US 12,134,844 B2
Nonwoven web with increased CD strength
Simon K. Poruthoor, Alpharetta, GA (US); Karen Goeders, Atlanta, GA (US); Allen F. Vater, Alpharetta, GA (US); Bryan D. Haynes, Jasper, GA (US); and April Montoya Vaverka, Roswell, GA (US)
Assigned to Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI (US)
Appl. No. 17/786,658
Filed by Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI (US)
PCT Filed Dec. 18, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/067139
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 17, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/126188, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 24, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0067631 A1, Mar. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. D04H 1/56 (2006.01); D04H 1/26 (2012.01)
CPC D04H 1/56 (2013.01) [D04H 1/26 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of manufacturing a nonwoven web, wherein the method comprises:
a. providing a forming surface traveling in a machine direction and lying in forming surface plane;
b. providing a first and a second meltblown die head disposed above and at an angle to the forming surface;
c. extruding a first gas stream comprising a plurality of polymeric fibers from the first meltblown die head;
d. extruding a second gas stream comprising a plurality of polymeric fibers from the second meltblown die head;
e. providing a pulp nozzle disposed above and perpendicular to the forming surface;
f. providing a third gas stream through the pulp nozzle positioned between the first and the second gas streams;
g. merging the first, second and third gas streams into a fiber matrix;
h. providing a plurality of nozzles adjacent to the forming surface and orientated to provide a fourth gas stream traveling towards the cross-machine direction;
i. providing the fourth gas stream through the plurality of nozzles, wherein the fourth gas stream contacts the fiber matrix and perturbs at least a portion of the fiber matrix fibers to yield a perturbed fiber matrix; and
j. collecting the perturbed fiber matrix on the forming surface to form a nonwoven web.