JP6502250B2 - Industrial fabric comprising a spirally wound material strip with a reinforcement - Google Patents

Description

[Cross-reference to related applications]
The present application is directed to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 246,812 filed on September 29, 2009, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 246,801, filed on September 29, 2009, 2009 Claims priority to US Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 147,637 filed on Jan. 27, and US Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 121,998 filed on December 12, 2008, 2009 No. 12 / 635,367, filed Dec. 10, 2008, which is a continuation-in-part of US patent application Ser.

[Embedded by reference]
All patents, patent applications, documents, references, manufacturer's instructions for any products, instructions, product specifications and product sheets mentioned herein are hereby incorporated by reference into the present invention. Can be used in the implementation of

  The present invention is directed to endless fabrics, and in particular to industrial fabrics used in the manufacture of non-woven products. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a support member such as a belt or sleeve used in the manufacture of nonwoven products having patterns or marks. Furthermore, the present invention can be used as a belt and / or a sleeve used in the manufacture of non-woven fabrics such as air lay, melt blow, spun bond and hydroentanglement.

  The process of making nonwoven products has been known for many years. In one process, a batt or web of fibers is treated with a stream of water or water jets to entangle the fibers together to improve physical properties such as the strength of the web. Techniques for such treatment with water jets have been known for decades and have been US Patent 3,214,819, US Patent 3,508,308, and US Patent 3,485,706. From the disclosure of

  In general, the method involves entanglement of the basic fibers by the action of a pressurized water jet, which acts like a needle on the fiber structure to thickness direction of the part of the fibers forming the web. It is possible to make it re-oriented.

  Such technology is still widely developed at present, especially for use in textiles, such as for applications in the medical field and medical facilities, for wiping, for filtering, and for the packaging of tea bags. Articles used throughout not only to manufacture what are known as "spunlace" structures or "water interlocking" structures are also known from the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 3,508,308. To be consistent and uniform, and optionally include a design that results in fiber reorientation, but this is very important for aesthetic purposes as is known from US Pat. No. 3,485,706. Important to you.

  For the production of "spunlace" or "water entanglement" types, a plurality of webs of different types of fibers, for example by making a mixture of materials, eg made of natural fibers, artificial fibers or synthetic fibers, Alternatively, it is quite possible to combine flat webs with pre-blended fibers (such as "spunbond" type webs) with reinforcements that can be incorporated into the non-woven structure to adapt the final properties of the product It has been known for a long time.

  French Patent FR-A-2 730 246 and French Patent FR-A-2 734 285, which correspond to US Patent 5,718,022 and US Patent 5,768,756, respectively, are hydrophobic. A solution is described which enables the treatment of the sexing fibers or mixtures of these fibres, by means of a water jet, together with other hydrophilic fibers or a flat web consisting entirely of natural fibres.

  According to the teaching of these documents, the treatment is generally to treat a base web composed of basic fibers of the same type or different types, to compress and wet this base web, and then to the high pressure acting on the base web. Intermingling the fibers with at least one rack of a continuous jet of water.

  For this purpose, the base web is actively advanced on a moving endless porous support and carried on the surface of a perforated rotating cylindrical drum, to which a partial vacuum is applied. The base web is mechanically compressed between a porous support and a rotating drum, both advancing at substantially the same speed. Immediately downstream of the compression area, a water curtain is directed onto the web, the water curtain passing continuously through the porous support, the compressed base web and the supporting perforated drum, in the case of the perforated drum a vacuum source Remove excess water by

  The basic fibers are continuously interwoven, still on the rotating cylindrical drum, by the compressed and wetted web being subjected to the action of at least one rack of high pressure water jets. In general, bonding is performed by a plurality of successive racks of water jets acting on the same side of the web or alternately on two sides, the pressure in the rack and the speed of jets emitted being from one rack It changes to the next rack and the change is usually gradual.

  It is important to note that the perforated rollers / drums may contain randomly distributed pores, as is known from FR 2734285. If desired, after the initial bonding process, the porous nonwoven structure may be subjected to a second process applied to the opposite side.

  In the process of manufacturing spunlaced nonwoven or hydroentangled nonwoven products, it is often desirable to apply patterns or marks on the finished product, thereby creating the desired design of the product. This pattern or mark is usually developed using a secondary process separate from the nonwoven sheet formation and winding process, in which case an embossed / patterned calender roll is used. These rolls are usually expensive and operate on the principle of compressing particular areas of the porous web to produce the required pattern or marks. However, there are several disadvantages of using separate steps to create patterns or marks on non-woven products. For example, a high initial investment in calender rolls may be required, which may limit the length of production operation that a manufacturer can economically make. Second, higher processing costs may be incurred due to the separate patterning or marking steps. Third, to maintain the caliper (thickness) of the product after compression in the calendering step, it is conceivable that the final product has a material content that is more than necessary. Finally, due to the high pressure compression during calendering, it is conceivable that the volume of the finished product will be smaller than desired in a two step process. Prior art non-woven fabrics made using these known pattern forming processes do not have well-defined, well-defined raised portions and therefore it is difficult to see the desired pattern. Furthermore, the raised portions of the prior art embossed non-woven products are not dimensionally stable and these raised portions lose their three-dimensional structure when stressed over time depending on the application There is a tendency.

  U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,098,764 and 5,244,711 disclose the use of the support member in more recent methods for producing nonwoven webs or nonwoven products. The support member has a topographical feature configuration and an array of apertures. In this process, the starting web of fibers is positioned on the topographical support member. The support member has a porous web on its surface and is passed under a jet of high pressure fluid, typically water. The jets of water cause the fibers to entangle with one another in a particular pattern based on the topographical configuration of the support member.

  The topographical features of the support member and the pattern of openings are crucial to the structure of the resulting nonwoven product. In addition, the support member is structurally integrity sufficient to support the porous web while the fluid jet re-arranges the fibers and entangles them in their new configuration to provide a stable fabric. And must have strength. The support member should not experience any substantial distortion under the force of the fluid jet. Also, the support member has means for removing relatively large amounts of entangled water to prevent "flooding" of the porous web that would interfere with effective entanglement. Must be Typically, the support member includes a discharge opening, which must be small enough in size to maintain the integrity of the porous web and to prevent the loss of fibers through the forming surface. Furthermore, the support member should be substantially free of burrs, ridges, or similar irregularities that may interfere with removal of the entangled porous nonwoven fabric therefrom. At the same time, the support member must be such that the fibers of the porous web being processed on its surface are not washed out under the influence of the fluid jet (ie good fiber retention and support).

  One of the major problems that arise during the manufacture of nonwovens is maintaining or imparting certain physical properties such as volume, texture, appearance etc. to give nonwoven products strength properties according to the intended application. At the same time, there is the problem of realizing the bonding of the fibers that make up the nonwoven fabric.

  The properties of volume, water absorbency, strength, flexibility, and aesthetic appearance are truly important for many products when used for their intended purpose. In order to produce non-woven products having these properties, the support member will often be constructed such that the sheet contact surface exhibits topographical changes.

