TW201400718A - Industrial fabric including spirally wound material strips with reinforcement - Google Patents

Abstract

An industrial fabric, belt or sleeve and a method of making the fabric, belt or sleeve are disclosed. The industrial fabric, belt or sleeve is produced by spirally winding strips of polymeric material, such as an industrial strapping or ribbon material, and joining the adjoining sides of the strips of material using ultrasonic welding or laser welding techniques. The fabric, belt or sleeve may then be perforated using a suitable technique to make it permeable to air and/or water.

Description

Industrial fabric comprising a spirally wound material strip with reinforcing members (2) Cross-references to related applications

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 12/635,458, filed on Dec. 10, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/246,801, filed on Sep. 29, 2009, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/147,637, filed on Jan. 27, 2009, and filed on December 12, 2008 Priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/121,998.

Reference attachment

All patents, patent applications, literature, references, manufacturer's instructions, descriptions, product specifications, and product specifications of any of the products referred to herein are hereby incorporated by reference.

Technical field to which the invention belongs

The present invention is related to papermaking techniques. More particularly, the present invention relates to paper mill fabrics, i.e., forming, embossing, dryer fabrics, and breathable dryer (TAD) fabrics, also known as paper machine fabrics, which are manufactured on paper machines. Furthermore, the present invention can be used as a boot for both paper machines. A substrate for press or transfer or calender belt. Furthermore, the invention is applicable to other industrial settings where industrial belts are used to dewater materials. Furthermore, the present invention can be used as a belt and/or sleeve for producing non-woven fabrics in processes such as airlaid, melt blowing, spunbonding, and hydroentangling.

Background of the invention

During the papermaking process, a cellulosic fibrous web is formed by depositing a fibrous slurry (i.e., an aqueous dispersion of cellulosic fibers) onto the moving forming fabric in a forming section of the paper machine. A large amount of water is discharged from the slurry through the forming fabric leaving the cellulosic fibrous web on the surface of the forming fabric.

The newly formed cellulosic fibrous web is advanced from the forming section to the nip section, which comprises a sequence of press nips. It is not uncommon for the cellulosic fibrous web to pass through the nip point supported by the embossed fabric, or between two sheets of embossed fabric. In the nip point, the cellulosic fibrous web is subjected to a compressive force which is capable of extruding water and adhering the cellulose fibers in the web to each other to cause the cellulosic fibrous web to become paper. It is desirable that the water is absorbed by the embossed fabric (or several) and not returned to the paper.

The paper is finally advanced to the dryer section, which comprises at least one sequence of drying rollers or cylinders that are rotatable and internally vaporized. With the dryer fabric, the newly formed paper is guided sequentially around each of the sequence of rollers along the path of the crucible which holds the paper tightly against the surface of the roller. The hot roller reduces the water content of the paper by evaporation The level of need.

It should be understood that the forms of forming, rolling and dryer fabrics are all made The loop on the paper machine loops and acts as a conveyor belt. It should be further understood that papermaking is a continuous process that proceeds fairly quickly. That is, the fiber slurry is continuously deposited on the forming fabric in the forming section while the newly formed paper is continuously wound on the roller after leaving the dryer section.

It should also be understood that the vast majority of forming, pressing and dryer fabrics Or at least a woven fabric in the form of a component having a loop of a specific length (longitudinal measurement) and a specific width (lateral measurement). Due to the large differences in the configuration of paper machines, paper machine fabric manufacturers need to produce forming, pressing and dryer fabrics that are sized for the forming, pressing and dryer sections of the paper machine for the customer. Needless to say, this requirement makes the process difficult to streamline because each fabric must usually be ordered.

In addition, because the surface of the woven fabric must have a certain degree of unevenness Integrity, because a knuckle is formed where the yarn in one direction of the fabric covers the yarn in the other direction on the surface, it is difficult to produce a paper product that is completely free of sheet marking.

Prior art includes several attempts to solve these problems. E.g, U.S. Patent No. 3,323,226 to Beaumont et al. is directed to a synthetic dryer belt constructed from one or more layers of polyester film. The perforations through the belt are formed by mechanical stamping. U.S. Patent No. 4,495,680, issued to Beck, discloses a method and apparatus for forming a base fabric consisting solely of warp yarns for use in the manufacture of paper mill belts. Essentially, the warp yarns are spirally wound around two parallel rollers. Subsequently, applying fiber batt or other The woven material and the spiral array attached to the warp yarns provide a belt for the filling of the paper mill, that is, there is no yarn across the machine direction.

U.S. Patent No. 4,537,658 to Albert et al. A paper mill fabric made up of a plurality of elongated, joined slotted elements. The elongate member is joined to the next by an integral tongue or utilizes a pintle connecting means that extends from an elongate member to an adjacent member. The elongate members extend transversely to the machine of the disclosed paper mill fabric and have a flat parallel top and bottom surface.

U.S. Patent No. 4,541,895 to Albert et al. A paper mill fabric made from a plurality of nonwoven sheets that are laminated together to define a fabric or belt. Non-woven sheets are perforated by laser drilling. Such sheets are composed of non-oriented polymeric materials which, if refined in accordance with the needs of papermaking applications, lack sufficient dimensional stability to be used as an endless belt for paper machines.

U.S. Patent No. 4,842,905 to Stecb shows an inlay Embedding paper mill fabrics and fabricating components. The elements are formed to have a male or protruding member that interlocks with a female or female member. The paper mill fabric comprises a plurality of inlaid elements that have been interconnected to produce a mosaic of desired length and width.

U.S. Patent No. 6,290,818 to Romanski shows one A shoe press belt in which the basic fabric is made of a perforated, unrolled, looped tubular member.

U.S. Patent No. 6,630,223 to Hansen shows a Multiple by mutual abutment, side by side with adjacent rings, and fixed to each other with appropriate tools Industrial belt made of spirally wound (non-circular cross section) monofilament.

U.S. Patent No. 6,989,080 to Hansen shows a A nonwoven papermaker's fabric made from a spirally wound MD base layer of raw stock, the MD base layer covering the CD layers of the same or different base papers and paired with suitable tools.

