Patent Grant
10130972
A fiberized adhesive may be applied to a substrate or strand of material using a nozzle having one or more adhesive orifices. One potential application may be in the manufacture of disposable hygiene products or articles. The products typically include a substrate, for example, a non-woven film or non-woven/film laminate material, and another component bonded to the substrate with the adhesive. For example, the fiberized adhesive may be applied to a substrate to attach a waist band to the substrate in the manufacture of a diaper, applied as a positioning adhesive on a substrate in the manufacture of a feminine hygiene product, or applied to secure a core to an outer shell in the construction of hygiene product.
The articles or products may be manufactured by feeding the substrate along the nozzle in a machine direction. The adhesive orifices of the nozzle may be arranged across a width of the nozzle, transverse to the machine direction. Thus, adhesive may be applied over a width of the substrate. In addition, the nozzle may include air orifices positioned between the adhesive orifices in a width direction of the nozzle. The discharged air may oscillate the individual adhesive fibers or strands in width direction as they are applied to the substrate.
It may be desirable to selectively stop and/or start application of the adhesive onto the substrate during manufacture of an article. For example, it may be desirable to provide an intermittent application pattern of the adhesive onto the substrate in the machine direction to allow for gaps either where bonding to the substrate is not desired or to separate adjacent parts or products to be formed from the substrate.
Intermittent application of the adhesive is typically controlled by controlling supply of the adhesive to the nozzle. To provide a gap between adhesive sections on a substrate in the machine direction, the supply of the adhesive to the nozzle may be interrupted, for example, by stopping a metering pump or actuating a valve.
However, in conventional systems, it is difficult to precisely and accurately control application of the adhesive onto the substrate to start and stop at desired positions. For example, residual adhesive in the nozzle may continue to be discharged from the nozzle orifice even after a supply of the adhesive to the nozzle has been interrupted, resulting in an over-application of adhesive to the substrate. This is commonly referred to as overspray, which leads to increased material cost and glue contamination of the product areas that should be free of adhesive. Further still, to improve positioning of the gaps, a line speed of the substrate may be reduced, resulting in increased production time.
In addition, a desired application pattern of the adhesive, as a whole, on the substrate is typically in a rectangular shape, with precisely defined lateral edges (edge definition) and ends where the adhesive starts and stops. With conventional nozzles, it may not only be difficult to precisely control the ends where the adhesive application starts or stops as described above, but to also control application of the adhesive to have a desired edge definition. For example, in conventional systems, with the air outlet or outlets laterally spaced from the adhesive outlets, the discharged adhesive may be pushed by the air beyond a desired lateral edge, again resulting in overspray.
Moreover, in conventional systems, upon startup, a delay may exist between the discharge of the adhesive and sufficient air discharge to fiberize the adhesive. Accordingly, at startup, non-fiberized, or insufficiently fiberized drops of adhesive may be received on the substrate. This may be referred to as “glue strike through.” The non-fiberized drops received on the substrate may contaminate machine rollers as the substrate is fed along the machine.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a nozzle assembly having improved fluid startup and cut-off characteristics so that application of a fluid onto a substrate may be more accurately controlled and overspray may be reduced or limited. In addition, it is desirable to operate at increased line speeds while accurately controlling the application of the fluid onto the substrate. Further, it is desirable to provide a nozzle assembly with improved startup adhesive discharge characteristics and better lateral fluid application control.
According to one embodiment there is provided a nozzle assembly for applying a fluid on a substrate. The nozzle assembly includes a plurality of plates secured together, a first fluid conduit having a first inlet configured to receive a first fluid, a first discharge orifice disposed downstream from and in fluid communication with the first fluid conduit, the first discharge orifice configured to discharge the first fluid generally in a first direction, a second fluid conduit having a second inlet configured to receive a second fluid, a second discharge orifice disposed downstream from and in fluid communication with the second fluid conduit, the second discharge orifice configured to discharge the second fluid generally in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a third discharge orifice disposed downstream from and in fluid communication with the second fluid conduit, the third discharge orifice configured to discharge the second fluid to oscillate or vacillate the first fluid during discharge of the first fluid.
