Patent ID: 8246898

Claim:
An open system apparatus for forming a nonwoven web comprising: an extrusion device that provides a plurality of polymer fibers; an open system fiber draw unit (FDU) disposed to receive the plurality of polymer fibers from said extrusion device, said FDU including a drawing slot in which the polymer fibers are attenuated, said drawing slot having an inlet and an outlet defined by spaced apart walls; at least a longitudinal portion of said drawing slot comprising a diverging profile in a direction of fiber conveyance through said FDU, the polymer fibers spreading in a machine direction as they are conveyed through said diverging profile portion of said FDU; a diverging diffusion chamber spaced from said outlet of said FDU; at least one electrostatic charge unit configured to apply an electrostatic charge to the fibers in either said diffusion chamber or said FDU; a moving forming surface below said diffusion chamber on which the polymer fibers are collected; at least one air nozzle configured within said FDU; and means positioned in an air flow fed to said air nozzle for perturbating the attenuating air supplied from said air nozzle, before the air exits said nozzle, in order to disturb or disrupt the air flow from said nozzle to further enhance machine direction spreading of the plurality of polymer fibers via agitation of the air flow and polymer fibers; wherein said diverging profile portion of said FDU drawing slot has an inlet width of about 0.125 to about 0.60 inches, and an outlet width greater than said inlet width and less than about 1.0 inch.