Japan Vilene Company, Ltd.

Ken Waku

Tatsuo Nakamura

Takeshi Ogino

Shinich Kitazawa

A feeder 1 for supplying a fiber material, a plurality of fiber opening cylinders 2.sub.1, 2.sub.2, 2.sub.3, . . . 2n (n is a natural number) mounted adjacent to one another for transferring and opening the fiber material fed from the feeder 1 and having metallic wires 2a mounted to the surface thereof, a conveyor 7 arranged for receiving the opened fiber unloaded from the fiber opening cylinder 2n mounted at the outlet end, and a suction box 8 arranged beneath the conveyor 7 for drawing the opened fiber towards the conveyor 7 by a sucking action. The fiber opening cylinders 2.sub.1, 2.sub.2, 2.sub.3, . . . 2n being enclosed in a housing 3 which has fiber transfer openings 4 between any two adjacent fiber opening cylinders and a fiber releasing opening 5 for unloading the opened fiber from the last fiber opening cylinder 2n. At least one of the fiber opening cylinders 2.sub.1, 2.sub.2, 2.sub.3, . . . 2n is driven to produce a centrifugal acceleration of more than 3.4.times.10.sup.5 cm/sec.sup.2 for acting on the fiber material.

Method for producing a random laid fiber web

The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing a fiber web comprising a feeder 1 for supplying a fiber material, a plurality of fiber opening cylinders 2.sub.1, 2.sub.2, 2.sub.3, . . . 2n (n is a natural number) mounted adjacent to one another for transferring and opening the fiber material fed from the feeder 1 and having metallic wires 2a mounted to the surface thereof, a conveyor 7 arranged for receiving the opened fiber unloaded from the fiber opening cylinder 2n mounted at the outlet end, and a suction box 8 arranged beneath the conveyor 7 for drawing the opened fiber towards the conveyor 7 by a sucking action, said fiber opening cylinders 2.sub.1, 2.sub.2, 2.sub.3, . . . 2n being enclosed in a housing 3 which has fiber transfer openings 4 between any two adjacent fiber opening cylinders and a fiber releasing opening 5 for unloading the opened fiber from the last fiber opening cylinder 2n, and also arranged so that any two adjacent cylinders can rotate in opposite directions. The present invention also provides a method of producing a fiber web using the above apparatus, in which at least one of the fiber opening cylinders 2.sub.1, 2.sub.2, 2.sub.3, . . . 2n is driven to produce a centrifugal acceleration of more than 3.4.times.10.sup.5 cm/sec.sup.2 for acting on the fiber material. As a result, a fiber web which is non directional and uniform is produced. Also, a fiber web in which the containing ratio of each fiber material gradually increases or decreases to the direction of the thickness of the fiber web, will be produced from two or more different fiber materials which are different in the resistance to peeling on the last fiber opening cylinder 2n. With the use of the apparatus or method of the present invention, a fiber web can be produced which is applicable to unwoven fabrics, filters, battery separators, FRP substrates, adhesive tapes, etc.

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Oyama, Japan

Ken Waku