property that is further excellent in compression deformation and thickness recovery than in the past, a high shape retention property, and a good feeling.

However, in the third embodiment, it is possible to manufacture a non-woven fabric having a concavo-convex shape different from that of the first embodiment while using the same support 1 as the first embodiment.
For example, when the support 1 is shown in FIG. 2, a bulky nonwoven fabric 80D as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B can be manufactured. FIG. 9A shows the first surface Z1 of the non-woven fabric 80D as the upper side. The first surface Z1 is a surface disposed opposite to the support 1 in the manufacturing direction of the nonwoven fabric. On the first surface Z1 of the non-woven fabric 80D, a plurality of longitudinal collar portions 85 extending in the first direction X are regularly arranged in the second direction Y. In addition, a weir 86 lower than the weir 85 is disposed to connect the weir 85 in the second direction Y. A plurality of weir portions 86 are regularly spaced apart in the first direction X. A recess 87 is formed between the lateral ridges 86, 86 aligned in the first direction X. The longitudinal collar portion 85 is formed by continuously pushing the fiber web 70 along the first concave portion 121 of the support 1, and the lateral collar portion 86 is formed by being pulled and pressed weakly by pushing. . Moreover, FIG. 9 (B) has shown 2nd surface Z2 (surface opposite to 1st surface Z1) of nonwoven fabric 80D upwards. The second surface Z2 is a surface into which the push-in portion 21B is pushed in in the method of manufacturing the nonwoven fabric, and a surface to which the hot air 3W is blown. In the second surface Z2 of the non-woven fabric 80D, a plurality of convex portions 88 having a ridge-like continuous ridge line, in which the lateral ridges 86 and the concave portions 87 in the first surface Z1 correspond to a row aligned in the first direction X The part 89 is formed. As described above, the ridges 89 have a corrugated contour in which the wide portions 89A and narrow portions 89B in plan view are alternately arranged. Thus, by shaping the fiber web 70 using the push-in member 2B, it is possible to manufacture a nonwoven fabric having various uneven shapes in which the difference in height is clear according to the shape of the convex portion 11 of the support 1 it can. Further, although not shown, in the process of manufacturing the non-woven fabric 80D of FIGS. 9A and 9B, prior to the heat-sealing step of (A2), other fibers are laminated to form a two-layer structure. You can also.

  In the first to third embodiments described above, the drum-shaped support 1 and the pushing members 2, 2A, 2B are shown as rotating in one direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the pushing members 2, 2A and 2B may be reciprocated by the link mechanism so that the pushing process may be performed on the fiber web 70 a plurality of times.

  With respect to the above-described embodiment, the present invention further discloses the following non-woven fabric manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus.

<1>
A plurality of projections, a recess disposed between the plurality of projections, and an aperture disposed at the bottom of the recess, the recesses extending in the first direction, and the plurality of projections The fiber web is placed on a support spaced apart in a second direction where the direction intersects the first direction, and the fiber web is pushed along the recess extending in the first direction. Pushing in by the pushing portion of the member, pushing step,
Then, a method of manufacturing a non-woven fabric comprising a heat fusion step of fusing the fibers in the fiber web by blowing hot air.

<2>
The method for producing a nonwoven fabric according to <1>, wherein the pushing member pushes in the concave portion until the thickness surface of the fiber web is lower than the height of the top of the convex portion.
<3>
The method for producing a non-woven fabric according to <1> or <2>, wherein the support has a circumferential surface with the convex portion facing outward, and is configured to rotate.
<4>
The manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric as described in said <3> whose said support body is a drum shape.

<5>
The method for producing a nonwoven fabric according to any one of <1> to <4>, wherein the push-in member has a circumferential surface with the surface loosely inserted with the support facing outward, and rotates.
<6>
The manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric as described in said <5> whose said pushing member is a drum shape.
<7>
The method for producing a nonwoven fabric according to <6>, wherein the pressing member is a roll having the pressing portion extending in the first direction on a circumferential surface thereof.
<8>
The manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric as described in said <5> whose said pushing member is cord-like.

<9>
In the heat fusion step, after the push-in step, after the push-in member is removed from the fiber web, a process of blowing hot air onto the fiber web is performed, according to any one of <1> to <8>. Of non-woven fabric.
<10>
After the pressing step, the pressing member is removed from the fiber web, and while the fiber web is kept along the support, another fiber web is formed on the surface of the fiber web opposite to the support. The manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric as described in said <9> which mounts.
<11>
The support and the push-in member are structured to blow hot air through;
In the heat fusion step, after the pushing step, a process of blowing hot air is performed in a state in which the support and the pushing member are loosely inserted with the fiber web interposed therebetween. The manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric as described in any one of>.