According to another embodiment there is provided a method of applying fluid on a substrate with a nozzle assembly. The nozzle assembly includes a plurality of plates secured together, a first fluid conduit having a first inlet configured to receive a first fluid, a first discharge orifice disposed downstream from and in fluid communication with the first fluid conduit, the first discharge orifice configured to discharge the first fluid in a first direction, a second fluid conduit having a second inlet configured to receive a second fluid, a second discharge orifice disposed downstream from and in fluid communication with the second fluid conduit, the second discharge orifice configured to discharge the second fluid in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a third discharge orifice disposed downstream from and in fluid communication with the second fluid conduit, the third discharge orifice configured to discharge the second fluid to oscillate or vacillate the first fluid. The method includes continuously feeding the substrate by the nozzle assembly, discharging, in the first direction, the first fluid from the first discharge orifice onto the substrate, discharging, in the second direction, the second fluid from the second discharge orifice to cut the first fluid discharged from the first discharge orifice at the first discharge orifice and discharging the second fluid from the third discharge orifice generally in the first direction.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, elements, components, steps, and processes.
While the present disclosure is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described one or more embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered illustrative only and is not intended to limit the disclosure to any specific embodiment described or illustrated.
The first fluid conduit (or plenum) 14 and first inlet 16 are configured to receive a first fluid F1 from a first fluid supply (not shown). The one or more first discharge orifices are positioned downstream from, and in fluid communication with, the first fluid conduit 14 so as to receive the first fluid F1 from the first fluid conduit 14. The second fluid conduit (or plenum) 20 and the second inlet 22 are configured to receive a second fluid F2 from a second fluid supply (not shown). The one or more second discharge orifices 24 are positioned downstream, and in fluid communication with, the second fluid conduit 20 so as to receive the second fluid F2 from the second fluid conduit 20. The one or more third discharge orifices 25 are also positioned downstream from, and in fluid communication with, the second fluid conduit 20 so as to receive the second fluid F2 from the second fluid conduit 22.
Each first discharge orifice 18 is configured to discharge the first fluid F1 (
In one embodiment, the nozzle assembly 10 is a laminated plate nozzle (LPN) formed by the plurality of plates 12. The first fluid conduit 14 and the second fluid conduit 20 extend through one or more plates of the plurality of the plates 12. In one embodiment, the second fluid conduit 20 may extend in each plate of the plurality of the plates 12. The plurality of plates 12 may include a face plate 26, a backing plate 28 and a plurality of laminated nozzle plates 30 positioned therebetween. The first inlet 16 and the second inlet 22 may be formed in the backing plate 28. The first inlet 16 is configured to receive the first fluid F1 into the first fluid conduit 14 and the second inlet 22 is configured to receive the second fluid F2 into the second fluid conduit 20.
As shown in
In one embodiment, the first direction D1 may be angled relative to the second direction D2 by approximately 80 degrees to 100 degrees, and preferably, by about 90 degrees. Likewise, the first axis A1 and the second axis A2 may be angled relative to each other by approximately 80 degrees to 100 degrees, and preferably, by about 90 degrees.
In addition, as shown in
In one embodiment, the first fluid conduit 14 also includes a reservoir portion 36, a first divider portion 38 and the one more first discharge orifices 18. The first divider portion 38 divides the first fluid conduit 14 into a plurality of first paths 39, each first path 39 in fluid communication with a respective first discharge orifice 18. Accordingly, the first fluid F1 may be received in the first fluid conduit 14 via the first inlet 16. For example, the first fluid F1 may be received in the reservoir portion 36 from the first inlet 16 and in the first divider portion 38 from the reservoir portion 36. The first fluid F1 may then flow to the plurality of first paths 39 in the first divider portion 38 and then to respective first discharge orifices 18. It is understood, however, that the reservoir 36 and/or first divider portion 38 may be combined or omitted in other embodiments. For example, the first inlet 26 may flow directly to the one or more first discharge orifices 18.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring again to
With further reference to
Referring to
The lower portion 44 may be formed in the ninth 109 and tenth 110 laminated nozzle plates and is configured to receive the second fluid F2 from the cross channel 56 of the connecting portion 42. The second divider portion 46, including the second paths 47, may be formed in the seventh 107 and eighth 108 laminated nozzle plates and is configured to receive the second fluid F2 from the lower portion 44. The one or more second discharge orifices 24 may be formed in the sixth 106 laminated nozzle plate. The one or more second discharge orifices 24 are configured to receive the second fluid F2 from the second divider portion 46. The one or more third discharge orifices 25 may be formed in the fourth, fifth and sixth 104, 105, 106 laminated nozzle plates, and are configured to receive the second fluid F2 from the second divider portion 46.