U.S. Patent Application No. issued to Sayers: 2007/0134467 A1 provides a method comprising the steps of laminating a sequence of layers of film material, and cutting the perforations of the laminate to provide a porous fabric.

Fabrics in modern paper machines may range from 5 feet to over 33 feet The width, from 40 feet to over 400 feet in length and from about 100 pounds to over 3,000 pounds. These fabrics will wear out and need to be replaced. Changing the fabric often involves stopping the machine service, removing the worn fabric, and preparing to install the fabric and the mounting fabric. When many fabrics are endless loops, many are now sewable on machines. The installation of the fabric involves pulling the fabric body onto the machine and joining the ends of the fabric to form an endless belt.

In response to faster and more efficient production of various lengths and Fabrics for the production of fabrics have been disclosed in the context of the spiral winding technique disclosed in the commonly assigned U.S. Patent No. 5,360,656 (hereinafter referred to as "the '656 patent") to Rexfelt et al. As a reference.

The '656 patent shows one that contains one or more layers of staple fiber A fabric of a basic fabric knitted therein. The base fabric comprises at least one layer of spirally wound woven tape having a width less than the width of the base fabric. The The base fabric is endlessly looped in the machine direction (or machine direction). The longitudinal threads of the spirally wound tape are at an angle to the longitudinal direction of the fabric. The woven tape can be woven flat on a loom, which is generally narrower than that used to produce paper machine cloth.

Summary of invention

The present invention provides an alternative solution to the problem addressed by prior art patent/patent applications.

Accordingly, one embodiment of the present invention is an industrial fabric or belt for forming, pressing, and a dryer section comprising a gas permeable dryer (TAD). The fabric or belt of the present invention can also be used as a sheet-transfer, long nip press (LNP) or roller belt, or as another industrial processing belt, such as a corrugator belt. . For example, the fabric can also be used as part of a textile finishing belt, such as a sanforizing belt or a tannery belt. In addition, the fabrics of the present invention can be used in other industrial settings used in industrial belts to dewater materials. For example, the fabric can be used in a pulp forming or pulp flattening belt, a belt used to dewater the recycled paper during deinking, such as a dewatering belt for a double nip point thickening (DNT) deinking machine; or for sludge dewatering (sludge dewatering belt). The fabric of the present invention can also be used to produce nonwoven belts and/or sleeves in processes such as flow-laid, spin-bonded, melt-blown or hydroentangled. The belt and/or sleeve has the form of a circulating loop and has an inner surface and an outer surface.

In an exemplary embodiment, the endless belt is formed from a strip of material that wraps around two rolls in a manner adjacent to the edges. Wrap around. The strips are tightly attached to one another in a suitable manner to form a loop of the necessary length and width for a particular application. In the case of a sleeve, the strips can be wound around the surface of a single drum or mandrel that is about the diameter and CD length of the drum on which the sleeve will be used. The strip of material used is often made into an industrial strapping material. Bundles, particularly plastic strap materials, are often defined as relatively thin plastic strips used to secure or clamp objects together. Surprisingly, it has been found that such plastic materials have suitable characteristics for the material strip to form the belt of the present invention.

(plastic) strap and monofilament in the definition of the difference and size, shape And application related. Both the strap and the monofilament are made by an extrusion process having the same basic steps of extrusion, uniaxial orientation and winding. The monofilaments are generally smaller in size than the straps and are often circular in shape. Monofilaments are used in a wide variety of applications, such as fishing lines and industrial fabrics, including paper machine fabrics. The strap is generally much larger in size than the monofilament and is generally wider along the major axis, and likewise shaped as a rectangle for the desired purpose.

As is known for the extrusion technique, the plastic strap is made by extrusion. Work. It is also well known that this process involves the uniaxial orientation of the extruded material. It is also well known that there are two basic extrusion processes that use uniaxial orientation. One process is the extrusion and orientation of a wide sheet of material sewn into individual straps. Another process is to squeeze individual bundles that are oriented. This second process is very similar to the process of making a monofilament, as evidenced by the similarity of the equipment in the two processes.

For monofilaments, the advantage of using a strap material is the number of spiral turns required to produce the fabric. Monofilaments are often considered to have a maximum of 5 mm or less on the largest axis. Yarn. The size of the single-axis monofilament used in paper machine clothing and other applications described above rarely exceeds 1.0 mm at the maximum axis. The strap material used is often at least 10 mm wide and sometimes more than 100 mm wide. It is conceivable that straps with a width of up to 1000 mm can also be used. Suppliers of strap materials that can be used include companies such as Signode.

The invention provides a modification to replace the traditional belt or cover Good fabrics, belts or sleeves, as well as imparting desired properties such as bulk, appearance, texture, absorbency, strength and hand to the paper or nonwoven product being fabricated thereon.

Other advantages, such as but originally limited, are superior to prior art weaving Improved fiber support and release (no pick-up), and easier to clean because there is no overlap of yarns that can get stuck in the basic fibers. If the belt/sleeve has a surface texture, the pattern structure/texture is more efficiently transferred to the paper/non-woven fabric, and also produces better physical properties such as bulkiness/absorbability.

Yet another advantage is the thickness relative to the tensile modulus. Prior art Polyester (PET) films, for example, have a tensile modulus of about 3.5 GPa in the long axis (or machine direction, MD). The PET strap (or ribbon) material has a tensile modulus of 10 GPa to 12.5 GPa. In order to achieve the same modulus with a film, the structure must have a thickness of 3 to 3.6 times.

Thus, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the present invention is a fabric, belt or sleeve formed from the spirally wound ribbons into a single or multi-layer structure. The belt or sleeve can have a flat, smooth front and bottom surface. The belt or sleeve can also be textured in some manner by any method known in the art (e.g., sanding, engraving, embossing, or etching). The belt can be impervious Air and / or water. The belt is also porous or permeable to air and/or water by some mechanical or thermal (laser) tool.