  It should be appreciated that these support members (fabrics, belts, sleeves) may take the form of an endless loop and may function in the manner of a conveyor. It should be further appreciated that nonwoven production is a continuous process that proceeds at a significant rate. That is, the base fiber or web is continuously disposed on the forming fabric / belt in the forming section, while the newly entangled nonwoven fabric continues to be continuously transported from the support member to the subsequent process. ing.

  The present invention provides an alternative solution to the problems addressed by the prior art patents / patent applications discussed above.

  The present invention provides an improved belt or sleeve that functions in place of a conventional belt or sleeve, and also the desired non-woven products produced thereon, such as volume, appearance, texture, water absorbency, strength and texture, etc. Assign physical properties.

  Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a support member for spunlacing or hydroentanglement, such as a belt or sleeve, having through cavities in a desired pattern.

  A further object is to use a topography or texture created using any of the means known in the art, eg sanding, graving, embossing or etching, on one or both surfaces. It is to provide a belt or a sleeve that can be possessed. These and other objects and advantages are provided by the present invention. For non-limiting prior art woven fabrics, improved fiber support and removal (without leaving), and ease of cleaning as a result of the absence of yarn intersections to catch the base fibers. Like, other benefits are provided.

  If the belt / sleeve has a surface texture, more effective patterning / texturing is transferred to the non-woven, which also results in better physical properties such as volume / water absorption.

  The present invention relates to an endless support member, such as a belt or a sleeve, for supporting and transporting natural fibers, artificial fibers or synthetic fibers in a spunlace process or hydroentanglement process. The porous structure, belt or sleeve of the present invention presents the following non-limiting advantages over calendering technology. That is, the fabric sleeve is a relatively inexpensive item and does not involve a large capital investment in fixed equipment, pattern formation is achieved during the entanglement process itself, and the need for a separate calendering process is eliminated. A lower material content in the final product is achieved as the caliper / thickness is not degraded by compression, and the finished product can be produced in larger volumes since the finished product is not compressed in the calendering step. For the manufacturer of non-woven roll products, the benefits of these processes further include the advantage of lower cost spunlace or hydroentangled webs having the desired pattern, marks, or texture of the final product; production of specific products The advantage of being able to customize the product because the size / length of the operation can be reduced; a higher performance product such as a product with a large volume that is characterized by higher water absorption which is of great value in consumer applications Leads to the advantages of manufacturing.

  In an exemplary embodiment, the endless belt or sleeve is formed from a strip of material that is spirally wound in a manner that abuts adjacently around the two rolls. The strips are rigidly attached to one another in a suitable manner to form an endless loop of the desired length and width for a particular use. In the case of a sleeve, a strip may be wound around the surface of a single roll or mandrel of the approximate diameter size and CD length of the drum on which the sleeve is to be used. Strips used as materials are usually produced as industrial strapping materials. Straps, in particular flexible strapping materials, are usually defined as relatively thin flexible bands of plasticity used to fix or clamp objects together. It has surprisingly been found that this type of plastic material has the properties suitable for being a material strip for forming inventive belts or sleeves.

  The difference in definition between the (plastic) strapping material and the monofilament is related to size, shape and use. Both the strapping material and the monofilaments are made by an extrusion process having the same basic steps of extrusion, uniaxial orientation, and winding. Monofilaments are generally smaller in size than straps and are usually round in shape. Monofilaments are used in a wide variety of applications, such as fishing lines and industrial fabrics, including papermaking fabrics. The straps are generally much larger in size than monofilaments and are basically always wider along the main axis, and thus are rectangular in shape for their intended purpose.

  It is well known in the extrusion art that plastic straps are made by the extrusion process. It is also well known that this process involves uniaxial orientation of the extruded material. It is also well known that there are two basic extrusion steps using uniaxial orientation. One step is the extrusion and orientation of wide sheets that are slit into individual straps. The other step is the extrusion of the oriented individual strapping material. This second step is very similar to the step of making the monofilament, which is evident from the similarity of the equipment for both steps.

  An advantage to the monofilament of using a strapping material is the number of spiral turns required to make the fabric. Monofilaments are usually considered to be yarns that do not exceed 5 mm in their maximum axis. The size of the monoaxial monofilaments used for paper machine cloth and the other uses mentioned above hardly exceeds 1.0 mm at their maximum axis. The strap material used is usually at least 10 mm wide and may exceed 100 mm wide. It is envisioned that strapping materials as wide as 1000 mm may also be used. Suppliers of strapping materials that may be used include companies such as Signode.

  Yet another advantage is the thickness to tensile modulus. For example, prior art polyester (PET) films have a tensile modulus of about 3.5 GPa in the long axis (or machine direction or MD). PET strap (or ribbon) material has a tensile modulus in the range of 10 GPa to 12.5 GPa. In order to achieve the same factor for the film, the structure must be 3 to 3.6 times thick.

  Thus, the present invention, according to one exemplary embodiment, is a fabric, a belt or a sleeve formed from these spirally wound ribbons as a single layer or multilayer structure. The fabric, belt or sleeve has flat top and bottom smooth surfaces. The belt or sleeve is also textured in some manner using any means known in the art, such as, for example, sanding, graving, embossing or etching. The belt or sleeve can be impermeable to air and / or water. The belt or sleeve can also be perforated by any mechanical or thermal (laser) means so that it can be permeable to air and / or water.

  In another exemplary embodiment, the ribbons are formed to have a contour combined with one another. The belt or sleeve is formed by spirally winding these combined strips and is considered to have greater integrity than simply abutting the parallel and / or orthogonal sides of adjacent ribbon strips. . The belt or sleeve may be impervious to air and / or water or may be perforated and permeable.

  Although the above embodiment relates to a single layer of a strip of helically wound ribbon, the advantages of using strips with various geometries to form a belt or sleeve of two or more layers May exist. Thus, according to one exemplary embodiment, the belts or sleeves allow the two or more layers to be mechanically combined or attached together by other means known to those skilled in the art In addition, it may have two or more layers in which a strip can be formed. Again, the structure can either be impermeable or perforated to air and / or water.

  Another exemplary embodiment is a multilayer structure formed using the concept of "welding strip" used to further improve the integrity of the belt or sleeve. The structure can be impermeable or perforated to air and / or water.

  Various novel features which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. In order to better understand the invention, its operational advantages, and the specific objects obtained by its use, preferred but non-limiting embodiments of the invention have the same reference numerals for the corresponding components. Reference is made to the accompanying descriptive matter illustrated in the accompanying drawings identified by

  Although the terms fabric and fabric structure are used, fabric, belts, conveyors, sleeves, support members, and fabric structures are used interchangeably to describe the structure of the present invention. Similarly, the terms straps, ribbons, strips and material strips are used interchangeably throughout the description.

