METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING MELT-BLOWN FILTER CARTRIDGES HAVING MELT-BLOWN CORE ELEMENTS, AND THE FILTER CARTRIDGES FORMED THEREBY

• Main Authors: YINGLING, TIMOTHY W, GSCHWANDTNER, RONALD R, NGUYEN, SON NGOC, SCHMITT, ROBERT J, MOZELACK, BRIAN, CONNOR, ROBERT D, JANA, PRAVEEN, BARBOZA, STEVEN D
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 30.11.2010
• Subjects: BLASTING; BRAIDING; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOTDIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT; COTTON-WOOL; DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g.ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS,NON-WOVEN FABRICS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; KNITTING; LACE-MAKING; LAYERED PRODUCTS; LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT ORNON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM; LIGHTING; MACHINE TOOLS; MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OFPARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARYMATERIAL; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NON-WOVEN FABRICS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PIPES; PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCESIN A PLASTIC STATE; SEPARATION; SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS, SLAG, OR MIXTURESCONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; TEXTILES; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; TRIMMINGS; WADDING; WEAPONS; WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

Filter cartridges may have a core element formed of a non-filtering, self-supporting non-woven mass of indefinite length continuous synthetic polymeric core fibers, and at least one annular filtration zone layer formed of a mass of non-woven indefinite length continuous synthetic polymeric filtration fibers. The non-woven core element is most preferably formed in situ during filter cartridge manufacturing by melt-blowing synthetic polymeric core fiber streams towards a forming mandrel. The non-woven core element is completely solidified prior to the filtration zone fibers being melt-blown thereon so that the core and filtration fibers are predominantly mechanically interlocked with one another, instead of being melt-bonded thereto. Filter cartridges of predetermined length may be cut from an upstream filter cartridge preform of indefinite length by subjecting the preform to forced cooling air to thereby minimize (if not eliminate entirely) significant filter cartridge shrinkage over time. In addition, a cutter assembly may be mounted laterally of the preform, but is capable of rate-synchronized longitudinal movement with the preform during its cutting operation. L'invention concerne des cartouches filtrantes pouvant comporter un élément d'âme constitué d'une masse non tissée autonome de fibres d'âme polymères, synthétiques, continues, de longueur indéfinie, et au moins une couche de zone de filtrage annulaire constituée d'une masse de fibres de filtrage non tissées, polymères, synthétiques, continues, de longueur indéfinie. L'élément d'âme non tissé est idéalement formé in situ, pendant la fabrication de la cartouche filtrante, par fusion-soufflage de nappes de fibres d'âme polymères synthétiques vers un mandrin de formage. L'élément d'âme non tissé est entièrement solidifié avant qu'on n'effectue par-dessus la fusion-soufflage des fibres de zone de filtrage, de sorte que les fibres d'âme et de filtrage s'imbriquent surtout mécaniquement au lieu d'être liées par voie fondue. On peut couper des cartouches filtrantes de longueur prédéterminée dans une préforme de cartouche filtrante en amont, de longueur indéfinie, en soumettant la préforme à un air de refroidissement forcé, afin de réduire (si ce n'est éliminer entièrement) le rétrécissement considérable de la cartouche filtrante avec le temps. En outre, un ensemble de coupe peut être disposé latéralement par rapport à la préforme, mais est capable d'effectuer un mouvement longitudinal synchronisé avec la préforme lors de l'opération de coupe.