US-12620383-B2 - Acoustic insulation material

US12620383B2US 12620383 B2US12620383 B2US 12620383B2US-12620383-B2

Abstract

An acoustic insulation web of fibrous material includes: a nonwoven batting including: a first layer including a first plurality of low-melt binder fibers forming a first predetermined percentage of the first layer; and a second layer bonded with the first layer and including a second plurality of low-melt binder fibers forming a second predetermined percentage of the second layer, the first predetermined percentage being greater than the second predetermined percentage such that the first layer is denser than the second layer.

Inventors

Karl L VanBecelaere
Robert D. Earnest

Assignees

Carver Non-Woven Technologies, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220318

Claims (12)

1 . A manufacturing system for making an acoustic insulation web of fibrous material, the manufacturing system comprising: a first web former configured for forming a first layer including a first plurality of low-melt binder fibers forming a first predetermined percentage of the first layer; a second web former configured for forming a second layer, the second layer including a second plurality of low-melt binder fibers forming a second predetermined percentage of the second layer; a heating mechanism configured for thermally bonding the first layer and the second layer together, the acoustic insulation web being a nonwoven batting, the first predetermined percentage being greater than the second predetermined percentage such that the first layer is denser than the second layer, the manufacturing system having an absence of a third web former configured for forming a third layer including a plurality of fibers and thereby the manufacturing system is configured for making the acoustic insulation web that has an absence of the third layer; and a single loom configured for needling only the first layer and thereby for densifying the first layer at least in part by the needling, the loom preceding the heating mechanism in a machine direction of the manufacturing system and being positioned between the first web former and the second web former, the loom being further configured for needling all the way through the first layer, the manufacturing system being configured such that the forming of the second layer occurs in-line with both the forming and the needling of the first layer prior to the thermal bonding of the first layer and the second layer together and thereby the manufacturing system having an absence of an unwinding device from which a needled first layer is unwound.
2 . The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the first layer is a first batting and the second layer is a second batting.
3 . The manufacturing system of claim 2 , wherein: the first layer includes a first blend of fibers including: a first plurality of first fibers; a first plurality of second fibers; and the first plurality of low-melt binder fibers; and the second layer includes a second blend of fibers including: a second plurality of first fibers; a second plurality of second fibers; and the second plurality of low-melt binder fibers.
4 . The manufacturing system of claim 3 , wherein: the first plurality of low-melt binder fibers bonds with at least respective ones of the first plurality of first fibers and the first plurality of second fibers, and with at least respective ones of at least one of the second plurality of first fibers and the second plurality of second fibers; and the second plurality of low-melt binder fibers bonds with at least respective ones of the second plurality of first fibers and the second plurality of second fibers, and with at least respective ones of at least one of the first plurality of first fibers and the first plurality of second fibers.
5 . The manufacturing system of claim 4 , wherein the first plurality of first fibers and the second plurality of first fibers are shoddy fibers, and the first plurality of second fibers and the second plurality of second fibers are polyethylene terephthalate fibers.
6 . The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the first web former is a first air laying device and the second web former is a second air laying device.
7 . The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the manufacturing system has an absence of a carding device, a device for bonding the first layer and the second layer together using a resin, and a device for weaving the first layer and the second layer together.
8 . A process for making an acoustic insulation web of fibrous material, the process comprising the steps of: providing a manufacturing system for making the acoustic insulation web, the manufacturing system including a first web former, a second web former, a single loom, and a heating mechanism; forming a first layer by way of the first web former and a second layer by way of the second web former, the first layer including a first plurality of low-melt binder fibers forming a first predetermined percentage of the first layer, the second layer including a second plurality of low-melt binder fibers forming a second predetermined percentage of the second layer; needling, by way of the loom, only the first layer such that the first layer is densified at least in part by the needling; and bonding thermally, by way of the heating mechanism, the first layer and the second layer together, the acoustic insulation web being a nonwoven batting, the first predetermined percentage being greater than the second predetermined percentage such that the first layer is denser than the second layer, the acoustic insulation web including the first layer and the second layer but having an absence of a third layer including a plurality of fibers, the loom preceding the heating mechanism in a machine direction of the manufacturing system and being positioned between the first web former and the second web former, the loom needling all the way through the first layer, the manufacturing system being configured such that the forming of the second layer occurs in-line with both the forming and the needling of the first layer prior to the thermal bonding of the first layer and the second layer together and thereby the manufacturing system having an absence of an unwinding device from which a needled first layer is unwound.