  The terms "comprising" and "comprising" in the present disclosure may mean "including" and "including", or may generally refer to the terms "comprising" or "comprising" under US patent law. It can have the meaning given. The terms "consisting essentially of" or "consisting essentially of", when used in the claims, have the meaning assigned to them under US Patent Law. Other aspects of the invention are described in, or are apparent from, the following disclosure (as well as within the scope of the invention).

  The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings presented herein illustrate various embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fabric, belt or sleeve according to an aspect of the invention. FIG. 5 illustrates how the fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention can be constructed. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the width of several embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the inventive fabric, belt or sleeve. FIG. 6 is a bar graph showing the benefits of using uniaxially oriented material (strap / ribbon) versus biaxially oriented material (film) and extruded material (shaped portion). FIG. 6 illustrates the steps involved in the method by which the fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention may be constructed. FIG. 6 illustrates the steps involved in the method by which the fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention may be constructed. FIG. 6 illustrates the steps involved in the method by which the fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention may be constructed. FIG. 6 illustrates the steps involved in the method by which the fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention may be constructed. FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an apparatus that can be used in forming a fabric, belt or sleeve according to one aspect of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an apparatus that can be used in forming a fabric, belt or sleeve according to one aspect of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an apparatus that can be used in forming a fabric, belt or sleeve according to one aspect of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a fabric, belt or sleeve according to one aspect of the invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an apparatus used to manufacture a fabric, belt or sleeve according to one aspect of the invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a different apparatus of the type for producing a nonwoven web using the support member of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a different apparatus of the type for producing a nonwoven web using the support member of the present invention.

  The invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. However, the present invention can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the illustrated embodiments set forth in the present invention. Rather, these illustrated embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

  The present invention provides a continuous support member, such as an endless belt for use in a device as shown in FIG. The non-woven support member acts as a substitute for conventional woven support members to impart the desired texture, texture and volume to the non-woven products produced thereon. The support members of the present invention may reduce the manufacturing time and costs associated with the manufacture of nonwovens.

  FIG. 15 shows an apparatus for continuously producing a nonwoven fabric using a support member according to the invention. The apparatus of FIG. 15 actually comprises a conveyor belt 80 which serves as a topographical support according to the invention. As is well known in the art, the belt moves continuously in a counterclockwise direction around a pair of spaced rollers. Disposed above the belt 80 is a fluid discharge manifold 79 connecting a plurality of lines or groups 81 of orifices. Each group has one or more rows of very fine diameter orifices, each having 30 orifices of approximately 0.007 inches in diameter per inch. A group of orifices 81 is supplied with water at a predetermined pressure, and the water is discharged from the orifices in the form of very fine, substantially columnar, unbranched water streams or water jets. The manifold comprises a pressure gauge 88 and a control valve 87 for adjusting each line or group of orifices. Below each orifice line or group is a suction box 82 to remove excess water and to prevent the area from being flooded improperly. The fibrous web 83, which is to be formed as a non-woven product, is fed to the conveyor belt of the topographical support member of the present invention. Water is sprayed onto the fibrous web through suitable nozzles 84 to prewet the incoming web 83 and to help control the fibers as they pass under the fluid discharge manifold. Below the water nozzle, a suction slot 85 for removing excess water is provided. The fibrous web passes under the fluid discharge manifold in a counterclockwise direction. The pressure to operate any given group 81 of orifices can be set independently of the pressure to operate any other group 81 of orifices. Typically, however, the group of orifices 81 closest to the spray nozzle 84 is operated at a relatively low pressure, such as 100 psi. This aids in placing the incoming web on the surface of the support member. When the web passes in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 15, the pressure to operate the group 81 of orifices is usually greater. It is not necessary to operate each group 81 of subsequent orifices at a higher pressure than the group next to its clockwise direction. For example, two or more adjacent groups 81 of orifices can be operated at the same pressure, and then subsequent groups 81 of orifices (counterclockwise) can be operated at different pressures. Very typically, the working pressure at the end of the conveyor belt, where the web is removed, is higher than the working pressure at which the web is initially fed into the conveyor belt. Although six groups 81 of orifices are shown in FIG. 15, this number is not critical and will depend on the weight of the web used, the speed, the pressure, the number of rows of holes in each group, etc. After passing between the fluid discharge manifold and the suction manifold, the nonwoven fabric being formed at this point is passed over additional suction slots 86 to remove excess water. The distance from the lower surface of group 81 of orifices to the upper surface of fibrous web 83 is typically in the range of about 0.5 inches to about 2.0 inches, and from about 0.75 inches to about 1.0 inches. Is preferred. It will be appreciated that the web can not be positioned as close to the manifold as the web contacts the manifold. On the other hand, if the distance between the lower surface of the orifice and the upper surface of the web is too large, the fluid flow will lose energy and the efficiency of the process will be reduced.

  A preferred apparatus for manufacturing non-woven fabrics using the support members of the present invention is schematically illustrated in FIG. In this device, the topographical support member is a rotatable drum sleeve 91. The drum under the drum sleeve 91 rotates in the counterclockwise direction. The outer surface of drum sleeve 91 includes the desired topographical support configuration. Disposed about a portion of the periphery of the drum is a plurality of orifice strips 92 for applying water or other fluid to the fibrous web 93 disposed on the outer surface of the curved plate. It is a manifold 89. Each orifice strip may include one or more rows of fine diameter holes or apertures as previously described herein. Typically, the nominal diameter of the opening is, for example, approximately 0.005 inches to 0.01 inches. Other sizes, shapes, and orientations are of course available, as appropriate for the purpose. Also, for example, there may be as many as 50 or 60 or even more holes per inch if desired. Water or other fluid is directed through the row of orifices. In general, and as described above, the pressure in each orifice group usually increases from the first group to the last group where the fibrous web passes underneath. The pressure is controlled by a suitable control valve 97 and monitored by a pressure gauge 98. The drum is connected to the catchment holes 94, but a vacuum may be applied to the catchment holes 94 to aid in the removal of water and to prevent the area from flooding. As seen in FIG. 16, in operation, the fibrous web 93 is placed on the upper surface of the topographical support member in front of the water discharge manifold 89. The fibrous web passes under the orifice strip and the formed nonwoven formed as a nonwoven product then passes over the section 95 without the orifice strip of the apparatus 95, but the vacuum is applied continuously. The fabric is removed from the drum after dewatering and passed around a series of drying cylinders 96 to dry the fabric.

  Turning now to the structure of the support member, belt or sleeve, the support member can have a pattern of cavities through it. The penetrating cavity may include, inter alia, geometric features that enhance the topography and volume of the non-woven product or web, for example when manufactured on a support member, belt or sleeve. Other advantages of the support member of the present invention include easier removal of the web, improved contamination resistance, and reduced fiber retention. Yet another advantage is that the support member avoids the limitations and needs of conventional looms, as the through cavities can be placed at any desired location or in any desired pattern. The support member may also have a texture produced on one or both surfaces using any of the means known in the art, such as sanding, graving, embossing or etching. .

