Patent ID: 6743006
Filing Date: 2004-06-01
Classification: B29C

Abstract:
A die for extruding flowable material therethrough in a longitudinal direction, said die having a die inlet for admitting flowable material and a die outlet for expelling flowable material, said die inlet and die outlet being oppositely disposed on a longitudinal axis, said die outlet having a cross sectional area defining a die outlet plane having a major axis and a minor axis orthogonal thereto, said major axis being greater than or equal to minor axis, said die having a cavity connecting said die inlet and said die outlet, said cavity having a plurality of cross sections perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, said cavity having a static mixer therein, said static mixer having openings therethrough oriented substantially at an angle relative to said longitudinal direction, said static mixer having a static mixer outlet defining a static mixer outlet plane filling said cavity at a cross section, said static mixer causing flowable material to flow in a first direction having a component parallel to said major axis of said die outlet plane and later in a second direction having a component parallel to said minor axis of said die outlet plane as said flowable material is within said cavity, wherein said static mixer outlet plane and said die outlet plane are coincident.