In another exemplary embodiment, the ribbon is formed to have mutual Lock outline. The belt is formed by spirally winding the interlocking strips and greater than just the integrity of the parallel and/or vertical sides of adjacent ribbons. The belt may also be impermeable or porous to air and/or water.

The fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention may optionally be included in one or Functional coating on both sides. The functional coating can have a flat or smooth front side, or alternatively can be textured in some manner by any method known in the art (e.g., sanding, engraving, embossing, or etching). The functional coating can be any of the materials conventional to those skilled in the art, such as polyurethane, polyester, polyamide, or any other polymeric resin material or even rubber, and the functional coating can be visualized It is desirable to include particles such as nanofillers which improve the resistance of the fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention to flexural fatigue, crack propagation or wear characteristics.

In forming fabrics, embossing fabrics, dryer fabrics, breathable and dry (TAD) fabric, shoe press or transfer or roller belt, processing belt for air laying, melt blowing, spinning or hydroentanglement, sheet conveyor belt, long rolling point rolling (LNP) Or roller belt, corrugator belt, pre-shrinking belt, tannery belt, pulp forming or pulp flattening belt, dewatering belt for double-pressed point thickening (DNT) deinking machine, or sludge dewatering belt The fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention can also be used as a reinforcing substrate or substrate.

Although the above specific embodiment is suitable for a single layer of spirally wound satin Belts, however, the use of belts of various geometries having belts forming two or more layers has advantages. Thus, according to an exemplary embodiment, the belt may have two or more layers in which the belt may be formed such that the two or more layers are mechanically interlocked or attached to the tool known to those skilled in the art. together. The structure may also be impermeable or porous to permeate air and/or water.

Another exemplary embodiment of the firefly uses the concept of "welding tape" The resulting multilayer structure is used to further improve belt integrity. The structure may be impermeable or porous to permeate air and/or water.

Interwoven use of fabrics when fabricating fabrics and fabric structures Objects, belts, conveyor belts, covers, supports and fabric structures are used to describe the structure of the present invention. Similarly, the terms strap, ribbon, and strip of material are used interchangeably throughout the description.

The various features of the invention are pointed out with particularity in the scope of the appended claims. For a better understanding of the present invention, the operational advantages of the present invention, and the specific objects achieved by the use of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying description. Corresponding components are denoted by the same component symbols.

The term "comprising" is used in this disclosure to mean "including" or having the meaning of the term "comprising", which is often given by US patent law. If the term used in the patent application is "substantially composed of", it has the meaning given to them by the US patent law. Other aspects of the invention are described or apparent in the following disclosure (and within the scope of the invention).

10‧‧‧Industrial fabrics, belts or covers

12‧‧‧ inner surface

14‧‧‧ outer surface

15‧‧‧Upper surface

16‧‧‧Polymer strip

17‧‧‧ Lower surface

18‧‧‧First flat side

19‧‧‧Second flat side

20‧‧‧ device

22‧‧‧First processing drum

24‧‧‧Second processing roller

26‧‧‧Closed spiral

28‧‧‧ points

30‧‧‧Adhesive

32‧‧‧ Filling materials

End of 34, 36‧‧

42‧‧‧ upper surface

44‧‧‧ lower surface

46‧‧ ‧Tongue

48‧‧‧ trench

80‧‧‧ fabric

82‧‧‧Material strip

84‧‧‧ hole

320‧‧‧ demonstration equipment

322‧‧‧fabrics, belts or covers

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a The drawings are presented to illustrate various embodiments of the invention and, together with

Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a fabric, belt or sleeve in accordance with one aspect of the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates a method that can be used to construct a fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention; Figures 3(a) through 3(i) are along A cross-sectional view in the width direction of several material strip embodiments used to make the fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention; Figures 4(a) through 4(d) are taken along the fabric used to make the fabric of the present invention, A cross-sectional view of a plurality of belts or sleeves in the width direction of the embodiment; Figures 5(a) through 5(c) are along a plurality of strips of material used to make the fabric, belt or cover of the present invention. A cross-sectional view taken in the width direction of the embodiment; FIGS. 6(a) to 6(d) are drawn along the width direction of the embodiment of the plurality of material strips used to fabricate the fabric, belt or cover of the present invention. Cross-sectional view; Figure 7 (a) to Figure 7 (d) are cross-sectional views taken along the width direction of several material strip embodiments used to fabricate the fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention; Figure 8 ( a) to Figure 8(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the width direction of several material strip embodiments used to make the fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention; the strip diagram of Figure 9 is used Axial orientation material (tape/ribbon) is advantageous over biaxially oriented materials (films) and extruded materials (molded parts); Figures 10(a) through 10(d) are diagrams relating to fabrics that can be used to construct the present invention Step of the method of belt or cover; Figure 11 (a) to Figure 11 (b) are schematically illustrated in accordance with one aspect of the present invention A device that can be used in the formation of a fabric, belt or sleeve; Figure 12 is a schematic illustration of a device that can be used in forming a fabric, belt or sleeve in accordance with one aspect of the present invention; Figure 13 illustrates a fabric, belt, or belt in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. a cross-sectional view of the sleeve; and Figure 14 illustrates an apparatus for making a fabric, belt or sleeve in accordance with one aspect of the present invention;

Detailed description of the preferred embodiment

Referring now to the drawings, the perspective view of FIG. 1 illustrates an industrial fabric, belt or cover 10 of the present invention. The fabric, belt or cover 10 has an inner surface 12 and an outer surface 14, and is formed as a plurality of adjacent and interconnected loops by spirally winding a strip of polymeric material 16 (e.g., an industrial bundling material). The strip of material 16 is wound around the length of the fabric 10 in a substantial longitudinal direction in a helical manner in which the fabric, belt or sleeve 10 can be constructed.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary method by which a fabric, belt or sleeve 10 can be made. The apparatus 20 includes a first processing drum 22 and a second processing drum 24 that are each rotatable about a longitudinal axis. The first processing drum 22 and the second processing drum 24 are parallel to each other, and the distance between the two is determined by the total length of the fabric, belt or sleeve 10 to be fabricated thereon (this is measured longitudinally around it). On the side of the first processing drum 22, a supply spool (not shown in the drawings) mounted for rotation about an axis and translatable parallel to the processing rolls 22 and 24 is provided. The supply spool accommodates a roll of material such as a strip of material 16 having a width of 10 millimeters or more. The supply spool is initially located at the left hand end of the first processing drum 12, for example, at a predetermined speed Move all the way to the right or the other side.

