Patent ID: 6663823
Filing Date: 2003-12-16
Classification: D01D,D04H

Abstract:
A process of making a nonwoven fabric, said process comprising the steps of:discharging continuous fibers of a thermoplastic synthetic resin from a melt-extruder; stretching, and thereby thinning, the discharged continuous fibers by a hot air blast; and placing the stretched continuous fibers upon a conveyor located below the melt-extruder to form the non-woven fabric; said placing comprising the steps of: providing a guide box between said melt-extruder and said conveyor, said guide box having an upper end opening spaced from nozzles of said melt-extruder by a predetermined distance and adapted to receive said stretched continuous fibers and a lower end opening adjacent said conveyor and having a dimension larger than said upper end opening as measured in a traveling direction of said conveyor; and generating a suction under said conveyor to cause said stretched continuous fibers to flow within said guide box in a well ordered manner from said upper end opening to said lower end opening; wherein said suction is sufficient to cause further stretching, thinning, and cooling of said continuous fibers and to cause a flow velocity of said fibers in a vicinity of said upper end opening to be equal to or greater than a flow velocity of said fibers after being discharged form the melt-extruder.