METHOD OF PRODUCING NONWOVEN FABRIC, NONWOVEN FABRIC AND MANUFACTURING APPARATUS OF NONWOVEN FABRIC, AND A SUPPORT FOR PRODUCING A NONWOVEN FABRIC

摘要

ABSTRACT A METHOD OF PRODUCING A NONWOVEN FABRIC IN WHICH A WEB INCLUDING A THERMOPLASTIC FIBER IS CONVEYED ON A SUPPORT HAVING A CONCAVO-CONVEX SHAPE (PROTRUSIONS AND AIR-FLOW PORTIONS), AND HOT AIR IS BLOWN FROM A POSITION ABOVE THE WEB ONTO THE SUPPORT TO IMPART A CONCAVO-CONVEX SHAPE TO THE WEB, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES: A STEP OF BLOWING FIRST HOT AIR TO PRE-FUSING FIBERS OF THE WEB TO ONE ANOTHER TO A STATE IN WHICH THE CONCAVO-CONVEX SHAPE IS MAINTAINED, AND A STEP OF BLOWING SECOND HOT AIR WHOSE TEMPERATURE IS HIGHER THAN THAT OF THE FIRST HOT AIR TO FUSE THE FIBERS OF THE WEB TO ONE ANOTHER IN THE STATE IN WHICH THE CONCAVO-CONVEX SHAPE IS MAINTAINED, THEREBY FIXING THE CONCAVO-CONVEX SHAPE, WHEREIN THE WEB IS FORMED BEING CONFORMED TO THE SUPPORT TO IMPART THE CONCAVO-CONVEX SHAPE TO THE WEB.