Patent ID: 8241024

Claim:
A system for forming a spun bond nonwoven web from extruded polymer filaments, comprising: a spinneret including a plurality of orifices to extrude a plurality of continuous polymeric filaments; and a pressure quench chamber including a top located proximate and below the spinneret and bounded peripherally by surfaces, the quench chamber including an ingress opening located at the top of the quench chamber to receive filaments from the spinneret and a chamber exit nozzle located at a bottom of the quench chamber, the quench chamber having dimensions and a configuration to avoid substantial contact between the filaments and the surfaces of the quench chamber and a volume sufficient to allow solidification of the filaments within the quench chamber, wherein the chamber exit nozzle comprises a drawing slot at the bottom of the quench chamber extending substantially across the width of the bottom of the quench chamber and in cooperative engagement with the quench chamber to receive the cooled filaments and quench fluid, the drawing slot being formed by lower surfaces of the chamber tapering toward each other in the direction of filament flow through the chamber and terminating at facing edges of two respective knife structures, wherein the drawing slot has no substantial nozzle length in the direction of flow through the chamber exit nozzle.