Claims
- 1. A meltblowing method comprising:forming a filament adjacent a moving substrate; vacillating the filament predominately non-parallel to a direction of the moving substrate with fluid flows directed along not more than two substantially opposite sides of the filament; and depositing the filament onto the moving substrate.
- 2. The method of claim 1, vacillating the filament predominately transversely to the direction of the moving substrate.
- 3. The method of claim 1, vacillating the filament substantially periodically with the fluid flows.
- 4. The method of claim 1, increasing a vacillation amplitude of the filament as the filament approaches the moving substrate with the fluid flows.
- 5. The method of claim 1, vacillating the filament predominately between the fluid flows.
- 6. The method of claim 1, forming the filament from a filament forming fluid flow drawn by the fluid flows, vacillating the filament predominately between the two fluid flows.
- 7. The method of claim 6, forming the filament forming fluid flow with a first fluid dispensed from a first orifice, forming the fluid flows with a second fluid dispensed from corresponding second orifices disposed on not more than two substantially opposite sides of the first orifice, the first and second orifices aligned non-parallel to the direction of the moving substrate.
- 8. The method of claim 7, vacillating the filament predominately transversely to the direction of the moving substrate, the first and second orifices aligned substantially transversely to the direction of the moving substrate.
- 9. The method of claim 1, forming a plurality of filaments adjacent the moving substrate with separate fluid flows directed along not more than two substantially opposite sides of each filament, vacillating the plurality of filaments predominately non-parallel to the direction of the moving substrate, and depositing the plurality of filaments onto the moving substrate.
- 10. The method of claim 9, vacillating at least some of the plurality of filaments predominately transversely to the direction of the moving substrate.
- 11. The method of claim 9, vacillating at least some of the plurality of filaments substantially periodically.
- 12. The method of claim 9, increasing a vacillation amplitude of at least some of the plurality of filaments as the filaments approach the moving substrate.
- 13. The method of claim 9, forming the plurality of filaments from a corresponding plurality of filament forming fluid flows each drawn by the separate fluid flows, vacillating each of the plurality of filaments predominately between the fluid flows along opposite sides thereof.
- 14. The method of claim 13, forming the filament forming fluid flows with a first fluid dispensed from a corresponding plurality of first orifices, forming the fluid flows with a second fluid dispensed from a corresponding plurality of second orifices, the plurality of first orifices each flanked on not more than two substantially opposite sides by separate second orifices, the plurality of first and second orifices aligned non-parallel to the direction of the moving substrate.
- 15. The method of claim 14, vacillating at least some of the filaments predominately transversely to the direction of the moving substrate at least some of the plurality of first and second orifices aligned substantially transversely to the direction of the moving substrate.
- 16. A meltblowing method comprising:forming a filament from a first fluid flow drawn by second fluid flows directed along not more than two substantially opposite sides of the first fluid flow; vacillating the filament substantially periodically and predominately between the second fluid flows along substantially opposite sides thereof.
- 17. The method of claim 16, directing the second fluid flows convergently toward the first fluid flow.
- 18. The method of claim 16, depositing the filament onto a substrate moving non-parallel to a predominant vacillation amplitude of the filament.
- 19. The method of claim 16, forming the first fluid flow with a first fluid dispensed from a first orifice, forming the second fluid flows with a second fluid dispensed from corresponding second orifices disposed on not more than two substantially opposite sides of the first orifice.
- 20. The method of claim 16,forming a plurality of filaments from a corresponding plurality of first fluid flows each drawn by second fluid flows directed along not more than two substantially opposite sides thereof, and vacillating each of the plurality of filaments predominately between the second fluid flows directed along substantially opposite sides thereof.
- 21. The method of claim 20, converging the second fluid flows toward an intermediate first fluid flow.
- 22. The method of claim 21, depositing the plurality of filaments onto a substrate moving nonparallel to a direction of predominant vacillation of the plurality of filaments.
- 23. The method of claim 20, forming the plurality of first fluid flows with a first fluid dispensed from a corresponding plurality of first orifices, forming the plurality of second fluid flows with a second fluid dispensed from a corresponding plurality of second orifices, the plurality of first orifices each flanked on not more than two substantially opposite sides by separate second orifices.
- 24. A meltblowing apparatus comprising:a first fluid orifice in a body member; a plurality of at least two second fluid orifices in the body member, the second fluid orifices disposed on substantially opposite sides of the first fluid orifice, the first and second fluid orifices each have a corresponding fluid conduit disposed in the body member, the fluid conduits of the second orifices converging toward the conduit of the first orifice, portions of the body member adjacent the first fluid orifice devoid of fluid orifices, the portions of the body member devoid of fluid orifices disposed on substantially opposite sides of the first fluid orifice between the second fluid orifices.
- 25. The apparatus of claim 24 further comprising in combination therewith a filament emanating from the first fluid orifice, the filament having a major vacillation amplitude between the second fluid orifices on substantially opposite sides of the first fluid orifice.
- 26. The apparatus of claim 25, the filament having a minor vacillation amplitude between the portions of the body member devoid of fluid orifices.
- 27. The apparatus of claim 24, the first and second fluid orifices disposed on a fluid dispensing face of the body member.