To begin the manufacture of the fabric, belt or sleeve 10, the open end of the polymeric strap material strip 16 is stretched from the first processing cylinder 22 to the second processing cylinder 24, around the second processing cylinder 24, and back to the first processing. The drum 22 forms a first weir closing spiral 26. To close the first weir closed helix 26, the open end of the strip of material 16 is joined at point 28 to the end of the first weir. As described below, the adjacent turns of the spirally wound material strip 16 are joined to each other by a mechanical and/or adhesive tool.

Thus, the continuation of the closure spiral 26 is achieved by rotating the first processing cylinder 22 and the second processing cylinder 24 in a common direction (as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2) while feeding the material strip 16 onto the first processing cylinder 22. . At the same time, the strip of material 16 newly wound on the first processing cylinder 22 continues to be joined (eg, mechanical and/or adhesive or any other suitable tool) to the material already on the first processing cylinder 22 and the second processing cylinder 24. Band 16 is created to create other turns of the closure spiral 26.

This process continues until the closed helix 26 has a desired width, which is measured along the axial direction of the first processing drum 22 or the second processing drum 24. At that time, the material strip 16 has not been wound on the first processing drum 22 and the second processing drum 24 is separated, and the closing spiral 26 made therefrom is unloaded by the first processing drum 22 and the second processing cylinder 24. To provide the fabric, belt or cover 10 of the present invention.

Although the arrangement of the two rollers is described herein, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the belt body can be wound around the surface of a single drum or mandrel to form the fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention. Based on the fabric, belt or sleeve to be produced For the desired size of the child, a drum or mandrel of an appropriate size can be selected.

The process of the invention for making fabrics, belts or sleeves 10 is versatile and can be adapted to the production of papermakers and/or industrial fabrics or belts having various lengthwise and transverse dimensions. That is, the manufacturer, by practicing the present invention, eliminates the need to make a woven fabric of a length and width suitable for a given papermaking machine. Instead, the manufacturer only needs to separate the first processing drum 22 from the second processing drum 24 by an appropriate distance to determine the approximate length of the fabric, belt or sleeve 10, as well as the winding material strip 16 to the first processing cylinder 22 and the second processing. The drum 24 is up to the desired width until the closure spiral 26 has reached the desired width.

Moreover, since the fabric, belt or cover 10 is manufactured by spirally winding the ribbon of the polymeric strap material 16, and not the woven fabric, the outer surface 12 of the fabric, belt or sleeve 10 is smooth and continuous, and The knuckle makes the surface of the fabric imperfect and smooth. However, the fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention may have geometric characteristics to provide enhanced skin and bulkiness to the paper or nonwoven product being fabricated thereon. Other advantages of the support of the present invention include ease of loosening the sheet or web, improved stain resistance, and reduced fiber finish cleaning. Another advantage is that it avoids the limitations and needs of conventional weaving machines because the through-holes can be placed in any desired orientation or pattern. The fabric, belt or sleeve may also have a texture formed on one or both surfaces by any method known in the art (e.g., sanding, engraving, embossing, or etching). Alternatively, the fabric, belt or sleeve may be smooth on one or both surfaces. 3(a) to 3(i) are cross-sectional views showing a plurality of material strips for producing the fabric, belt or cover of the present invention in the width direction. Each specific embodiment includes upper and lower surfaces, the two surfaces They can be flat (planar) and parallel to each other, or have some kind of contour that is designed to suit a particular application. Turning to Figure 3(a), in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the material strip 16 has an upper surface 15, a lower surface 17, a first flat side 18, and a second flat side 19. The upper surface 15 and the lower surface 17 may be flat (planar) and parallel to each other, and the first flat side 18 and the second flat side 19 may be inclined in a parallel direction such that the first flat of each spirally wound material strip 16 The side 18 abuts tightly against the second flat side 19 of the previous turn. The connection of the material strip 16 to the adjacent ring is to bond the first and second flat sides 18, 19 to each other by an adhesive. For example, the adhesive may be heat activated, room temperature curing (RTC) or hot melt. Adhesive, for example, or any other suitable tool.

In Figure 3(b), the cross-sectional configuration of the strip of material 16 enables mechanical interlocking of adjacent strips of material 16 for joining the fabric, belt or sleeve formed into a spiral. The adjacent material strips 16 may be the same or different in size and/or contour, but each have a locked position, as shown in Figure 3(b). Other embodiments of the mechanical interlocking structure are illustrated in Figures 3(c) through 3(g), wherein the cross-section of the individual material strips 16 is illustrated. In each case, one side of the strip of material 16 can be designed to mechanically interlock or connect with the other side of the adjacent strip of material 16. For example, referring to the particular embodiment illustrated in Figure 3(g), the strip of material 16 can have an upper surface 42, a lower surface 44, a tongue 46 on one side, and a corresponding groove 48 on the other side. . The tongue 46 is sized correspondingly to the groove 48 such that the tongue 46 on each of the spiral wound turns in the band 16 nests into the groove 48 of the previous turn. Each turn of material strip 16 is joined to the adjacent ring by a fixed tongue 46 in the groove 48. Depending on the application, upper surface 42 and lower surface 44 may be flat (planar) and parallel to each other, or non-planar and non-parallel, or even convex in the width direction or The concave circle is shown in Figure 3(f). Similarly, the sides of the strip may be cylindrically convex or concave with the same radius of curvature. Figure 3 (h) illustrates another embodiment of the present invention.

