Wet process for manufacturing nonwoven fabric and apparatus therefor

Patent 6058583 Issued on May 9, 2000. Estimated Expiration Date:

July 16, 2019. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

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5888346

Inventors

Assignee

Uni-Charm Corporation

Application

No. 356774 filed on 07/16/1999

US Classes:

28/104, By fluid jet needling or perforating28/167By fluid contact

Examiners

Primary: Vanatta, Amy B.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Darby & Darby

International Class

D04H 001/46

Foreign Application Priority Data

1998-07-17 JP

Abstract

This invention provides a wet process for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric, including the steps of: forming a fibrous web by supplying raw material fibers together with water onto a slope of a net-shaped wire conveyor band running on a plurality of rolls; completely forming a nonwoven fabric over the wire conveyor band by supplying water jets to the fibrous web over the wire conveyor band; transferring the formed nonwoven fabric from the wire conveyor band to another conveyor band; and drying the nonwoven fabric. Also disclosed is an apparatus using the wet nonwoven fabric manufacturing process.