Patent ID: 7052563

Claim:
A method of forming an encapsulated fiber batt comprising: conveying a fiber batt in a first direction, the fiber batt having a first and second major surfaces and two minor surfaces, the major surfaces having a substantially horizontal orientation; and passing the fiber batt past a melt-blowing assembly, the melt-blowing assembly being arranged and configured to extrude a polymer melt and a hot gas stream, the hot gas stream being directed to impact the extruded polymer melt at a volume and at a velocity sufficient to cause attenuation of the polymer melt into polymer melt fibers and to direct the fibers toward a surface of the fiber batt; the melt-blowing assembly further being arranged and configured to apply a cooling fluid to the polymer melt fibers at a volume and a temperature sufficient to quench a surface portion of a portion of the polymer melt fibers before the polymer melt fibers contact a surface of the fiber batt, the polymer melt fibers retaining sufficient heat to adhere to the fiber batt or other polymer fibers.