  The term "through cavity" is synonymous with the term "through hole" and will be appreciated to refer to any opening completely through a support member such as a belt or sleeve. The support members referred to herein include, but are not limited to, industrial fabrics such as belts or conveyors and sleeves or cylindrical belts, which are used particularly in the manufacture of non-woven fabrics. As mentioned earlier, the terms fabric and fabric structure are used to describe the preferred embodiment whereas fabrics, belts, conveyors, sleeves, support members and fabric structures are of the invention Used interchangeably to describe structures.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the industrial fabric, belt or sleeve 10 of the present invention. The fabric, belt or sleeve 10 has an inner surface 12 and an outer surface 14 and is helically wound, for example, in a plurality of adjacent, adjacent turns of a strip 16 of polymeric material such as an industrial strapping material. It is shaped by turning. The strip material 16 is substantially longitudinally helically wound around the length of the fabric, belt or sleeve 10 based on the manner in which the fabric, belt or sleeve 10 is built.

  An exemplary method by which the fabric, belt or sleeve 10 can be manufactured is illustrated in FIG. The apparatus 20 comprises a first treatment roll 22 and a second treatment roll 24, both of which are rotatable about its longitudinal axis. The first treatment roll 22 and the second treatment roll 24 are parallel to one another and separated by a distance, which is that of the fabric, belt or sleeve 10 to be produced on these rolls Determine the total length as measured in the longitudinal direction around it. A supply reel (not shown) rotatably mounted about an axis and displaceable parallel to the processing rolls 22 and 24 is provided on the side of the first processing roll 22. For example, a strip material 16 having a width of 10 mm or more. The supply reel is initially positioned, for example, at the left hand end of the first processing roll 12 and is subsequently displaced to the right or the other side at a predetermined speed.

  At the start of production of the fabric, belt or sleeve 10, the beginning of the strip of polymer strap material 16 is stretched from the first treatment roll 22 in a taut manner and directed to the second treatment roll 24. , The second processing roll 24 and back to the first processing roll 22 to form the first coil of the closed spiral 26. In order to close the first coil of the closed spiral 26, the beginning of the strip 16 is joined at point 28 to the end of its first coil. As discussed below, adjacent turns of the spirally wound strip material 16 are joined together by mechanical and / or adhesive means.

  Thus, the coils of the continuous closed spiral 26 feed the strip material 16 onto the first processing roll 22 while the first processing roll 22 and the second processing roll 24 are in the common direction indicated by the arrows in FIG. Manufactured by rotating it. At the same time, the strip material 16 which is newly wound on the first treatment roll 22 has already been treated with the first treatment roll 22 and the second treatment, for example by mechanical means and / or adhesive means or any other suitable means. Continuously bonded to the strip material lying on the roll 24 an additional coil of closed spiral 26 is produced.

  This process is continued until the closed spiral 26 has the desired width as measured axially along the first process roll 22 or the second process roll 24. In that respect, the strip material 16 which has not yet been wound on the first process roll 22 and the second process roll 24 is cut, and the closed spiral 26 produced therefrom is cut into the first process roll 22 and the first process roll 22. Removed from the two processing rolls 24, the fabric, belt or sleeve 10 of the present invention is provided.

  Although a two roll apparatus is described herein, a strip may be wound around the surface of a single roll or mandrel to form the fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention. May be apparent to those skilled in the art. The appropriate sized roll or mandrel may be selected based on the desired dimensions of the fabric, belt or sleeve to be manufactured.

  The present method for producing the fabric, belt or sleeve 10 is very versatile and is a nonwoven, and / or industrial, fabric, belt or sleeve of various longitudinal and transverse dimensions. Applicable to the manufacture of That is, by practicing the present invention, the manufacturer no longer needs to produce a woven fabric of appropriate length and width for a given non-woven manufacturing machine. Rather, the manufacturer separates the first process roll 22 and the second process roll 24 by an appropriate distance to determine the appropriate length of the fabric, belt or sleeve 10, and a closed spiral 26 is desired. It is only necessary to wind the strip material 16 on the first process roll 22 and the second process roll 24 until the appropriate width of is reached.

  Furthermore, the fabric, belt or sleeve 10 is manufactured by spirally winding a strip of polymeric strap material 16 and is not a woven fabric, so the outer surface 12 of the fabric, belt or sleeve 10 is smooth and continuous There are no knuckles that can be targeted and prevent the surface of the woven fabric from being completely smooth. However, the fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention improves the topography and volume of the non-woven products produced thereon. Other advantages of the support member of the present invention include easier removal of the web, improved contamination resistance, and reduced fiber retention. Yet another advantage is that the support member avoids the limitations and needs of conventional looms, as the through cavities can be placed at any desired location or in any desired pattern. The fabric, belt or sleeve has a texture produced on one or both surfaces using any means known in the art, eg sanding, graving, embossing or etching. You may Alternatively, the fabric, belt or sleeve may be smooth on one or both surfaces.

  Figures 3A to 3I are cross-sectional views taken from the width direction of some embodiments of strip material used to manufacture the fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention. Each embodiment includes upper and lower surfaces that may be flat (planar) and parallel to one another or may have an outer shape intended to be suitable for a particular application. Turning to FIG. 3A, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the material strip 16 comprises an upper surface 15, a lower surface 17, a first planar side 18 and a second planar side 19. . The upper surface 15 and the lower surface 17 may be flat (planar) and parallel to one another, and the first planar side 18 and the second planar side 19 are of a helically wound strip 16. Each first planar side 18 may be inclined in a parallel direction so as to closely abut the second planar side 19 of the immediately preceding winding. Each of the turns of strip material 16 is joined to its adjacent turns by bonding their respective first 18 and second 19 flat side surfaces together, for example by means of an adhesive. May be heat activated, room temperature cured (RTC) or hot melt adhesive, or any other suitable means.

  In FIG. 3B, the strip of material 16 may have a cross-sectional structure that allows mechanical interlocking to join adjacent strips of material 16 in a spirally formed fabric, belt, or sleeve. Adjacent strips 16 can be the same or different sizes and / or shapes, but each has a locked position, as shown in FIG. 3B. Another example of a mechanical interlocking structure is shown in FIGS. 3C-3G, in which the cross section of the individual strip material 16 is illustrated. In each case, one side of the strip 16 may be designed to mate or connect with the other side of the adjacent strip 16. For example, referring to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3G, the strip 16 may have an upper surface 42, a lower surface 44, a tongue 46 on one side, and a groove 48 on the other side. The tongues 46 have dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of the grooves 48 such that the tongues 46 in each of the spirally wound turns of the strip 16 fit into the grooves 48 of the immediately preceding winding. You may Each of the turns of strip 16 is bonded to its adjacent turn by securing tongue 46 in groove 48. Upper surface 42 and lower surface 44 may be flat (planar) and parallel to one another, or non-planar and not parallel depending on the application, or their widths as shown in FIG. 3F It may even be convexly or concavely rounded in the direction. Likewise, each side of the strip may be formed into a convex or concave cylinder having the same radius of curvature.