In addition to having an extruded material strip with opposing hemispheres or contours as described above, it can be extruded or machined into various other shapes by rectangular extrusions to have mating edges with raised tracks that promote mechanical and/or adhesive bonding. Adhesive method of bonding. Figure 3 (i) illustrates one such structure in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Alternatively, the strip of material may not need to be paired or joined to the right and left sides. For example, as shown in Figure 4(a), the strip of material 16 has interlocking grooves on the upper surface or front side, or interlocking grooves on the lower or bottom surface of the strip of material 16, as shown in Figure 4 ( b) shown.

For example, Figure 4(c) illustrates the strip of material disposed in Figures 4(a) and 4(b) that are interlockable. For example, the arrows of Figure 4(c) indicate the direction in which the various strips of material 16 are about to move to engage the grooves and interlock the two strips. Figure 4 (d) illustrates two strips of material 16 that have been interlocked or joined together. While the exemplary embodiment illustrates only two mating strips of material, it should be noted that the final fabric, belt or sleeve is formed from a plurality of interlocking strips of material. Obviously, if the strip of material is interlocked during the spiral winding process, a piece of material in the form of a circulating loop can be formed. It should also be noted that although mechanical interlocking is illustrated, the strength of the interlock can be used, for example, thermal bonding improvements, particularly techniques known as selective bonding, such as the commercial method known as 'Clearweld' (Reference Www.clearweld.com).

5(a) is a cross-sectional view of the material strip with grooves on the front and bottom surfaces. Figure 5(b) shows how the two cross-sectional shapes of Figure 5(a) are interlocked. Material strip 16. The interlocking structure creates grooves in the front and bottom surfaces of the final product.

Please refer to the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 5(c), and FIG. 5(c) illustrates the interlocking of the two material strips 16 of FIGS. 5(a) and 4(b). This produces a sheet-like product with grooves and a flat front on the underside. Also, it is also possible to form a structure having a groove on the front side and a flat bottom surface.

Another exemplary embodiment is a fabric, belt or sleeve formed from a strip of material 16 having a knob-like interlock or "forced" lock that creates a strong interlock due to mechanical design. The "forced" interlocking of these designs means that the pins have mechanical interference with the receptacle of the latch and require considerable force to tie the ribbons together or to separate them. For example, Figure 6(a) illustrates the knob-like interlocking features in the individual ribbon strips 16. Figure 6(b) illustrates the knob-like interlock feature in the individual ribbon strip 16 having an opposite configuration designed to interlock with the structure of Figure 6(a). Figure 6(c) illustrates the individual ribbon strips of Figures 6(a) and 6(b) that are arranged to be interlockable. It should also be noted here that the staggered positions of the upper and lower ribbons are intended to accommodate another strip of material 16 of the opposite configuration. Finally, Figure 6(d) illustrates the same strip that has been pressed together to form an interlocking structure. The same number of strips of ribbon material can be interlocked together to form the final fabric, belt or sleeve.

Another exemplary embodiment is a fabric, belt or sleeve formed from a strip of material having grooves on the front and bottom surfaces, for example, as shown in Figure 7(a). The two strips of ribbon material 16 are designed to be joined together to form a positive interlock, as shown in Figure 7(b). It should be noted that the front and bottom surfaces each have a groove. Furthermore, referring to Figures 7(a) to 7(b), one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that three or more straps can be combined to create a multi-layered structure. Or if only two strips are used, the front and bottom surfaces of the grooves of the upper strip may have the same or different groove profiles. Likewise, the two sides of the trench of the lower strip may have different or identical groove profiles. As previously mentioned, although the specific embodiments described herein are suitable for a single layer spirally wound ribbon or tape, the use of a belt having a different geometry forming a belt composed of two or more layers has advantages. Thus, according to an exemplary embodiment, the belt may have two or more layers in which the belt may be formed such that the two or more layers are mechanically interlocked. Each layer can be spirally wound in reverse or angularly for the MD to provide additional strength.

For example, Fig. 7(c) illustrates an interlocking structure that produces a grooved bottom surface and a flat front surface, and Fig. 7(d) illustrates an interlocking structure that produces a flat bottom surface and a grooved front surface.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, as noted above, a number of shapes can be considered for making a forced interlock. For example, the foregoing specific embodiments focus on circular knob-like projections and circular sockets. However, it is also possible to use other shapes (for example, trapezoids) to achieve the same effect. A forced interlocking embodiment of this shape is illustrated in Figure 8(a). Alternatively, several shapes can be mixed to achieve a forced interlock. An example of a mixed shape is shown in Figures 8(b) and 8(c).

As described in the above embodiments, the mechanical interlock formed between adjacent strips of material in this manner increases the ease with which the spirally wound base fabric or structure can be made, since adjacent materials are possible without locking. Drift and separation during the process of making a spirally wound fabric. By mechanically interlocking adjacent spirals, adjacent spirals can be prevented from drifting and separating. In addition, in order to bond strength, it may not be necessary to rely solely on the strength of the mechanical lock because Thermal welding can also be formed in the mechanical locking zone of the fabric. According to one embodiment of the invention, this may result in mechanical locking heat by placing near-infrared or infrared or lasing of the absorbing dye on the locking male/female component and exposing the mechanical locking to near-infrared or infrared energy or a laser source. This is achieved by welding without melting the material outside the mechanical locking zone.