<12>
The pressing member according to any one of <1> to <11>, wherein the pressing member has a plurality of the pressing portions, and a width of the plurality of pressing portions is smaller than an interval between the plurality of the convex portions. Method of manufacturing nonwoven fabric.

<13>
The method for producing a nonwoven fabric according to any one of <1> to <12>, wherein the convex portion is arranged to be separated also in the first direction.
<14>
The method for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric according to <13>, further including a recess extending in the second direction between the convex portions separated in the first direction.
<15>
The method for producing a nonwoven fabric according to <14>, wherein the pushing member pushes the fiber web also along the recess extending in the second direction.
<16>
The method for producing a non-woven fabric according to <15>, wherein the support and the pushing member have a drum shape, and are loosely inserted and rotated relative to each other.
<17>
In the pushing step, an alignment roll in which tapered projections are arranged in the same arrangement as the projections of the support is connected to the pushing member.
The method for producing a nonwoven fabric according to <15>, wherein the alignment roll is driven in synchronization with the support, and the push-in member is phased with the support to contact the support.
<18>
The manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric any one of said <1>-<17> which said 1st direction corresponds with the machine flow direction.
<19>
The machine flow direction and the coincidence means that the first direction is in the range of −0.5 ° or more and + 0.5 ° or less, preferably −0.2 ° or more, more preferably − with respect to the machine flow direction. The manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric as described in said <18> which is 0.1 degree or more, preferably +0.2 degree or less, more preferably +0.1 degree or less.
<20>
The method for producing a nonwoven fabric according to <18>, wherein the machine flow direction and the coincidence are the first direction of −0.1 ° or more and 0.1 ° or less with respect to the machine flow direction.

<21>
In the pressing step, the support is set to 130 ° C. or less, preferably 110 ° C. or less, more preferably 100 ° C. or less, and the nonwoven fabric according to any one of the above <1> to <20> Method.
<22>
In the pressing step, the method for producing a nonwoven fabric according to any one of <1> to <20>, wherein the support is set to 100 ° C. or less.

<23>
In the heat fusion step, the temperature of the hot air is higher than the melting point of the resin having the lowest melting point among the fibers contained in the fiber web, and the difference between the temperature of the hot air and the melting point of the resin having the lowest melting point among the fibers is Any one of the above <1> to <22>, which is 0 ° C. to 60 ° C., preferably 5 ° C. or more, more preferably 10 ° C. or more, preferably 40 ° C. or less, more preferably 30 ° C. or less The manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric as described in 1.
<24>
In the heat fusion step, the temperature of the hot air is higher than the melting point of the resin having the lowest melting point among the fibers contained in the fiber web, and the difference between the temperature of the hot air and the melting point of the resin having the lowest melting point among the fibers is The manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric any one of said <1>-<22> which is 10 degreeC or more and 30 degrees C or less.

<25>
The manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric any one of said <1>-<24> which has a cooling process which cools the said support body and a fiber web after the said heat sealing process.
<26>
The method for producing a non-woven fabric according to <25>, wherein the cooling step cools the support to 130 ° C. or less, preferably 110 ° C. or less, more preferably 100 ° C. or less.
<27>
The said cooling process is a manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric as described in said <25> which cools the said support body to 100 degrees C or less.

<28>
A plurality of protrusions, a recess disposed between the plurality of protrusions, and an aperture disposed at the bottom of the recess, the recesses extending in a first direction, and a plurality of the protrusions Has a support spaced apart in a second direction intersecting the first direction,
A pushing member provided with a pushing portion inserted along the recess extending in the first direction;
The manufacturing apparatus of the nonwoven fabric which has a hot-air spraying part downstream of the said pushing member.

<29>
The apparatus for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric according to <29>, wherein the push-in portion is positioned closer to the recess than the top of the protrusion in a state where the push-in portion is inserted into the recess.
<30>
The apparatus for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric according to <28> or <29>, wherein the support has a circumferential surface with the convex portion facing outward, and is configured to rotate.
<31>
The manufacturing apparatus of the nonwoven fabric as described in said <30> whose said support body is a drum shape.

<32>
The apparatus for manufacturing a non-woven fabric according to any one of <28> to <31>, wherein the push-in member has a circumferential surface with a surface having a surface loosely inserted with the support facing outward.
<33>
The manufacturing apparatus of the nonwoven fabric as described in said <32> whose said pushing member is a drum shape.
<34>
The apparatus for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric according to <33>, wherein the pressing member is a roll having the pressing portion extending in the first direction on a circumferential surface thereof.
<35>
The manufacturing apparatus of the nonwoven fabric as described in said <32> whose said pushing member is cord-like.
<36>
The manufacturing apparatus of the nonwoven fabric as described in said <35> in which the said pushing member has 1 or several raw material chosen from glass fiber, aramid fiber, polyphenylene sulfide, and a fluororesin.