  FIG. 3H shows another embodiment of the present invention.

  Various other shapes may be extruded or rectangular to have mating edges with raised rail portions in addition to having extruded hemispheres with opposing hemispheres or the above-mentioned profile. It can be machined from extruded material, which can facilitate bonding by mechanical and / or adhesive means. One such structure according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 3I. Alternatively, the material strip may not require the left and right sides to mate or join together. For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the cross section of the strip material 16 may have mating grooves on its upper surface or top side, or as shown in FIG. 4B, grooves on its bottom surface or bottom side. You may have

  For example, FIG. 4C shows the material strips of FIGS. 4A and 4B positioned to mate. The arrows in FIG. 4C, for example, indicate the direction in which each of the material strips 16 would have to be moved in order to engage the grooves and combine the two strips. FIG. 4D shows the two strips of material 16 combined or joined together. It should be noted that although only two mating material strips are shown in the exemplary embodiment, the final fabric, belt or sleeve may be formed from some of the combined material strips in one. It is. It is clear that sheet material in the form of an endless loop can be formed when combining material strips in the spiral winding process. While mechanical interlocking is shown, the strength of the interlocking may be as exemplified by, for example, thermal bonding, particularly in the industrial process known as “Clearweld” (see www.clearweld.com) It should also be noted that it can be improved by a technique known as selective binding.

  FIG. 5A shows a cross-sectional view of a strip of material 16 having grooves on both the top and bottom sides. FIG. 5B shows how two material strips 16 having the cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 5A can be combined. The combined structure results in grooves on the top and bottom surfaces of the final product.

  Referring to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5C, FIG. 5C shows the combination of the two material strips 16 shown in FIGS. 5A and 4B. This results in a sheet product having grooves on the bottom surface and a flat top surface. Similarly, it is possible to form a structure with grooves on the top surface and a flat bottom surface.

  Another exemplary embodiment is a fabric, belt or sleeve formed from a strip of material 16 having a hump-like combination or "positive" lock forming a stronger combination due to mechanical design. is there. This design "in the sense that the pin and the pin's receptor have mechanical interference that requires significant force either to bond the ribbons together or to separate them. Have a positive "combination". For example, FIG. 6A illustrates the feature of the hump-like combination in the individual ribbon-like material strips 16. FIG. 6B illustrates the hump-like combination features in the individual ribbon-like material strips 16 of opposite configuration designed to match the structure shown in FIG. 6A. FIG. 6C shows the individual ribbon-like material strips 16 of FIGS. 6A and 6B positioned to mate. It should be noted here that the position of the top and bottom ribbons is staggered to accommodate another material strip 16 of the opposite configuration. Finally, FIG. 6D illustrates these same strips after being pressed together to form a combined structure. Several ribbon-like material strips such as these may be combined together to form the final fabric, belt or sleeve.

  Another exemplary embodiment is a fabric, belt or sleeve formed of a strip of material 16 having grooves on both the top and bottom sides, as shown for example in FIG. 7A. These two ribbon-like material strips 16 are designed to be joined together to form a positive combination, as shown in FIG. 7B. It should be noted that the top and bottom surfaces both hold grooves in their respective surfaces. Also, looking at FIGS. 7A and 7B, it may be apparent to one skilled in the art to connect the three strips to create a three-layer structure, or if only two strips are used, the top strip. The outer shape of the grooves in the grooves can be different between the top side and the bottom side. Likewise, the profile of the grooves in the lower strip can be the same or different on each side. As pointed out above, although the embodiments according to the present invention relate to a single layer of helically wound ribbons or strips, various geometries to form a belt of two or more layers There may be advantages to using strips having a shape. Thus, according to one exemplary embodiment, the belt may have more than one layer, where the strip may be formed such that the two or more layers mechanically interlock. Each layer may be helically wound in the opposite direction or at an angle in the MD to provide additional strength.

  For example, FIG. 7C shows a combined structure that results in a grooved bottom surface and a flat top surface, while FIG. 7D shows a combined structure that results in a flat bottom surface and a grooved top surface. Indicates

  As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, many shapes can be considered to create such positive combinations. For example, the previous embodiments have focused on round hump-like protrusions and round receptacles. However, it is also possible to use other shapes to achieve the same effect. An example of a positive combination having such a shape is shown in FIG. 8A. Alternatively, the shapes can be mixed to achieve a positive combination. Examples of mixed shapes are shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C.

  The mechanical combination thus formed between adjacent strip materials as described in the above embodiments enhances the ease with which a spirally wound base fabric or base structure can be created, for that reason The reason is that without such a lock, adjacent strip material may be lost and separated during the process of making the spirally wound fabric. By mechanically combining adjacent spirals, it is possible to prevent stray and separation between adjacent spirals. In addition, thermal welds can also be formed in the mechanically locked area of the fabric, so that it is not necessary to rely solely on the strength of the mechanical lock for joint strength. According to one embodiment of the present invention, this is done by placing near infrared or infrared or laser absorbing dyes prior to locking the male / female components together and then in the area of the mechanical lock This is accomplished by applying the mechanical lock to a near infrared or infrared energy or laser source that causes thermal welding of the mechanical lock without melting the external material.

  The strip material described in the above embodiment is extruded from any polymeric resin material known to those skilled in the art, such as, for example, polyester resin, polyamide resin, polyurethane resin, polypropylene resin, polyetheretherketone resin, etc. Good. Industrial strapping material is that it is uniaxially oriented, ie it has at least twice the tensile coefficient of biaxially oriented materials (films) and at most 10 times the tensile coefficient of extruded materials (molded articles) In view of having it, it is attractive as a base material, but any other suitable material can be used. That is, the resulting structure from uniaxially oriented material requires less than half the thickness of biaxially oriented material (film) and less than one tenth of the thickness of extruded material (molded article) . This feature is illustrated in FIG. 9 where results are shown for designing a portion designed to obtain a specific force and strain against a fixed width. The equation used in this design problem is the relationship between stress and strain, which is:

Force = (coefficient × strain)
(Width x thickness)

  In this example, the force (or load) is kept constant with the width and strain. The equation shows that the required thickness is inversely proportional to the tensile modulus of the material. This equation represents the problem of designing the fabric of a non-woven manufacturing machine to be dimensionally stable, ie the load is known, the maximum strain is known, and the width of the machine is fixed. The results are shown by the final thickness of the part, which is required depending on the tensile modulus of the material used. As illustrated by FIG. 9, uniaxial materials such as straps or ribbons clearly have significant advantages over films and molded polymers. However, the support members, belts or sleeves of the present invention are not limited to these orientations in that either or both uniaxial or biaxial orientation of the strapping material may be used in the practice of the present invention.