In one embodiment, the one or more second discharge orifices 24 are formed on a second common, single laminated nozzle plate, such as the sixth laminated nozzle plate 106, different from the first common, single laminated nozzle plate. In the first common, single laminated nozzle plate, the one or more first discharge orifices 18 are formed by a plurality of open ended slots, each slot corresponding to a first discharge orifice 18. Referring to
The one or more third discharge orifices 25 may be formed in one or more of the laminated nozzle plates. For example, in one embodiment, each of the one or more third discharge orifices 25 may be formed in the first and second common nozzle plates in which the one or more first discharge orifices 18 and one or more second discharge orifices 24 are formed in respectively, along with another adjacent nozzle plate. The third discharge orifices 25 may be aligned in a width direction ‘w’ of the nozzle assembly 10. The one or more third discharge orifices 25 may be bound by immediately adjacent plates on both sides in the thickness direction ‘t.’ The one or more third discharge orifices 25 may also be formed having a generally triangular shape, so as to increase in width when moving in a direction from an internal position of the nozzle assembly 10 to a perimeter of the nozzle assembly 10. Further, in one embodiment, the third discharge orifices 25 may be coplanar with one another. For example, the third discharge orifices 25 may lie in a plane defined by one or more of the laminated nozzles plate in which they formed.
Referring to
Referring to
It is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the examples above. For example, the laminated nozzle plates 30 between the backing plate 28 and face plate 26 may include additional or fewer laminated plates. For example, the nozzle assembly 10 may be formed with three or more laminated nozzle plates.
In the embodiments above a first fluid F1 may be discharged from the one or more first discharge orifices 18 generally in the first direction D1 and the second fluid F2 may be discharged from the one or more second discharge orifices 24 generally in the second direction D2. In addition, the second fluid F2 may be discharged from the one or more third discharge orifices 25 over a range of angles generally in a direction away from the nozzle assembly, for example, generally in the first direction D1, to oscillate or vacillate the first fluid F1 as it is applied to the substrate S. The first fluid F1 may be, for example, a hot melt adhesive. The hot melt adhesive may be discharged from the first discharge orifices 18 as a strand or fiber. The second fluid F2 may be, for example, air, and may operate as an air knife discharged from the one or more second orifices 24 to cut the strand or fiber of hot melt adhesive when it is desired to stop application of the hot melt adhesive onto the substrate. The one or more second discharge orifices 24 may allow the second fluid F2 to flow directly into respective one or more first discharge orifices 18. That is, in the embodiments above, the first and second discharge orifices 18, 24 may be directly, fluidically connected to one another. The second direction D2 may be in the same or an opposite direction as the movement of the substrate S.
Accordingly, the fiber or strand of the first fluid F1 may be cut or separated at each of the one or more first discharge orifices 18 by the air discharged at each of the one or more second discharge orifices 24, and application of the fiber or strand onto the substrate may be accurately controlled. Further, by cutting off the strand or fiber at the first discharge orifice as desired, overspray of the first fluid F1 onto the substrate may be reduced or eliminated and application of adhesive onto product areas intended to be free of adhesive may also be reduced or eliminated. Further still, by accurately controlling stopping and/or starting of the first fluid F1 application onto the substrate, the substrate may be fed past the nozzle assembly 10 at increased line speeds when compared to convention systems.
In addition, during startup, the second fluid F2 discharged from the one or more second and/or third discharge orifices 24, 25 may act on the first fluid F1 (initially in a drop or droplet form) to stretch or fiberize the first fluid F1. Accordingly, undesirably large drops of first fluid F1 onto the substrate S may be reduced during startup. Further still, the second fluid F2 discharged from the one or more second orifices 24 moves the discharge first fluid F1 in the machine direction, i.e., a direction of travel of the substrate, or a direction substantially opposite to the direction of travel. Accordingly, lateral edge definition of an application pattern of the first fluid F1 on the substrate S may be improved by limiting lateral movement of the discharged first fluid.
A method of applying a first fluid to a substrate using a nozzle assembly according to the embodiments described above includes continuously feeding a substrate S past the nozzle assembly 10 and discharging the first fluid F1 from the one or more first discharge orifices 18 in the first direction D1. The method further includes discharging the second fluid F2 from the one or more second discharge orifices 24 in the second direction to cut-off the first fluid F1 at an end of the one or more first discharge orifices 18. The second fluid may also be discharged from the one or more third orifices 25 in a direction generally toward the substrate to oscillate or vacillate the first fluid. The method may further include discharging the first fluid F1 from the one or more first discharge orifices 18 onto the substrate S to provide an intermittent application pattern P of the first fluid on the substrate.
All patents referred to herein, are hereby incorporated herein in their entirety, by reference, whether or not specifically indicated as such within the text of this disclosure.
In the present disclosure, the words “a” or “an” are to be taken to include both the singular and the plural. Conversely, any reference to plural items shall, where appropriate, include the singular.
From the foregoing it will be observed that numerous modifications and variations can be effectuated without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific embodiments illustrated is intended or should be inferred. The disclosure is intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.
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