Patent ID: 6330735
Filing Date: 2001-12-18
Classification: A61F,Y10T

Abstract:
An apparatus for forming an airlaid fibrous web on a moving surface, said apparatus having a longitudinal direction, a lateral cross-direction and a depth-wise z-direction, and said apparatus comprising:a contoured foraminous member having a first side portion, a laterally opposed second side portion, and a depth contour formed into a thickness of said foraminous member, said depth contour having a lower-basis-weight section, and a higher-basis-weight section which is contiguous with said low-basis-weight section;a longitudinally extending, first side-masking member which is located superjacent said first side portion of the foraminous member, has a first inboard side wall surface, and is at least laterally movable relative to said foraminous member;at least a second, separately provided, longitudinally extending, side-masking member which is located superjacent said second side portion of the foraminous member, has a second inboard side wall surface, and is at least laterally movable relative to said foraminous member; anda first releasable attachment system for selectively holding at least said first side-masking member at a substantially fixed position relative to said foraminous member during a moving of said foraminous member along said longitudinal direction, whereinsaid first side-masking member has a bottom surface profile along said longitudinal direction;said bottom surface profile provides a depth-wise contour with varying, non-constant dimensions along a z-directional thickness direction; andsaid bottom surface profile of said first side-masking member substantially matches a correspondingly adjacent surface profile of said foraminous member in said low-basis-weight and high-basis-weight sections of the foraminous member.