  According to one exemplary embodiment, the strip or strapping material described in the above embodiments may include reinforcements to improve the mechanical strength of the overall structure. For example, the reinforcement may be a fiber, yarn, monofilament, or multifilament yarn that can be oriented in the MD of a fabric, sleeve, or belt along the length of the strap material. Reinforcement materials can be included through the extrusion or pultrusion process where the fibers or threads are extruded or pulled out with the material forming the strip or strap material. They can be completely embedded within the material of the strap, or partially embedded on one or both surfaces of the strap material, or both. The reinforcing fibers or yarns may be formed of a high modulus material such as, for example, but not limited to, Aramids including Kevlar® and Nomex®, and also have additional strength, tensile modulus, tear resistance and / or Alternatively, crack resistance, abrasion resistance and / or resistance to chemical degradation can be provided to the strip- or strapping material. Broadly speaking, the reinforcing fibers or yarns can be made of thermoplastic and / or thermosetting polymers. Non-limiting examples of suitable fiber materials include metals such as glass, carbon, polyesters, polyurethanes, and steels. According to a further embodiment, the melting temperature of the reinforcing fibers or yarns may be higher than the melting temperature of the strip material or vice versa.

  The straps are usually supplied in continuous lengths and the product has a rectangular cross section. The strap is a durable, versatile and usually untreated polyester strip with excellent handleability, which makes the strap suitable for many industrial applications. As pointed out above, the straps have excellent mechanical strength and dimensional stability and do not become brittle due to aging under normal conditions. The strap is resistant to moisture and most chemicals, and can withstand temperatures of 70 degrees Celsius to 150 degrees Celsius or more. Typical cross-sectional dimensions of the strap material that can be used in the present invention are, for example, 0.30 mm (or more) thick and 10 mm (or more) wide. The strap material can be wound in a spiral, but adjacent wraps of the strap material that do not have the means of combination to be held together may need to be welded or joined in some manner. In such cases, adjacent ribbons or ribbons using laser or ultrasonic welding to improve properties in the cross machine direction ("CD"), such as strength, and to reduce the risk of separation of adjacent material strips. The material strips can be fixed or welded together.

  While uniaxial strapping material is found to have a maximum MD tensile modulus, properties other than tensile modulus may also be important. For example, if the MD tensile modulus is too high for the strap material, then the ultimate crack resistance and flexural fatigue resistance of the structure may be unacceptable. As an alternative, the CD properties of the final structure may also be important. For example, referring to a PET material and a strip of material of the same thickness, the unoriented strip may have a typical MD tensile modulus of about 3 GPa and a typical MD strength of about 50 MPa. On the other hand, biaxially, biaxially oriented strips may have an MD tensile modulus of about 4.7 GPa and an MD strength of about 170 MPa. It is found that modifying the processing of the uniaxial strip so that the MD tensile modulus can be 6-10 GPa, and the MD strength can be 250 MPa or more, results in a strip with a CD strength approaching approximately 100 MPa. Furthermore, the material may be less brittle, i.e. not repeatedly cracked if cracked, and can be treated well when joining the strips together. The bond between the strips can also withstand separation during the intended use on the manufacturing machine.

  One method of holding the adjacent strips together, according to one embodiment of the present invention, ultrasonically weld the adjacent strips while simultaneously providing lateral pressure to contact the edges together. It is to keep in the state. For example, one part of the welding device can hold one strip, preferably a strip that has already been spirally wound, down against the support roll, while the other part of the device A strip, preferably an unrolled strip, can be pressed into contact with the strip held below. The welding of the edges is illustrated, for example, in FIG. 11A.

  The application of ultrasonic gap welding results in a particularly strong bond. In contrast, ultrasonic welding in either the time mode or the energy mode results in a bond known as conventional ultrasonic welding, which can be described as brittle. Thus, it can be concluded that the bond formed by ultrasonic gap welding is preferred compared to conventional ultrasonic welding.

  Another exemplary method of holding adjacent strips together applies an adhesive 30 to the ends 34, 36 of adjacent strips 16, 16 and joins them according to one embodiment of the present invention This method is illustrated in FIGS. 10A-10D. It should be noted that the filler material 32 can be used to fill the gaps or portions where the strips do not touch each other.

  Another way of holding adjacent strips or functional strips together is, according to one embodiment of the present invention, to use "welding strips" consisting of the same basic material as the strips. For example, this welding strip is shown in FIG. 11B as a thin material visible above and below the strip material. In such an arrangement, the welding strip provides a material for welding the strip material so that the assembled structure does not rely on welding the edges together as shown in FIG. 11A. Using the weld strip method may result in edge-to-edge welding, which is neither required nor desirable. As shown in FIG. 11B, a “sandwich” or laminated structure may be formed with the horizontal surface of the strip material welded to the horizontal surface of the weld strip using the weld strip method. Here, in the sense that the weld strip may be disposed either only above or below the strip material, the weld strip need not be disposed both above and below the strip material. It should be noted. According to one aspect, the weld strip may be a central portion of a sandwich like structure with the strip material above and / or below the weld strip. Furthermore, although the weld strip is shown as being thinner than the strip material and as the same width as the strip material, this is for illustrative purposes only. The welding strip may be narrower or wider than the strip material, and may be the same thickness as the strip material or even thicker than the strip material. The weld strip may also be another piece of strip material rather than a special material made solely for the purpose of the weld strip. The welding strip may also have an adhesive applied to one of its surfaces to help hold the welding strip in place for the welding operation. However, if such an adhesive is used, it is preferred that the adhesive be applied to the welding strip partially over the entire surface, either by ultrasonic welding or laser welding, by partial application. This is because during the striping, strong welding between the strip material and similar materials of the welding strip (for example, polyesters) can be promoted.

  If the weld strip is made of non-oriented extruded polymer, it is preferred that the weld strip be much thinner than the strip material, as the non-oriented extrusion weld as exemplified earlier in this disclosure. Strips are less capable of maintaining the dimensional stability of the final structure. However, if the welding strip is made of an oriented polymer, it is preferred that the welding strip combined with the strip material be as thin as possible. As pointed out above, the welding strip may be another piece of strip material. In this case, however, it is preferred that the thickness of the individual materials be chosen so as to minimize the overall thickness of the sandwich or laminate. As also pointed out above, the welding strips may be coated with an adhesive used to hold the structures together for further processing. According to one aspect, a welding strip having, for example, an adhesive may be used to create a structure that goes directly to the drilling step, which may be laser drilling without any ultrasonic bonding, The laser drilling or laser drilling thereby results in spot welding which can hold the sandwich structure together.

