Alternating-Diameter Nonwoven Fabric for Airflow With Particle Retention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional functional nonwoven fabrics face issues such as decreased air permeability due to clogging and uneven distribution of functional particles, especially when large particles are used, and thermally expandable materials have slow and uneven expansion, affecting air permeability and heat insulation.

Innovation Solution

A nonwoven fabric design with alternating large and small diameter portions in long fibers, where small diameter portions are monofilaments and functional particles are integrated into large diameter portions, allowing uniform dispersion and quick expansion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If functional particles are supported on nonwoven fabric using binder, then functional particles are prevented from falling off, but air permeability is impaired due to clogging

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveparticle retentionVSAvoidair permeability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and eliminates the binder from the system by integrating functional particles directly into the nonwoven fabric structure through immersion treatment, allowing particles to be held by physical entanglement and adhesion to fibers without requiring additional binding materials that would clog pores

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention utilizes the porous structure of the nonwoven fabric itself as the holding mechanism, allowing functional particles to be retained through physical entanglement within the porous matrix rather than through binder materials that would block the porous structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

2Quantity of substance

If large amount of functional particles are supported on nonwoven fabric, then functional performance is enhanced, but air permeability is difficult to maintain

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunctional particle loadingVSAvoidair permeability

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention performs preliminary immersion treatment of the nonwoven fabric in functional particles before final assembly, allowing particles to be pre-distributed and physically embedded into the fabric structure, which prevents clumping and maintains air permeability even at high loading levels

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Quantity of substance

If large amount of functional particles are supported on nonwoven fabric, then functional performance is enhanced, but uniform dispersion is difficult to achieve

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunctional particle loadingVSAvoidparticle distribution uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention applies functional particles locally to specific regions of the nonwoven fabric through immersion treatment, ensuring uniform distribution throughout the fabric matrix rather than concentrating particles in specific areas, thereby achieving homogeneous functional performance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Object-affected harmful factors

If thermally expandable materials are used to block airflow, then air permeability is reduced under high temperature, but expansion is slow and uneven

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair permeabilityVSAvoidexpansion speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The invention uses thermally expandable particles with locally varied properties (different sizes, shapes, or compositions) within the nonwoven fabric, causing them to expand at different rates and uniformly across the fabric surface when exposed to heat, thereby achieving fast and even expansion for effective airflow blocking

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The design maintains air permeability while preventing particle fallout and ensures uniform distribution, with thermally expandable particles expanding quickly in response to heat, effectively blocking airflow.

Implementation Method 1

The functional particles having thermal expansion properties, such as thermally expandable graphite, absorb heat and expand, for example, when exposed to high temperatures

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentUS20250313994A1Functional nonwoven fabric and manufacturing method therefor

Publication Date: 2025.10.09 TIGERS POLYMER CORP

AI summary

The problem addressed by the present invention is to suppress a decrease in air permeability of a nonwoven fabric while suppressing falling off of functional particles. The means for solving the problem of the present invention is that a functional nonwoven fabric 1 is formed to contain long fibers made of synthetic resin and integrated with functional particles 4, 4 having a predetermined function. A diameter of the long fiber changes in a longitudinal direction of the fibers so that a plurality of large diameter portions 2, 2 and a plurality of small diameter portions 3, 3 are alternately arranged. The small diameter portions 3, 3 are monofilaments formed of the synthetic resin. At least a part of the large diameter portions 2, 2 contain the functional particle 4. A fiber diameter of the small diameter portions 3, 3 is equal to or smaller than a diameter of the functional particles 4, 4 contained in the large diameter portions 2, 2.