<37>
The pressing member according to any one of <28> to <36>, wherein the pressing member has a plurality of the pressing portions, and a width of the plurality of pressing portions is smaller than an interval of the plurality of the convex portions. Nonwoven fabric manufacturing equipment.

<38>
The manufacturing apparatus of the nonwoven fabric any one of said <28>-<37> in which the said convex part is spaced apart and arrange | positioned also in the said 1st direction.
<39>
The manufacturing apparatus of the nonwoven fabric as described in said <38> which further has a recessed part extended to a said 2nd direction between the said convex parts spaced apart to said 1st direction.
<40>
The apparatus for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric according to <39>, wherein the pressing member further includes a pressing portion in the second direction.
<41>
The manufacturing apparatus of the nonwoven fabric as described in said <40> which is a drum shape distribute | arranged so that the said support body and the said pushing member may carry out loose insertion of each other.
<42>
An alignment roll in which tapered projections are arranged in the same arrangement as the projections of the support is connected to the push-in member,
The apparatus for producing the nonwoven fabric according to <40>, wherein the alignment roll is driven in synchronization with the support, and the push-in member is phased with the support to contact the support.
<43>
The manufacturing apparatus of the nonwoven fabric any one of said <28>-<42> which said 1st direction corresponds with the machine flow direction.
<44>
The machine flow direction and the coincidence means that the first direction is in the range of −0.5 ° or more and + 0.5 ° or less, preferably −0.2 ° or more, more preferably − with respect to the machine flow direction. The manufacturing apparatus of the nonwoven fabric as described in said <43> which is 0.1 degree or more, preferably 0.2 degree or less, more preferably 0.1 degree or less.
<45>
The manufacturing apparatus of the nonwoven fabric as described in said <43> whose said 1st direction is -0.1 degree or more and 0.1 degree or less with respect to the said machine flow direction as said machine flow direction and agreement.

<46>
The manufacturing apparatus of the nonwoven fabric any one of said <28>-<45> which has a cooling part downstream of the said hot-air spraying part.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail based on examples, but the present invention is not construed as being limited thereby.

Example 1
Using the manufacturing apparatus of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the pressing process of (A1) and the heat fusion of (A2) under the conditions shown in Table 1 on a fiber web with a basis weight of 37 g / m ² The process of the process was performed to produce a non-woven fabric sample that was unevenly shaped. As the fiber web, a composite fiber having a core-sheath structure in which the core part is polyethylene terephthalate (melting point 255 ° C.) and the sheath part is polyethylene (melting point 132 ° C.) is used.

(Example 2)
Using the manufacturing apparatus of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 2, 6 and 7, the fiber web having a basis weight of 32 g / m ² is subjected to the treatments of (A1) and (A2) under the conditions shown in Table 1 Unevenly shaped nonwoven fabric samples were prepared. The fibers used were the same as in Example 1.

(Example 3)
The same fiber web with a basis weight of 32 g / m ² was treated with the treatment of (A1) and (A2) under the conditions shown in Table 1 using the manufacturing apparatus of the third embodiment shown in FIGS. A non-woven fabric sample was prepared by embossing and shaping. The fibers used were the same as in Example 1.

(Comparative example)
A first hot air treatment and a second hot air treatment are performed on a fiber web having a basis weight of 30 g / m ² using the production apparatus shown in FIG. 1 of JP 2012-144834 A to obtain a nonwoven fabric sample of a comparative example. Was produced. The fibers used were the same as in Example 1. The first hot air W1 that performs the air shaping process sets the temperature to 120 ° C., the wind speed to 52 m / sec, and the second hot air W2 that performs the thermal fusion process to the temperature 160 ° C., the wind speed is 6.0 m It was set to / sec.