The strip of material described in the above specific embodiments can be extruded from any polymeric resin material known to those skilled in the art, such as polyester, polyamide, polyurethane, polypropylene, polyetheretherketone resin, and the like. Although the industrial strap has its attractiveness as a substrate, if it is uniaxially oriented, that is, it has at least twice the tensile modulus of the biaxially oriented material (film) and the mold of the extruded material (molding). 10 times the number, any other suitable material can be used. That is, the structure produced by the uniaxially oriented material needs to be less than half the thickness of the biaxially oriented material (film) and less than one tenth of the thickness of the extruded material (molded). This feature is illustrated in Figure 9, where the results are shown for designing components that have been designed for a particular force and strain of a fixed width. The equation used for this design problem is the relationship between stress and strain as follows:

In this example, the force (or load), width, and strain remain the same. This equation shows that the necessary thickness is inversely proportional to the modulus of the material. This equation represents the problem of designing paper machine clothing with dimensional stability, that is, the load is known, the maximum strain is known, and the width of the machine is fixed. The results shown are based on the desired thickness of the component depending on the modulus of the material used. Obviously, uniaxial materials, such as straps or ribbons, are significantly better than films and molds. The compound is shown in Figure 9. However, the fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention is not limited to the uniaxial or biaxial orientation of the strap, as any orientation or both orientations may be used in practicing the invention.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the material strip or strap material describing the above-described embodiments may include a reinforcing material to improve the mechanical strength of the overall structure. For example, the reinforcing material can be a fiber, yarn, monofilament or multifilament yarn that can be oriented along the length of the strap material in the MD of the fabric, sleeve or belt. The reinforcing material can be added by an extrusion or pultrusion process that can extrude or pult the fibers or yarns and the material from which the material strip or strap material is formed. They may be completely embedded in the strap material or may be partially embedded in one or both surfaces of the strap material, or both. The reinforcing fibers or yarns may be formed from high modulus materials, such as aromatic aramids, including (but not limited to): Kevlar® and Nomex®, as well as providing super strength, tensile modulus, and tear resistance. Crack and/or rupture, abrasion and/or chemical degradation resistance to the material tape or strap material. Generally, the reinforcing fibers or yarns can be made from thermoplastic and/or thermoset polymers. Non-limiting examples of suitable fibrous materials include glass, carbon, polyester, polyethylene, and metals such as steel. According to another specific embodiment, the reinforcing fiber or yarn may have a melting temperature higher than the melting temperature of the material strip or the strap material, or vice versa.

The strap is typically supplied with a product having a rectangular cross section in a continuous length. It is a tough, versatile, often untreated polyester tape with excellent handling properties making it suitable for many industrial applications. As mentioned above, it has excellent mechanical strength and dimensional stability, and does not become brittle and aged under normal conditions. Bundles have excellent resistance to moisture and most chemicals Force, and can withstand temperatures of minus 70 degrees C to 150 degrees C or more. Typical cross-sectional dimensions of the tape material that can be used in the present invention are, for example, a thickness of 0.30 mm (or more) and a width of 10 mm (or more). Although the straps can be spirally wound, adjacent strap coils that are not interlocked to hold together may need to be welded or joined in some manner. In this case, laser welding or ultrasonic welding can be used to secure or weld adjacent ribbons or materials together to improve cross-machine direction ("CD") properties, such as strength, and to reduce separation of adjacent material strips. risks of.

Properties other than modulus may also be important, although uniaxial bundles are found to have a maximum MD modulus. For example, if the MD modulus is too high for the strap material, the ultimate resistance to cracking and flexural fatigue of the structure may be unacceptable. Alternatively, the CD properties of the final structure may also be important. For example, when referring to PET materials and strips of the same thickness, the non-oriented strips may have a typical MD modulus of about 3 GPa and an intensity of about 50 MPa. On the other hand, the biaxially oriented tape body may have an MD modulus of about 4.7 GPa and an intensity of about 170 Mpa. It has been found that the modification of the uniaxial tape is such that the MD modulus can be between 6 and 10 GPa and the intensity can be equal to or greater than 250 MPa, resulting in a tape having a CD strength of approximately 100 MPa. Furthermore, the material may be less fragile, that is, it will not break when repeatedly flexed, and it will be better processed when joining the strip. The engagement of the belt body is also resistant to separation during the intended use on the production machine.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, one method of holding adjacent strips together is to ultrasonically weld adjacent strips while providing a sideways pressure that maintains the edges in contact with one another. E.g, A component of the welding device allows a belt body (which has been wound into a spiral belt to be preferred) to remain downward against the support drum while another component of the apparatus pushes the other belt body (the belt being wound is more Good) up against the strap that keeps it down. For example, Figure 11(a) illustrates this edge to edge welding.

The use of ultrasonic gap welding produces a particularly strong joint. In contrast, ultrasonic welding of processing time modes or energy modes, also known as conventional ultrasonic welding, produces joints that can be described as being fragile. Therefore, it can be concluded that the joint formed by ultrasonic gap welding is superior to conventional ultrasonic welding.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, another exemplary method of holding adjacent strips together is to apply adhesive 30 to the ends 34, 36 of adjacent strips 16, 16 and to join them. Figure 10 (a) to Figure 10 (d). It should be noted that the filling material 32 can be used to fill gaps or portions of the strip that are not in contact with each other.

According to one embodiment of the invention, another method of holding adjacent strips of material or functional strips together is to use a "welding strip" composed of the same base material as the strip of material. For example, the tape for welding shown in Fig. 11(b) is a thin material from the upper side of the material tape. In this configuration, the strip for welding provides material for the strip of material to be welded such that the combined structure does not depend on the opposite edge weld of Figure 11(a). With the welding tape method, the opposite edge welding can be produced; however, this is not necessary or preferred. A "sandwich structure" or laminate type structure can be formed by the welding tape method in which the horizontal surface of the material tape is welded to the horizontal surface of the welding tape as shown in Fig. 11(b). It should also be noted here that the soldering tape does not have to be located above and below the strip of material because the strip for soldering can Located directly above or directly below the strip of material. According to one aspect, the strip for soldering can also be the central portion of the sandwich structure and the material is carried over and/or below the strip for soldering. In addition, the strip for soldering is shown to be thinner than the strip of material and the same width as the strip of material is only used for demonstration. The strip for soldering can also be narrower or wider than the strip of material, and the same thickness as the strip of material, or even thicker. The strip for soldering can also be a strip of another material rather than just a special material for the strip for soldering. The soldering tape may also have an adhesive applied to one side to assist in fixing the soldering tape for the soldering operation. However, if an adhesive is used, it is best to apply the adhesive partially to the soldering tape instead of the entire surface, as some coatings promote similar material to the solder ribbon during ultrasonic or laser welding ( For example, strong welding of polyester and polyester).

