Discharge Roller Suction for Uniform Fleece Formation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In machines producing fleece from staple fibers, existing technologies fail to completely eliminate thick points in fiber mats, resulting in uneven and 'cloudy' fleece formation, and require multiple worker turner rollers.
Innovation Solution
A discharge roller with adjustable position and suction capability is introduced to collect and automatically return excess fibers across the working width, ensuring uniform fleece formation by reintegrating them into the fiber stream, and a hold-down element with varying blade distances can be used to enhance this process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple worker turner rollers are used to process fiber mats, then the fleece formation is improved, but the device complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes thick points (excess fiber clumps) from the fiber mat at specific locations using a discharge roller with suction capability, rather than processing the entire mat through multiple rollers. This targeted removal approach achieves uniform fleece formation while reducing the number of worker turner rollers needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge roller is positioned to remove thick points from the fiber mat before the main web formation process completes. By preliminarily eliminating excess fibers at the discharge location, the subsequent processing requires fewer worker turner rollers to achieve the desired fleece uniformity.
2Manufacturing precision
If thick points in fiber mats are stretched by worker rollers, then some uniformity is achieved, but the fleece remains uneven and cloudy
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of merely stretching thick points (which produces cloudy fleece), the invention uses the discharge roller with suction to actively remove the excess fiber material that causes the thick points. This converts the harmful effect of thick points into a benefit by eliminating the root cause rather than just mitigating the symptom.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the approach from mechanical stretching (changing fiber orientation) to suction-based removal (changing material quantity). By adjusting the suction parameters of the discharge roller, thick points are eliminated at the source, producing clear and uniform fleece without the cloudy appearance caused by stretching.
3Manufacturing precision
If a discharge roller with suction is added to the machine, then fleece uniformity is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge roller serves multiple functions: it conveys the fiber mat through the machine and simultaneously removes thick points via suction. This multi-functionality achieves improved fleece uniformity while minimizing the increase in device complexity, as one component performs dual roles rather than requiring separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge roller acts as an intermediary element between the fiber mat input and the main web formation process. By introducing this intermediate component with suction capability, the system achieves better fleece uniformity without fundamentally redesigning the entire machine structure.
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
This solution achieves a more uniform fleece formation while reducing the number of worker turner rollers needed, improving the processing efficiency and quality of the nonwoven fabric.
Implementation Method 1
A discharge roller with suction can be attached to other rollers or drums of the machine
Implementation Method 2
a hold-down element 13) that can be adjusted relative to the roller 4) is attached at a point before the fibers reach the discharge roller
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The device has a discharge roller and a recirculation unit, where the discharge roller is arranged adjacent to a roller of the fleece forming machine. The recirculation unit is connected with the fleece forming machine such that the removed fibers are supplied to the processed fibers before formation of the fiber mat (1). An independent claim is also included for a method for processing of staple fibers in a mat forming machine.