  Another way to hold adjacent strip material together is to weld adjacent strips using laser welding techniques according to one embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary apparatus 320 that can be used in a laser welding process, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. In this process, the fabric, belt or sleeve 322 shown in FIG. 14 should be understood to be a relatively short portion of the overall length of the fabric, belt or sleeve. The fabric, belt or sleeve 322 is endless, but very practically it may be attached around a pair of rolls not shown but known to those skilled in the art. In such an arrangement, the device 320 may be arranged on one of the two surfaces of the fabric 322 between the two rolls, very advantageously on the upper surface. Whether endless or not, the fabric 322 may preferably be placed under appropriate tension during the process. Additionally, to prevent sag, the fabric 322 may be supported from below by a horizontal support member as it travels through the device 320.

  Referring now more particularly to FIG. 14, in FIG. 14 the fabric 322 is illustrated as moving in an upward direction through the device 320 when the method of the present invention is being practiced. The laser head used in the welding process can traverse the fabric in the CD or width "X" direction, while the fabric can move in the MD or "Y" direction. It is also possible to construct a system in which the fabric is moved in three dimensions relative to the mechanically fixed laser welding head.

  The advantage of laser welding over ultrasonic welding is that while ultrasonic welding has an upper speed limit of about 10 meters per minute, laser welding can be achieved at speeds in the range of 100 meters per minute. The addition of a light absorbing dye or ink absorber to the edge of the strip can also help to concentrate the thermal effects of the laser. The absorbent can be a black ink, or an IR dye that is invisible to the human eye, as utilized, for example, by "Clearweld". (See www.clearweld.com)

  Once the final fabric, belt or sleeve is created and adjacent strips in the fabric, belt or sleeve are welded or bonded in some manner, the other side of the fabric from one side of the fabric by means such as laser drilling Can be provided with holes or perforations that allow fluid (air and / or water) to pass through. It should be noted that these through holes or perforations that allow fluid to pass from one side of the fabric to the other may be made either before or after the spiral winding and bonding steps. . Such holes or perforations may be made via laser drilling or any other suitable hole / perforation process, and may be of any size, shape, shape and / or pattern depending on the intended use. it can. An exemplary embodiment is shown in FIG. 13, which is a cross-section of the fabric 80 of the present invention, ie in the cross-machine direction, and the strip material 82 is air and along its entire length. A plurality of holes 84 are provided for the passage of water.

  The fabric of the present invention can be used as a belt or sleeve used in air laying process, melt blowing process, spun bonding process, or hydroentanglement process, as pointed out above. The inventive fabric, belt or sleeve includes one or more additional layers formed using a strip material on or under the substrate to provide functionality rather than reinforcement. be able to. For example, an MD yarn array may be laminated to the back of the belt or sleeve to create a void. Alternatively, one or more layers may be provided between the two layers of strapping material. The additional layers used may be woven or non-woven materials, MD yarn arrays or CD yarn arrays, strips of helically wound woven material having a width smaller than the width of the fabric, a fibrous web, a film Or any combination thereof, and can be attached to the substrate by any suitable technique known to those skilled in the art. Needle punch, thermal bonding and chemical bonding etc are just a few examples. The fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention may also have a coating for functionality on either side. The texture on the fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention can be created before or after applying the functional coating. As mentioned above, the texture on the fabric, belt or sleeve can be created using any means known in the art, such as sanding, graving, embossing or etching, for example.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention and variations thereof have been described in detail herein, the present invention is not limited to the precise embodiments and variations thereof and also by the person skilled in the art according to the appended claims. Other variations and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined.
[Form 1]
A belt or sleeve for use in the manufacture of a nonwoven comprising one or more spirally wound strips of polymeric material, wherein the one or more strips of polymeric material is an industrial strapping material or Belt or sleeve that is ribbon material.
[Form 2]
The belt or sleeve according to Form 1, wherein said belt or sleeve is used in an air laying process, a melt blowing process, a spun bonding process, or a water flow entanglement process.
[Form 3]
The belt or sleeve of Form 1, wherein said industrial strapping or ribbonting material has a thickness of 0.30 mm or more and a width of 10 mm or more.
[Form 4]
The belt or sleeve according to Form 1, wherein the belt or sleeve is permeable or impermeable to air and / or water.
[Form 5]
The belt or sleeve being permeable to air and / or water, and the through cavities or holes in the belt or sleeve being created using mechanical or thermal means The belt or the sleeve as described in 4.
[Form 6]
The belt or sleeve of Form 5, wherein the penetrated cavity or hole is formed with a predetermined size, shape or orientation.
[Form 7]
The belt or sleeve of claim 6, wherein said through cavities or holes have a nominal diameter in the range of 0.005 inches to 0.01 inches or more.
[Form 8]
1. Woven or non-woven material, MD or CD yarn array, strip of helically wound woven material having a width smaller than the width of the belt or sleeve, a fibrous web, a film, or a combination thereof 1 The belt or sleeve of Form 1 further comprising one or more layers.
[Form 9]
The belt or sleeve of Form 1 wherein adjacent strips of polymeric material are mechanically combined.
[Form 10]
The belt or sleeve of Form 1, wherein said belt or sleeve has a texture on one or both surfaces.
[Form 11]
The belt or sleeve according to Form 10, wherein said texture is provided by sanding, graving, embossing or etching.
[Form 12]
The belt or sleeve of Form 1 wherein the surface of one or both of the belt or sleeve is smooth.
[Form 13]
The belt or sleeve according to Form 1, wherein said belt or sleeve comprises at least two layers of helically wound strapping material in opposite directions to each other or against MD.
[Form 14]
The belt or sleeve of Form 1, further comprising a functional coating on one or both sides of the belt or sleeve.
[Form 15]
The belt or sleeve according to Form 8, wherein the one or more layers are provided on one or both sides of the belt or sleeve or between two layers of strapping material.
[Form 16]
The belt or sleeve of claim 14, wherein the functional coating has a texture on its upper surface.
[Form 17]
The industrial strapping or ribboning material as described in Form 1, wherein the reinforcing material is oriented in the MD of a fabric, a sleeve, or a belt, selected from the group consisting of fibers, yarns, monofilaments, and multifilament yarns. Belt or sleeve.
[Form 18]
The fabric according to form 17, wherein said fibers, yarns, monofilaments and multifilament yarns are made of a material selected from the group consisting of aramids, thermoplastic polymers, thermosetting polymers, glass, carbon and steel Or sleeves.
[Form 19]
Helically winding a strip of one or more polymeric materials around a plurality of rolls, wherein the strip of one or more polymeric materials is an industrial strapping or ribbon material A method for forming a belt or sleeve for use in the manufacture of non-woven fabrics, comprising the steps of: and joining the edges of adjacent strip material using predetermined techniques.
[Form 20]
The method according to mode 19, wherein the predetermined technique is laser welding, infrared welding, or ultrasonic welding.
[Form 21]
The method according to Form 19, wherein said industrial strapping or ribbonting material has a thickness of 0.30 mm or more and a width of 10 mm or more.
[Form 22]
The method according to Form 19, wherein the belt or sleeve is permeable or impermeable to air and / or water.
[Form 23]
Form 22 described in form 22, wherein said belt or sleeve is made permeable to air and / or water by creating a through hole or hole in said belt or sleeve using mechanical or thermal means the method of.
[Form 24]
The method according to Form 23, wherein the penetrated cavity or hole is formed with a predetermined size, shape or orientation.
[Form 25]
The method according to form 24, wherein said through cavities or holes have a nominal diameter in the range of 0.005 inches to 0.01 inches or more.
[Form 26]
Woven or non-woven material, MD or CD yarn array, strip of helically wound woven material having a width smaller than the width of the belt or sleeve on the upper or lower surface of the belt or sleeve The method according to Form 19, further comprising the step of applying one or more layers of a fibrous web, a film, or a combination thereof.
[Form 27]
The method of form 19, wherein adjacent strips of polymeric material are mechanically combined.
[Form 28]
The method according to mode 19, wherein texture is provided on one or both surfaces of the belt or sleeve.
[Form 29]
The method of form 28, wherein the texture is provided by sanding, graving, embossing or etching.
[Form 30]
The method according to Form 19, wherein the surface of one or both of the belt or sleeve is smooth.
[Form 31]
A method according to mode 19, wherein said belt or sleeve comprises at least two layers of helically wound strapping material in opposite directions to each other or against MD.
[Form 32]
The method according to Form 19, further comprising the step of coating a functional coating on one or both sides of the belt or sleeve.
[Form 33]
A method according to form 26, wherein the one or more layers are provided on one or both sides of the belt or sleeve or between two layers of strapping material.
[Form 34]
The method of Form 32, further comprising the step of providing a texture to the functional coating.
[Form 35]
The method according to Form 19, further comprising the step of reinforcing the industrial strapping or ribboning material with a fiber, yarn, monofilament or multifilament yarn to the MD of a fabric, sleeve or belt.
[Form 36]
The method according to Form 35, wherein said fiber, yarn, monofilament or multifilament yarn is made of a material selected from the group consisting of aramids, thermoplastic polymers, thermosetting polymers, glass, carbon and steel.