If the strip for soldering is made of an unoriented extruded polymer, the strip for soldering is preferably much thinner than the strip of material because the strip for non-oriented extruded soldering is less able to sustain the final illustration as disclosed in the present disclosure. The dimensional stability of the structure. However, if the soldering tape is made of an oriented polymer, the soldering tape and the material tape are preferably as thin as possible. As mentioned above, the strip for welding can be another strip of material. However, if this is the case, it is preferable to select the thickness of the individual materials to thereby minimize the total thickness of the sandwich structure or laminate. As also mentioned above, the soldering tape can be coated with an adhesive for holding the structure together for further processing. According to one aspect, a soldering tape with an adhesive, for example, can be used to establish a structure that is directly to the perforating step, which can be a laser drilling rather than any ultrasonic bonding such that a laser drilling or laser perforation can be used. Produce solder joints that hold the sandwich structure together.

According to an embodiment of the invention, adjacent material strips are maintained Another method of joining together is to weld adjacent strips using laser welding techniques.

Figure 14 illustrates an exemplary device 320 that can be used in a laser welding process in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. In this process, the fabric, belt or sleeve 322 as shown in Figure 14 should be understood as a relatively short portion of the overall length of the final fabric, belt or sleeve. Although the fabric, belt or sleeve 322 can be cycled, the most practical way is to mount it on a pair of rollers, which are not shown in the drawings, but are well known to those skilled in the art. In this configuration, the device 320 can be disposed between one of the two rollers on one of the two faces of the fabric 322 with the front side being most convenient. Whether or not it is a cycle, the fabric 322 is preferably placed with a suitable degree of tension during the process. Moreover, to prevent sagging, as the fabric 322 moves through the device 320, it can be supported underneath by a horizontal support.

Referring particularly to Figure 14, there is shown that the fabric 322 is moved through the device 320 in an upward direction when performing the method of the present invention. The laser head used in the soldering process can traverse the fabric along the CD or width "X" direction and the fabric can move in the MD or "Y" direction. It is also possible to provide a system in which the fabric moves in three dimensions for a mechanically fixed laser welding head.

The advantage of laser welding over ultrasonic welding is that laser welding can be done in the range of 100 m / min, while ultrasonic welding has a maximum speed of about 10 m / min. The addition of a light absorbing dye or ink absorber to the edge also helps to concentrate the thermal effects of the laser. The absorbent can be a black ink or a near infrared dye that is invisible to the human eye, such as a "Clearweld" absorbent (see www.clearweld.com).

Once the finished fabric, belt or sleeve and adjacent belts have been welded or joined in some way in the fabric, belt or sleeve, such as Methods such as laser drilling provide holes or through holes that allow fluid (air and/or water) to flow laterally from one side of the fabric to the other side of the fabric. It should be noted that through holes or through holes that allow fluid to flow from one side of the fabric to the other side of the fabric may be made before or after the spiral winding and joining process. The holes or perforations may be made by laser drilling or any other suitable hole/perforation fabrication process (eg, using mechanical or thermal tools) and may be of any size, shape, orientation, form, and depending on the intended use. / or pattern. The nominal diameter through the pores or pores can range from 0.005 inches to 0.01 inches or more. Figure 13 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment drawn along the transverse or cross machine direction of the fabric 80 of the present invention having a plurality of holes for the passage of air and/or water throughout the length of the strip of material 82. 84.

As mentioned above, the fabric of the present invention can be used for forming fabrics, embossed fabrics, dryer fabrics, breathable dryer (TAD) fabrics, shoe press or conveyor or roller belts, or for air laying, melt blowing The substrate of the processing belt for the spinning or hydroentangling process. The fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention may comprise one or more additional layers (e.g., a textile layer) above or below the substrate formed from the strip of material to provide functionality rather than reinforcement. For example, an MD yarn array can be laminated to the back of the belt or sleeve to create a void space. Alternatively, the one or more layers may be disposed between the two strap layers. The additional layers can be any of: woven or non-woven materials, MD or CD yarn arrays, spirally wound woven material strips having a width less than the width of the fabric, fiber webs, films, or combinations thereof, and Any suitable technique known to those of ordinary skill in the art is attached to the substrate. Needle punching, thermal bonding, and chemical bonding are just a few of the examples.

As noted above, the industrial fabrics, belts or sleeves of the present invention can be used in the forming, pressing, and dryer sections of a paper machine including a gas permeable dryer (TAD). The fabric, belt or sleeve can also be used as a sheet transport, long nip press (LNP) or roller belt, or as another industrial processing belt, such as a corrugator belt. The fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention may have a texture on one or both sides which may be made by any method known in the art, such as sanding, engraving, embossing or etching. For example, the fabric can also be used as part of a textile finishing belt, such as a pre-shrink finishing belt or a tannery belt. In addition, the fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention can be used in other industrial settings used by industrial belts to dewater materials. For example, the fabric, belt or sleeve can be used in a pulp forming or pulp flattening belt, a belt used to dewater the recycled paper during the deinking process, such as a dewatering belt for a double nip point thickening (DNT) deinking machine; In the sludge dewatering zone. The fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention can also be used as a belt for producing nonwoven fabrics in processes such as flow-laid, spin-bonded, melt-blown or hydroentangled.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention may include a functional coating on one or both sides as desired. The functional coating can have a flat or smooth front side, or alternatively can be textured in some manner by any method known in the art (e.g., sanding, engraving, embossing, or etching). The functional coating can be any of the materials conventional to those skilled in the art, such as polyurethane, polyester, polyamide, or any other polymeric resin material or even rubber, and the functional coating can be visualized It is desirable to include particles such as nanofillers which improve the resistance of the fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention to flexural fatigue, crack propagation or wear characteristics.

