Patent ID: 11913151
Assignee: FITESA SIMPSONVILLE, INC.
Field: Textile and paper machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC D | IPC D

Claim 12:
13. A method of preparing a nonwoven fabric having a single fabric layer in which the single fabric layer comprises a plurality of different fiber types, the method comprising:
providing a first polymer source configured to provide a stream of a molten or semi-molten first polymer;
providing a second polymer source configured to provide a stream of a molten or semi-molten second polymer, wherein the first polymer and the second polymer are of a different type;
introducing the first polymer stream and the second polymer stream into a spin beam in fluid communication with the first and second polymer sources, the spin beam including a zoned distribution plate disposed upstream of a spinneret, the zoned distribution plate comprising a plurality of distribution apertures arranged in zones, wherein each zone is configured and arranged to extrude a plurality of polymer streams that are of a different polymer type than polymer streams extruded by an adjacent zone to the spinneret, wherein the zoned distribution plate has a plurality of distribution zones arranged in one of the following zoned distribution configurations:
a. a first zoned distribution configuration comprising first and second distribution zones in fluid communication with the first polymer source, the first and second distribution zones of the first zoned distribution configuration being configured to produce multicomponent or monocomponent filaments, and a third distribution zone disposed between the first and second distribution zones of the first zoned distribution configuration, the third distribution zone being in fluid communication with both the first and second polymer sources, and being configured to produce multicomponent filaments, and
b. a second zoned distribution configuration comprising first and second distribution zones in fluid communication with both the first and second polymer sources, the first and second distribution zones of the second zoned distribution configuration being configured to produce multicomponent filaments, and a third distribution zone disposed between the first and second distribution zones and in fluid communication with the first polymer source, the third distribution zone of the second zoned distribution configuration being configured to produce monocomponent filaments or multicomponent filaments;
extruding streams of continuous filaments from the plurality of distribution zones of the spinneret;
collecting the streams continuous filaments on a collection surface disposed below the spinneret to form a single layer comprising a mixture continuous filaments that are of a different type from each other.