Claims (32)

A belt or sleeve for use in the manufacture of non-woven fabrics comprising one or more spirally wound strips of polymeric material, wherein
The strip of one or more polymeric materials is an industrial strapping or ribboning material,
The strap material or ribbon material is oriented uniaxial or One <br/> the industrial strap material or ribbon material has been selected fibers, yarns, monofilament, and from the group consisting of multifilament yarns, the sleeve Or including reinforcements oriented in the MD of the belt,
The reinforcing material is a material selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic polymer, a thermosetting polymer, glass, and carbon, wherein the thermoplastic polymer, except for the case where the thermosetting polymer is araimide, is made of the material And
The melting point temperature of the industrial strapping material or ribbon material is lower than the melting point temperature of the reinforcing material,
Belt or sleeve.   The belt or sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the belt or sleeve is used in an air laying process, a melt blowing process, a spun bonding process, or a hydroentanglement process.   The belt or sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the industrial strapping or ribboning material has a thickness of 0.30 mm or more and a width of 10 mm or more.   The belt or sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the belt or sleeve is permeable or impermeable to air and / or water.   The belt or sleeve is permeable to air and / or water, and the through cavities or holes in the belt or sleeve are created using mechanical or thermal means. The belt or sleeve according to Item 4.   6. A belt or sleeve according to claim 5, wherein the penetrated cavities or holes are formed with a predetermined size, shape or orientation.   7. The belt or sleeve of claim 6, wherein the through cavities or holes have a nominal diameter in the range of 0.005 inches to 0.01 inches or more.   1. Woven or non-woven material, MD or CD yarn array, strip of helically wound woven material having a width smaller than the width of the belt or sleeve, a fibrous web, a film, or a combination thereof 1 The belt or sleeve of claim 1 further comprising one or more layers.   The belt or sleeve of claim 1 wherein adjacent strips of polymeric material are mechanically combined.   A belt or sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the belt or sleeve has a texture on one or both surfaces.   11. The belt or sleeve of claim 10, wherein the texture is provided by sanding, graving, embossing or etching.   The belt or sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the surface of one or both of the belt or sleeve is smooth.   The belt or sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the belt or sleeve comprises at least two layers of helically wound strapping material in opposite directions to each other or against the MD.   The belt or sleeve of claim 1, further comprising a functional coating on one or both sides of the belt or sleeve.   9. A belt or sleeve according to claim 8, wherein the one or more layers are provided on one or both sides of the belt or sleeve or between two layers of strapping material.   15. The belt or sleeve of claim 14, wherein the functional coating has a texture on its upper surface. Helically winding a strip of one or more polymeric materials around a plurality of rolls, wherein the strip of one or more polymeric materials is an industrial strapping or ribbon material Step and
Bonding the edges of adjacent strip material using a predetermined technique;
The strap material or ribbon material is oriented uniaxial, whether One <br/> the industrial strap material or ribbon materials, fibers, yarns, monofilament or using a multifilament yarn, sleeve or belt MD Further including the step of reinforcing
The reinforcing material is a material selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic polymer, a thermosetting polymer, glass, and carbon, wherein the thermoplastic polymer, except for the case where the thermosetting polymer is araimide, is made of the material And
The melting point temperature of the industrial strapping material or ribbon material is lower than the melting point temperature of the reinforcing material,
Method for forming a belt or sleeve for use in the manufacture of non-woven fabrics. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the predetermined technique is laser welding, infrared welding or ultrasonic welding. 18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the industrial strapping or ribboning material has a thickness of 0.30 mm or more and a width of 10 mm or more. 18. A method according to claim 17 , wherein the belt or sleeve is permeable or impermeable to air and / or water. 21. A method according to claim 20 , wherein the belt or sleeve is made permeable to air and / or water by creating a through hole or hole in the belt or sleeve using mechanical or thermal means. Method described. 22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the penetrated cavities or holes are formed with a predetermined size, shape or orientation. 23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the penetrated cavity or hole has a nominal diameter in the range of 0.005 inches to 0.01 inches or more. Woven or non-woven material, MD or CD yarn array, helically wound woven material having a width smaller than the width of the belt or sleeve on the upper and / or lower surface of the belt or sleeve 21. The method of claim 17 , further comprising the step of applying one or more layers of strips, fibrous webs, films, or combinations thereof. 18. The method of claim 17 , wherein adjacent strips of polymeric material are mechanically combined. 18. The method of claim 17 , wherein texture is provided on one or both surfaces of the belt or sleeve. 27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the texture is provided by sanding, graving, embossing or etching. 18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the surface of one or both of the belt or sleeve is smooth. 18. A method according to claim 17 , wherein the belt or sleeve comprises at least two layers of helically wound strapping material in opposite directions to each other or against the MD. 18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising the step of coating a functional coating on one or both sides of the belt or sleeve. 25. A method according to claim 24 , wherein the one or more layers are provided on one or both sides of the belt or sleeve or between two layers of strapping material. 31. The method of claim 30 , further comprising the step of providing a texture to the functional coating.

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