In forming fabrics, embossed fabrics, dryer fabrics, breathable dryer (TAD) fabrics, shoe presses or conveyor or roller belts, processing belts for air laying, melt blowing, spinning bonding or hydroentangling processes , sheet conveyor belt, long rolling point rolling (LNP) or roller belt, corrugating machine belt, pre-shrinking finishing belt, tannery belt, pulp forming or pulp flattening belt, double-pressed point thickening (DNT The fabric, belt or sleeve of the present invention can also be used as a reinforcing substrate or substrate in a dewatering belt of a deinking machine, or a sludge dewatering belt. The reinforced substrate or substrate can have a smooth flat surface or can be textured. The reinforcing substrate or substrate may optionally include a functional coating on one or both sides, which may then have a smooth flat surface or may be textured.

While the invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments of the present invention The spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

10‧‧‧Industrial fabrics, belts or covers

12‧‧‧ inner surface

14‧‧‧ outer surface

16‧‧‧Polymer strip

Claims (36)

An industrial fabric, belt or sleeve comprising: one or more spirally wound polymeric material strips, wherein the one or more polymeric material strips are an industrial strap or ribbon material. A fabric, belt or cover as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fabric, belt or sleeve is for use in forming fabrics, embossed fabrics, dryer fabrics, breathable dryer (TAD) fabrics, shoe presses or conveyors. Or roller belts, processing belts for air laying, melt blowing, spinning or hydroentangling processes, sheet conveyor belts, long rolling point rolling (LNP) or roller belts, corrugated Forming machine belts, pre-shrinking finishing belts, tannery belts, pulp forming or pulp flattening belts, dewatering belts for double-pressed point thickening (DNT) deinking machines, or substrates for sludge dewatering belts. A fabric, belt or sleeve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the industrial strap or ribbon material has a thickness of 0.30 mm or more and a width of 10 mm or more. A fabric, belt or cover as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fabric, belt or sleeve is permeable or impermeable to air and/or water. The fabric, belt or sleeve of claim 4, wherein the fabric, belt or sleeve allows air and/or water to pass through, and the through holes or holes in the belt or sleeve can be made by mechanical or thermal tools. to make. A fabric, belt or cover as claimed in claim 5, wherein The through pores or holes are formed with a predetermined size, shape or orientation. A fabric, belt or sleeve as claimed in claim 6 wherein the through pores or holes have a nominal diameter in the range of from 0.005 inches to 0.01 inches or more. The fabric, belt or cover of claim 1, further comprising one or more layers of woven or non-woven material, an array of MD or CD yarns, and a spirally wound woven material strip having a width less than the width of the fabric. , fiber web, film or a combination of them. A fabric, belt or cover as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fabric, belt or sleeve has a texture on one or both surfaces. A fabric, belt or cover as claimed in claim 9 wherein the texture is provided by sanding, engraving, embossing or etching. A fabric, belt or cover as claimed in claim 1 wherein one or both surfaces of the fabric, belt or sleeve are smooth. A fabric, belt or sleeve as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fabric, belt or sleeve comprises at least two layers of strap material which are helically wound opposite each other or opposite the MD. A fabric, belt or sleeve as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a functional coating on one or both sides of the fabric, belt or sleeve. The fabric, belt or sleeve of claim 8, wherein the one or more layers are disposed on one or both sides of the fabric, belt or sleeve or between the two strap layers. A fabric, belt or cover as claimed in claim 1 wherein Adjacent polymeric material strips are mechanically interlocked. A fabric, belt or cover as claimed in claim 13 wherein the functional coating has a texture on the top surface. The fabric, belt or cover of claim 1, wherein the industrial strap or ribbon material comprises a reinforcing material oriented in MD of the fabric, sleeve or belt, selected from the group consisting of: Groups: fibers, yarns, monofilaments and multifilament yarns. The fabric, belt or sleeve of claim 17, wherein the fibers, yarns, monofilaments, and multifilament yarns are made of a material selected from the group consisting of: aromatic enamel Amines, thermoplastic polymers, thermoset polymers, glass, carbon, and steel. A method for forming an industrial fabric, belt or sleeve, the method comprising the steps of spirally winding one or more strips of polymeric material around a plurality of rollers, wherein the one or more strips of polymeric material are industrial Bundling or ribbon material; and joining the edges of adjacent strips of material by a predetermined technique. The method of claim 19, wherein the predetermined technique is laser, infrared or ultrasonic welding. The method of claim 19, wherein the industrial strap or ribbon material has a thickness of 0.30 mm or more and a width of 10 mm or more. The method of claim 19, wherein the fabric, belt or sleeve is made to be permeable or impermeable to air and/or water. The method of claim 19, wherein a plurality of through-holes or holes are formed in the fabric, belt or sleeve by mechanical or thermal tools to allow the fabric, belt or sleeve to pass air and/or water. The method of claim 23, wherein the through pores or holes are formed with a predetermined size, shape or orientation. The method of claim 24, wherein the through pores or pores have a nominal diameter in the range of 0.005 inches to 0.01 inches or more. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of applying one or more layers of woven or non-woven material, MD or CD yarn array, width on the upper or lower surface of the fabric, belt or cover. A spirally wound woven material strip, a web, a film, or a combination thereof that is less than the width of the fabric. The method of claim 19, wherein adjacent polymeric material strips are mechanically interlocked. The method of claim 19, wherein the fabric, belt or sleeve is provided with a texture on one or both surfaces. The method of claim 28, wherein the texture is provided by sanding, engraving, embossing or etching. The method of claim 19, wherein one or both surfaces of the fabric, belt or sleeve are smooth. The method of claim 19, wherein the fabric, belt or sleeve comprises spirally wound opposite to each other or opposite to the MD Two layers of strap material. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of applying a functional coating to one or both sides of the fabric, belt or sleeve. The method of claim 26, wherein the one or more layers are disposed on one or both sides of the fabric, belt or sleeve or between the two strap layers. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of providing a texture to the functional coating. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of reinforcing the industrial strap or satin in the MD of the fabric, sleeve or belt with a fiber, yarn, monofilament or multifilament yarn. With material. The method of claim 35, wherein the fibers, yarns, monofilaments or multifilament yarns are made of a material selected from the group consisting of aromatic decylamines, thermoplastic polymerizations. , thermoset polymers, glass, carbon, and steel.