Multi-layer interlining and the production process thereof

Abstract

Disclosed is a new multi-layer nonwoven interlining and the production process thereof. The process allows a multi-layer nonwoven interlining to be obtained simultaneously with a single process on a single production line. The process includes a fiber opening step, a fiber feeding step, a carding step, a levelling step of the additional layer by the thermal treatment, and a point bonding step of the carded web and additional layer. As a result of the process, a structure is obtained where the carded web is point-bonded onto the additional layer.

Claims

1. A production process for a multi-layer nonwoven interlining, the process comprising: pre-opening fibers in a fiber opening chamber in a single or quadruple blend; feeding the pre-opening fibers in a feeding unit so as to mix the fed fibers by aeration; carding the fed fibers by laying the fed fibers randomly by opening the fed fibers at 45 in parallel and diagonal directions so as to obtain a carded web; leveling an additional layer by thermal treatment, the leveled additional layer being an opened web; and point bonding the carded web and the opened web by calendaring with heat and pressure so as to be joined by thermal welding point so as to obtain the multi-layer non-woven interlining.

2. The production process of claim 1, wherein the pre-opening fibers are selected from a group consisting of staple fibers, synthetic fibers, regenerated fibers and natural fibers, the pre-opening fibers have different cross-sectional structures.

3. The production process of claim 1, further comprising: transferring the pre-opened fibers to a fiber warehouse by a picker cylinder.

4. The production process of claim 1, further comprising: transferring the fed fibers to feeding cylinders via a conveyor belt; and laying the transferred fed fibers onto the conveyor belt prior to the step of carding.

5. The production process of claim 1, wherein the step of carding is in a system of cylinders and drums, the production further comprising: directing the laid fed fibers to a belt system having transfer drums so as to obtain the carded web.

6. The production process of claim 1, wherein the fed fibers are of 0.5-15 deniers and a length of between 30 millimeters and 80 millimeters.

7. The production process of claim 1, further comprising: directing the leveled additional layer to a smooth calendar.

8. The production process of claim 1, wherein the opened web is selected from a group consisting of a thermobond web, spunbond web and a spunlace web.

9. The production process of claim 1, wherein the step of point bonding comprising: passing the carded web and the opened web between internal oil-heated calendars; and passing the passed carded web and the opened web between a smooth calendar and an embossing calendar.

10. The production process of claim 9, wherein the heat of the step of point bonding is between 50 C. and 500 C., the smooth calendar and the embossing calendar having a respective temperature difference of 20 C., the embossing calendar having a thermal bonding area of between 5 square millimeters and 40 square millimeters.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is the view showing the layers of the multi-layer nonwoven interlining of the invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is the view of the top surface of multi-layer nonwoven interlining of the invention.

(3) FIG. 3 is the representative view in which the production assembly is schematized with the process of the invention.

(4) FIG. 4 is the flow chart showing the treatment steps of the process of the invention.

REFERENCE NUMERALS OF THE SECTIONS, PARTS AND FLOW CHART TO SERVE FOR DESCRIBING THE INVENTION

(5) 1Point-bonded multi-layer nonwoven interlining 1aCarded web 1bAdditional layer 1cPoint bonding area 2Production assembly 2aFiber opening chamber 2bPicker, mixer cylinders 2cFiber warehouse 2dFeeding unit 2eConveyor belt 2fFeeding cylinder 2gWeighing conveyor belt 2hCylinder 2iDrum 2jEmbossing calender 2kSmooth calender 2lAdditional layer opener 2mThermal treatment unit 2nWinder

Process Flow Chart to Serve for Describing the Invention

(6) 100Fiber opening step 110Fiber feeding step 120Carding step 130Levelling step of the additional layer by the thermal treatment 140point bonding step of the carded web and additional layer

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) With the production process of the multi-layer nonwoven interlining of the invention, it is the object to carry out the production, in which the layers produced with the hot embossing calender in the state of the art are combined with a second process, with a single process on a single production line simultaneously. Based on this basic object, the fibers are subjected to the fiber opening, fiber feeding and carding treatments and the carded web (1a) is obtained, and by the point bonding method, the said carded web (1a) is joined with an additional layer (1b) levelled by means of the thermal treatment.

(8) As a result of the process of the invention, a point-bonded multi-layer nonwoven interlining (1) is obtained as in FIG. 1. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the point-bonded multi-layer nonwoven interlining (1) of the invention comprises at least two layers, at least one carded web (1a) and at least one additional layer (1b). Said carded web (1a) and additional layer (1b) are joined from the parts shown as the point bonding area (1c). The view of the top surface of point-bonded multi-layer nonwoven interlining obtained as a result of the process of the invention is given in FIG. 2. The traces of the embossing calender (2j) in the form of the crossbars are seen in FIG. 2, these parts show the thermal-bonded melted areas of the fiber after passing through the calender and are the point bonding areas (1c).

(9) The production process of the multi-layer nonwoven interlining of the invention is generally carried out in a representative production assembly (2) as in FIG. 3. It should be appreciated that the image is representative, and the process can be carried out manually or with the different equipment that will perform the same function; in this respect, the expressions such as machine and unit in the descriptions and images should not be binding. The treatment steps of the production process of the multi-layer nonwoven interlining of the invention form a flow diagram as in FIG. 4. The process of the invention generally comprises the following treatment steps; the fiber opening step (100) the fiber feeding step (110) the carding step (120) the levelling step of the additional layer by the thermal treatment (130) the point bonding step of the carded web and additional layer (140)

(10) Generally, in the production process of the multi-layer nonwoven interlining of the invention, the carded web (1a) including of different fiber types and mixtures and the additional layer (1b) preferably obtained by using any of the thermobond, spunbond, spunlace techniques are joined by the point bonding process. Accordingly, the carded web (1a) is firstly produced, and then the additional layer (1b) is levelled by the thermal treatment in a separate area.