9 . The process of claim 8 , wherein the first layer is a first batting and the second layer is a second batting.
10 . The process of claim 9 , wherein: the first layer includes a first blend of fibers including: a first plurality of first fibers; a first plurality of second fibers; and the first plurality of low-melt binder fibers; and the second layer includes a second blend of fibers including: a second plurality of first fibers; a second plurality of second fibers; and the second plurality of low-melt binder fibers.
11 . The process of claim 10 , wherein: the first plurality of low-melt binder fibers bonds with at least respective ones of the first plurality of first fibers and the first plurality of second fibers, and with at least respective ones of at least one of the second plurality of first fibers and the second plurality of second fibers; and the second plurality of low-melt binder fibers bonds with at least respective ones of the second plurality of first fibers and the second plurality of second fibers, and with at least respective ones of at least one of the first plurality of first fibers and the first plurality of second fibers.
12 . The process of claim 11 , wherein the first plurality of first fibers and the second plurality of first fibers are shoddy fibers, and the first plurality of second fibers and the second plurality of second fibers are polyethylene terephthalate fibers.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to nonwoven materials, and, more particularly, to nonwoven acoustic insulation materials. 2. Description of the Related Art Acoustic insulation materials are materials that dampen, abate, or otherwise absorb sound waves. Such materials thereby form a shield or barrier between a noise-making device and an environment in which noise stemming therefrom is undesirable. Such acoustic insulation materials find a variety of applications. For instance, with respective to automotive applications, the engine of an automobile can produce a substantial amount of noise, which can range from annoying or uncomfortable to utterly intolerable for persons in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Acoustic insulation materials can be used to shield the passenger compartment from such engine noises by placing these materials in certain places about the passenger compartment. Such places include in or about a front dashboard, and/or the floor of the passenger compartment. With respect to the floor, for instance, the acoustic insulation material can be positioned underneath carpeting on the floor, thus serving as a carpet underlayment. What is needed in the art is an improved, cost-efficient acoustic insulation material and method of forming such material. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an acoustic insulation web of fibrous material forming a nonwoven batting with two layers of different density, the denser layer having a higher-percentage of low-melt binder fibers than the less dense layer. The invention in one form is directed to a manufacturing system for making an acoustic insulation web of fibrous material, the manufacturing system including: a first web former configured for forming a first layer including a first plurality of low-melt binder fibers forming a first predetermined percentage of the first layer; a second web former configured for forming a second layer bonded with the first layer, the second layer a second plurality of low-melt binder fibers forming a second predetermined percentage of the second layer; and a heating mechanism configured for thermally bonding the first layer and the second layer together, the acoustic insulation web being a nonwoven batting, the first predetermined percentage being greater than the second predetermined percentage such that the first layer is denser than the second layer. The invention in another form is directed to an acoustic insulation web of fibrous material, including: a nonwoven batting including: a first layer including a first plurality of low-melt binder fibers forming a first predetermined percentage of the first layer; and a second layer bonded with the first layer and including a second plurality of low-melt binder fibers forming a second predetermined percentage of the second layer, the first predetermined percentage being greater than the second predetermined percentage such that the first layer is denser than the second layer. The invention in yet another form is directed to a process for making an acoustic insulation web of fibrous material, the method including the steps of: providing a first layer and a second layer, the first layer including a first plurality of low-melt binder fibers forming a first predetermined percentage of the first layer, the second layer including a second plurality of low-melt binder fibers forming a second predetermined percentage of the second layer; and bonding thermally the first layer and the second layer together, the acoustic insulation web being a nonwoven batting, the first predetermined percentage being greater than the second predetermined percentage such that the first layer is denser than the second layer. An advantage of the present invention is that the layers of the acoustic insulation web can be formed and joined in a heating device, such as an oven. Another advantage is the different densities of the two layers occurs by way of different fiber blends of the two layers, in particular, the different amounts of low-melt binder fibers in the layers, as opposed to requiring a plurality of needling steps. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of an acoustic insulation web of fibrous material, the web including a first layer and a second layer, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a manufacturing system for making the acoustic insulation web of FIG. 1, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing a process for maki