METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A SELECTED DEPOSITION OF A POLYMER ON AN INDUSTRIAL FABRIC AND INDUSTRIAL FABRIC

Park 14/04/2010 3:04:00 p.m. PAGE 19/020 Fax Server WO 2004/061216 PCTiUS2003f035471 WHAT ZS CLAIMED IS:

!. A method foc manufacturing a papermaker" s or industrial fabric, said method comprising the steps of:

a)providing a base substrate for the fabric; b) depositing polymeric resin material onto said base substrate at discrete !ocations in a controlled manner so as io control the x, y, z dimensions of said material deposited to create a predetermined pattern in droplets to provide a desized functional property to the fabric, wherein the deposits include a piura].ity of droplets of said polymeric resin material; and ¢] at least partially setting said polymeric resin material.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said droplets have an average diameter of !0 (10 microns) or ore.

3. A method as claimed in claim l further comprising the optional step of abrading aid polymeric resin materia! deposited on said base substrate to provide said polymeric resin material above the surface plan of said base substrate with a uniform thickness and smoothness.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein steps b) and c) are performed sequentially on successive bands extending widthwise across said base substrate,

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein steps b) and c) are performed sequentially on successive strips extending lengthwise around said base substrate.

21 ooo gB99 COMS ID No: ARCS-273457 Received by IP Australia: Time (H:m) 13:12 Date (Y-M-d) 2010-04-14

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein steps b) and c) are performed spirally around said base substrate.

7. A method as claimed in claim i wherein, in step b), said preselected locations on said base substrate are knuckles formed by lengthwise yarns of said base substrate passing over crosswise yarns.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein, in step b), said preselected locations on said base substrate are knuckles formed by crosswise yarns of said base substrate passing over lengthwise yarns.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein, in step b), said preselected locations on said base substrate are interstices between lengthwise and crosswise yarns of said base substrate.

i0. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein, in step b), said polymeric resin material is deposited by a piezojet array comprising a plurality of individual computer controlled piezojets.

ii. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein step b) comprises the steps of:

i) checking the surface of said base substrate to ensure that said polymeric resin material has been deposited onto said preselected locations; and

ii) depositing said polymeric resin material onto said preselected locations lacking polymeric resin material.

12. A method as claimed in claim Ii wherein said checking step is performed by a fast pattern recognizer (FPR) processor operating in conjunction with a digitalimaging camera.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein said depositing step is performed by a piezojet array coupled to said FPR processor.

14. A method as claimed in claim i, wherein said polymeric resin material is selected from the group consisting of:

i. hot melts and moisture-cured hot melts;

2. two part reactive systems based on urethanes and epoxies;

3. photopolymer compositions consisting of reactive acrylated monomers and acrylated oligomers derived from urethanes, polyesters, polyethers, and silicones; and

4. aqueous-based latexes and dispersions and particle-filled formulations including acrylics and polyurethanes.

15. A method as claimed in claim ! wherein said curing step is performed by exposing said polymeric resin material to a heat source.

16. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said curing step is performed by exposing said polymeric resin material to cold air.

Park 14/04/2010 3:04:00 p.m. PAGE 20/020 Fax Server PCT/US2003/035471 WO 2( 04/061216

17. A method as claimed in claim ! wherein said curing step is performed by exposing said polymeric resin matemia! to actinic radiation.

18. A method as claimed in claim !0 wherein said piezojet array comprises a plurality of individual computer controlled piezojets, and wherein some of said individual computer controlled piezojets deposit one polymeric resin material while other individual computer l0 controlled piezojets deposit a different polymeric resin material.

19. A method as claimed in claJ.m 3. which includes the step ef providing a base substrate taken from the group consisting essentially of woven, nonwoven, spiral formed, spiral link, knitted, mesh, strips of material which axe ultimately wound to form a substrate having a width greater than a width of the strips, or a base substrate which includes batt.

20. A papermaker's or industrial fabric, said fabric comprising:

i) a base substrate; and

ii) an x, y, z dimensionally controlled pattern of polymeric resin material deposits, wherein the deposits include a pluralitv of droplets o£ said polymeric resin material, wherein said pattern provides a desired functional property to the fabric, and wherein said polymeric resin material is at least partially set, said fabric being made in manner comprising the steps of:

a) providing said base substrate for the fabric; b] depositing polymeric resin material onto said base substrate at discrete locations in a controlled manner so as to control the x, y, z dimensions of said material deposited to create a predetermined pattern in droplets to provide a desired functional property to the fabric; and c) at least partially setting said polymeric resin material.

9.4 COMS ID No: ARCS-273457 Received by IP Australia: Time (H:m) 13:12 Date (Y-M-d) 2010-04-14