(11) The additional layer (1b) is a layer previously produced by the different techniques, and the manufacturing process of the additional layer (1b) will not be explained separately. It should be known that the additional layer (1b) is formed by the methods in the state of the art. As a result of obtaining the carded web (1a) and levelling the additional layer (1b) by the thermal treatment, said carded web (1a) and the additional layer (1b) are joined by point bonding and the point-bonded multi-layer nonwoven interlining (1) is obtained. The detailed explanations of the treatment steps constituting the process of the invention are as follows.

(12) Fiber Opening Step (100)

(13) In this step, any of the staple, synthetic, regenerated and natural fibers or any of the bicomponent and synthetic fibers with the different cross-sectional structures are subjected to the pre-opening, preferably mechanically, in the fiber opening chamber (2a) in the form of a single or quadruple blend, at the rates in the range of 1-100%. Thereafter, they are transferred to the fiber warehouse (2c) by means of the picker, mixer cylinders (2b)

(14) Fiber Feeding Step (110)

(15) In this step, the fibers that are opened and arrive the fiber warehouse (2c) arrive the feeding unit (2d). In the feeding unit (2d), the fibers of different types and structures are mixed by being aerated in the desired blend. The fibers are transferred to the feeding cylinders (2f) via the conveyor belt (2e) and then are laid on the weighing conveyor belt (2g) and the next step, the carding step (120), is proceeded.

(16) Carding Step (120)

(17) In this step, the fiber mixtures in the weight range of 8 g/m.sup.2-100 g/m.sup.2 are transported preferably through the weighing conveyor belt (2g). Said fiber mixtures are laid randomly by opening them at 45 in parallel and diagonal directions in a system consisting of the cylinders (2h) and drums (2i) with different diameters, different speeds, different directions, and different technical equipment and are directed to the belt system with a different number of the transfer drums (2i). In this step, the carded web (1a) is obtained.

(18) The equipment properties of the cylinders (2h) such as the structure-inclination, placement of said equipment, the revolutions of the cylinders that will perform the carding process may vary depending on the variables such as raw material fiber mixture, fiber denier-length values, fiber morphological structure. The fiber properties should preferably be in the ranges of 0, 5-15 denier and 30-80 mm in length. The fibers can be any of the mono or bicomponent synthetic fibers of polyester, polyamide, polypropylene, etc., any of synthetic fibers with different cross-section structures such as round-hollow-trilobal, etc., natural and regenerated fibers such as viscose, cotton, etc. The selection, mixing, and mixing ratios of these fibers are decisive in the parameters of the equipment properties of the cylinders (2h).

(19) Levelling Step of the Additional Layer by the Thermal Treatment (130)

(20) In this step, the additional layer (1b) is opened via the additional layer opener (2l), and the opened web is thermally treated in the thermal treatment unit (2m). The thermal treated additional layer (1b) is directed to the smooth calender (2k) for the next step.

(21) The additional layer (1b) is preferably a web obtained by means of one of the thermobond, spunbond, spunlace techniques. The additional layer (1b) that contacts the hot cylinder by an ironing-like process gains a levelled surface and performance increase due to the temperature.

(22) The fiber content of the web to be used as an additional layer, the physical and chemical properties of the fibers (for example, the technical properties such as the degree of softening, the weight of the web, the desired strength in the target product, air permeability, touching) are the primary factors that will determine the levelling parameters by the thermal treatment. The secondary factors are the fiber content of the carded web (1a) to be point-bonded with the additional layer (1a), the physical and chemical properties of the fibers and the speed of this described simultaneous process.

(23) Point Bonding Step of the Carded Web and Additional Layer (140)

(24) In this step, the additional layer (1b) obtained as a result of the levelling step of the additional layer by the thermal treatment (130) and the carded web (1b) obtained as a result of the carding step (120) are transmitted between the internal oil heated calenders. They are passed between the hot smooth calender (2k) and the hot embossing calender (2j) at the temperature, pressure and speed values suitable for fiber mixture. The additional layer (1b) and the carded web (1a) are calendered by heat and pressure, joined by the thermal welding points in the hot embossing calender (2j) and wound by the winder (2n). In this step, the parameters may vary depending on the type and weight of raw materials and additional layer (1b). The temperature values should preferably be in the range of 50-500 C. The temperature difference between the smooth calender (2k) and the embossing calender (2l) is preferably 20 C. The thermal bonding area of the embossing calender (2j) is preferably in the range of 5-40% mm.sup.2.

(25) As a result of the treatment steps described above in detail, the point-bonded multi-layer nonwoven interlining (1) is obtained. The point-bonded multi-layer nonwoven interlining (1) of the invention comprises at least one additional layer (1b) and at least one carded web (1a) disposed on said additional layer (1b). Said additional layer (1b) is preferably a layer formed by one of the thermobond, spunbond, spunlace techniques and subjected to levelling by the thermal treatment. The carded web (1a) is a web obtained from the fibers of different type and structure such as any of the staple, synthetic, regenerated and natural fibers or any of the bicomponent and synthetic fibers with the different cross-sectional structures. Said additional layer (1b) and carded web (1a) are joined by the point bonding.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY OF THE INVENTION

(26) The point-bonded multi-layer nonwoven interlining of the invention is a product which is used in the hook and loop fasteners and can be used in many areas where needed. It can be used in the protective clothing and in the parts that need joining, closure, holding, integration and support. It is possible to use in the disposable or reusable sleeves of the sphygmomanometers suitable for sterilization and on the front bands of the baby diapers. Apart from the hygiene and medical products, it is an air-permeable, compatible, economical and functional option for outdoor wear and shoes, in the technical and industrial uses.