Melt Blown Dies: A Hot Innovation Spot

Abstract

Melt blown (MB) technology requires precisely engineered and user-friendly equipment for successful new product development. Many significant efforts have been made to fully understand the technology and to improve the equipment by researchers and engineers around the world. The die assembly has always been the hot innovation spot in the history of melt blown technology developments. Among more than 210 U.S. patents related to melt blowing technology, approximately one-third of them are about hardware equipment and over 30 patents are on MB die assembly; the assembly consists of a polymer feed distribution system, a nose-piece and two adjustable air knives in many cases. Most of them are utility patents having the following three characteristics: novelty, utility and non-obviousness. In this paper, I will discuss selected patents in the MB history chronologically and focus on their novelty.