- 28. The apparatus of claim 27, the first fluid orifice protrudes relative to the second fluid orifices.
- 29. The apparatus of claim 24,a plurality of first fluid orifices in the body member, each first fluid orifice having second fluid orifices disposed on substantially opposite sides thereof, the plurality first and second fluid orifices each have a corresponding fluid conduit disposed in the body member, the fluid conduits of the second orifices on substantially opposite sides of each first orifice converging toward the conduit of the corresponding intermediate first orifice, portions of the body member adjacent each first fluid orifice devoid of second fluid orifices, the portions of the body member devoid of second fluid orifices disposed on substantially opposite sides of the first fluid orifice between the second fluid orifices on substantially opposite sides thereof.
- 30. A meltblowing apparatus comprising:a first fluid orifice in a body member; a plurality of second fluid orifices in the body members, the second fluid orifices disposed symmetrically on not more than two substantially opposite sides of the first fluid orifice, at least one second fluid orifice on one side of the first fluid orifice and at least one second fluid orifice on the other substantially opposite side thereof, the first and second fluid orifices each have a corresponding fluid conduit disposed in the body member, the fluid conduits of the second orifices converging toward the conduit of the first orifice.
- 31. The apparatus of claim 30, portions of the body member adjacent the first fluid orifice devoid of fluid orifices, the portions of the body member devoid of fluid orifices disposed symmetrically on substantially opposite sides of the first fluid orifice between the second fluid orifices.
- 32. The apparatus of claim 30, the first and second fluid orifices disposed on a fluid dispensing face of the body member.
- 33. The apparatus of claim 30, the first fluid orifice protrudes relative to the second fluid orifices.
- 34. The apparatus of claim 30,a plurality of first fluid orifices in the body member, each of the plurality of first fluid orifices having second fluid orifices disposed symmetrically on not more than two substantially opposite sides thereof, at least one second fluid orifice on one side of each first fluid orifice and at least one second fluid orifice on the other substantially opposite side thereof, the fluid conduits of the second orifices on substantially opposite sides of each first orifice converging toward the conduit of the corresponding intermediate first orifice.
- 35. The apparatus of claim 34, portions of the body member adjacent each first fluid orifice devoid of fluid orifices, the portions of the body member devoid of fluid orifices disposed symmetrically on substantially opposite sides of the corresponding first fluid orifice between the second fluid orifices on substantially opposite sides thereof.
- 36. A meltblowing system comprising:a moving substrate; a filament adjacent the moving substrate, an end of the filament contacting the moving substrate, the filament having a predominant vacillation amplitude non-parallel to a direction of the moving substrate; a meltblowing apparatus adjacent the moving substrate, the meltblowing apparatus comprising body member having a first fluid orifice and separate second fluid orifices disposed on not more than two substantially opposite sides of the first fluid orifice, the first and second fluid orifices aligned non-parallel to the direction of the moving substrate, the filament emanating from the first fluid orifice.
- 37. The system of claim 36, the filament having a predominant vacillation amplitude substantially transverse to a direction of the moving substrate.
- 38. The system of claim 36, the filament having a substantially periodic vacillation.
- 39. The system of claim 36, the vacillation amplitude of the filament greater toward the moving substrate.
- 40. The system of claim 36, the predominant vacillation amplitude of the filament between the second fluid orifices on opposite sides of the first fluid orifice.
- 41. The system of claim 36, a plurality of filaments adjacent the moving substrate, the plurality of filaments having a predominant vacillation amplitude non-parallel to the direction of the moving substrate.
- 42. The system of claim 41, the plurality of filaments having a substantially periodic vacillation.
- 43. The system of claim 41, the vacillation amplitude of the plurality of filaments greater toward the moving substrate.
- 44. The system of claim 41, the body member having a plurality of first fluid orifices and a plurality of second fluid orifices, the plurality of first fluid orifices each flanked on not more than two substantially opposite sides by separate second fluid orifices, the plurality of first and second fluid orifices aligned non-parallel to the direction of the moving substrate, each of the plurality of filaments emanating from a corresponding one of the plurality of first fluid orifices.
- 45. The system of claim 44, the predominant vacillation amplitude of each filament is between the second fluid orifices disposed on substantially opposite sides of the corresponding first fluid orifice.
- 46. The system of claim 44, a plurality of at least two meltblowing apparatuses positioned adjacently, at least some of the plurality of first and second orifices of each meltblowing apparatus aligned with at least some of the plurality of first and second orifices of an adjacent meltblowing apparatus.
- 47. The system of claim 44, the meltblowing apparatus comprising at least two plates.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/253,311, filed on Feb. 20, 1999, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser No. 08/843,224, filed on Apr. 14, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,298, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/717,080, filed on Oct. 18, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,540, and is related to U.S. application Ser. No. 08/683,064 filed Jul. 16, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,862,986, entitled “Hot Melt Adhesive Applicator With Metering Gear-Driven Head”, and U.S. application Ser. No. 08/734,400 filed Oct. 16, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,437, entitled “Fluid Flow Control Plates For Hot Melt Adhesive Applicator”, and all of which are commonly assigned and incorporated herein by reference.
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Continuations (2)
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Continuation in Parts (2)
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