The following test was done about the nonwoven fabric sample of the above-mentioned example and comparative example.
(Measurement of thickness of non-woven fabric sample)
An aluminum disc with a load of 49 Pa was prepared. The thickness of the sheet carrying the aluminum disc was measured using a laser displacement meter (CCD laser displacement meter LK-085 manufactured by Keyence Corporation). The measurement was performed at five points in any place of the sheet (where the aluminum discs do not overlap), and the average value was taken as the thickness of the sheet.
(Measurement of amount of compressive deformation)
It measured using the Kato Tech Co., Ltd. make, KES-FB3 compression tester. First, each non-woven fabric sample was cut into a square of 2.5 cm × 2.5 cm, and this was set as a test sample in a compression tester. Then, the pressing unit was lowered at a pressing speed of 0.02 mm / sec to press the sheet, and the sheet was compressed to a load of 50 gf / cm ² . Load was determined sample thickness (t1) and 25 gf / cm ² in thickness when the 5gf / cm ² (t2). The greater the value of (t2-t1), the softer the person feels. More specifically, the larger this value is, the smaller the load is, the harder it is to be compressed in the compression direction, and it is also moderately elastic. Also, it shows that the larger the value is, the easier it is to be crushed during the load of 2.5 kPa, and if the value is large, the cushioning property is easily felt because it is largely deformed when touched.
(Evaluation of softness)
Ten adult women were asked to touch the surface of each non-woven fabric sample with their palms, and the "softness" was evaluated. The comparative example was made into five points, and the value which it was numerically expressed by 10 full points was averaged.
Ten points: much softer than the non-woven fabric sample of the comparative example.
9 points: considerably softer than the non-woven fabric sample of the comparative example.
8 points: apparently softer than the non-woven fabric sample of the comparative example.
Seven points: slightly softer than the non-woven fabric sample of the comparative example.
6 points: slightly softer than the non-woven fabric sample of the comparative example.
5 points: It is softness comparable as a nonwoven fabric sample of a comparative example.
4 points: slightly harder than the non-woven fabric sample of the comparative example.
3 points: slightly harder than the non-woven fabric sample of the comparative example.
2 points: apparently harder than the non-woven fabric sample of the comparative example.
1 point: considerably harder than the non-woven fabric sample of the comparative example.
0 point: much harder than the non-woven fabric sample of the comparative example.

  As shown in Table 1, the non-woven fabric sample produced by the production apparatus and production method of Examples 1 to 3 has a thickness of 1.8 times or more of the non-woven fabric sample produced by the production method of Comparative Example; The amount of compressive deformation was twice or more, and the evaluation of the softness was high.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 support body 11 convex part 11T convex part top part 12 convex part 12T concave part bottom part 121 1st concave part 122 2nd concave part 13 opening 2, 2A, 2B pushing member 21, 21A, 21B pushing part 211, 211A first pushing part 212 212A Second push-in portion 22, 22A, 22B Space portion 23 Conveying means 24 Alignment roll 3 Hot air blowing portion 4 Cooling portion 9 Feeding belt conveyor 70 Fiber web 80, 80A, 80C, 80D Non-woven fabric 80B Second non-woven fabric 91, 92A ~ 92 I Guide roll 100, 200 Nonwoven fabric manufacturing equipment

Claims (10)

A plurality of projections, a recess disposed between the plurality of projections, and an aperture disposed at the bottom of the recess, the recesses extending in the first direction, and the plurality of projections The fiber web is placed on a support spaced apart in a second direction where the direction intersects the first direction, and the fiber web is pushed along the recess extending in the first direction. Pushing in by the pushing portion of the member, pushing step,
Then, a method of manufacturing a non-woven fabric comprising a heat fusion step of fusing the fibers in the fiber web by blowing hot air.   The method for manufacturing a non-woven fabric according to claim 1, wherein the support has a circumferential surface with the convex portion facing outward and rotates.   The method for manufacturing a non-woven fabric according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the push-in member is configured to have a circumferential surface with the surface loosely inserted with the support facing outward, and to rotate.   The nonwoven fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in the heat fusion step, after the push-in step, the pushing member is removed from the fiber web, then a process of blowing hot air onto the fiber web is performed. Manufacturing method.   The method for manufacturing a non-woven fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the convex portions are also spaced apart in the first direction.   The method for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric according to claim 5, further comprising a concave portion extending in the second direction between the convex portions separated in the first direction.   The method for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric according to claim 6, wherein the pushing member pushes the fiber web also along the recess extending in the second direction. A plurality of protrusions, a recess disposed between the plurality of protrusions, and an aperture disposed at the bottom of the recess, the recesses extending in a first direction, and a plurality of the protrusions Has a support spaced apart in a second direction intersecting the first direction,
A pushing member provided with a pushing portion inserted along the recess extending in the first direction;
The manufacturing apparatus of the nonwoven fabric which has a hot-air spraying part downstream of the said pushing member.   The apparatus for manufacturing a non-woven fabric according to claim 8, wherein the support has a circumferential surface with the convex portion directed outward and rotates. The apparatus for manufacturing a non-woven fabric according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the push-in member is configured to have a circumferential surface with the surface loosely inserted with the support body facing outward, and to rotate.