Hydroentanglement of continuous polymer filaments
US7406755B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 7, 2005 |
| Grant date | Aug 5, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 1, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T442/697
- WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A nonwoven fabric comprises continuous polymer filaments of 0.5 to 3 denier that have been hydroentangled in a complex matrix for interconnecting filament loops, and that is otherwise substantially free of knotting, or of otherwise wrapping about one another. A process for making a nonwoven fabric comprises continuously extruding polymer filaments of 0.5 to 3 denier onto a moving support, pre-entangling the filaments with water jets, and entangling the filaments with a second set of water jets on a three-dimensional image transfer device. An apparatus for making a nonwoven fabric comprises means for continuously extruding substantially endless polymer filaments of 0.5 to 3 denier onto a moving support to form an unbonded web, a pre-entangling station for entangling the web with a plurality of water jets, and a plurality of water jets for final entanglement of the filament web on a three-dimensional image transfer device. In another aspect of the present invention, plural precursor webs, each comprising polymeric filaments, can be employed to form a laminated nonwoven fabric.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.