What is claimed is:
1. A method for applying adhesive to a strand, and useable for bonding the strand to a substrate in the production of bodily fluid absorbing hygienic articles, the method comprising:
drawing the strand along a path separated spatially from the substrate;
dispensing an adhesive fiber toward the strand;
capturing substantially all of the adhesive fiber on the strand when the strand is spatially separated from the substrate; and
contacting the adhesive coated strand with the substrate to bond the strand to the substrate.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising moving the adhesive fiber back and forth across the path of the strand as the adhesive fiber is dispensed toward the strand.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising dispensing a substantially continuous adhesive fiber toward the strand, and moving the adhesive fiber back and forth across the path of the strand as the adhesive fiber is dispensed toward the strand.
4. The method of claim 1, the strand is an elastic strand and the substrate is a fabric for a bodily fluid absorbing hygienic article, the method further comprising stretching the elastic strand before the elastic strand is bonded to the substrate.
5. The method of claim 1, the adhesive fiber is a hot melt adhesive dispensed from an adhesive orifice of a meltblowing nozzle, the method further comprising vacillating the adhesive fiber back and forth across the path of the strand with first and second air flows dispensed from first and second air orifices disposed on opposing sides of the adhesive orifice.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising controlling the amplitude and frequency of vacillation of the adhesive fiber with the first and second air flows to capture substantially all of the adhesive fiber by the strand.
7. The method of claim 5 further comprising controlling the amplitude and frequency of vacillation of the adhesive fiber with the first and second air flows so that the strand is coated substantially uniformly with adhesive along an axial dimension of the strand.
8. The method of claim 5 further comprising dispensing the adhesive from above the strand, and spatially separating the strand from the substrate by a distance greater than a droop distance of the adhesive fiber below the strand opposite from where the adhesive fiber is dispensed from above the strand.
9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
drawing a plurality of at least two strands;
dispensing a plurality of adhesive fibers from a corresponding plurality of adhesive orifices of the nozzle toward a corresponding one of the plurality of strands;
vacillating the plurality of adhesive fibers back and forth across the path of the corresponding strand with a plurality of corresponding first and second air flows dispensed from first and second air orifices disposed on opposing sides of the plurality of adhesive orifices;
each strand capturing substantially all of the adhesive fiber dispensed from the corresponding adhesive orifice when the strand is spatially separated from the substrate to substantially uniformly coat the strand with adhesive; and
contacting the plurality of adhesive coated strands with the substrate to bond the plurality of strands to the substrate.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising dispensing the corresponding plurality of air flows from the corresponding plurality of air orifices arranged in series with the corresponding plurality of adhesive orifices.
11. The method of claim 9 further comprising dispensing at least two adjacent adhesive fibers from corresponding adhesive orifices offset axially relative to each other along the path of the strand.
12. The method of claim 1, the adhesive fiber is a hot melt adhesive, the method further comprising dispensing the adhesive fiber from a spiral nozzle in a swirling pattern to move the adhesive fiber back and forth across the path of the strand as the adhesive fiber is dispensed toward the strand.
13. A method for applying fluid to a strand, and useable for bonding the strand to a substrate in the production of bodily fluid absorbing hygienic articles, the method comprising:
drawing the strand along an isolated path;
dispensing a fluid fiber toward the strand;
moving the fluid fiber back and forth across a path of the strand as the fluid fiber is dispensed toward the strand;
capturing substantially all of the fluid fiber on the strand; and
coating all sides of the strand at least partially with fluid.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising moving the fluid fiber back and forth across a path of the strand beyond opposing sides of the strand as the fiber is dispensed toward the strand to coat all sides of the strand at least partially with fluid.
15. The method of claim 14, the fluid is adhesive, the method further comprising:
drawing the strand along a path separated spatially from a substrate;
dispensing an adhesive fiber from above the strand;
moving the adhesive fiber back and forth across the path of the strand as the adhesive fiber is dispensed toward the strand;
capturing substantially all of the adhesive fiber on the strand when the strand is spatially separated from the substrate;
coating all sides of the strand at least partially with adhesive when the strand is spatially separate d from the substrate; and
contacting the adhesive coated strand with the substrate to bond the strand to the substrate.
16. The method of claim 15, the strand is an elastic strand and the substrate is a fabric for a bodily fluid absorbing hygienic article, the method further comprising stretching the elastic strand before bonding the elastic strand to the substrate.
17. The method of claim 15 further comprising spatially separating the strand from the substrate by a distance greater than a droop distance of the adhesive fiber below the strand opposite from where the adhesive fiber is dispensed from above the strand.
18. The method of claim 15 the adhesive fiber is a hot melt adhesive, the method further comprising dispensing the adhesive fiber from a spiral nozzle in a swirling pattern to move the adhesive fiber back and forth across the path of the strand beyond opposing sides of the strand as the adhesive fiber is dispensed toward the strand.
19. The method of claim 15 further comprising bonding the adhesive coated strand to a second substrate, whereby the strand is disposed between the substrate and the second substrate.
20. The method of claim 15, the adhesive fiber is a hot melt adhesive dispensed from an adhesive orifice of a meltblowing nozzle, the method further comprising vacillating the adhesive fiber back and forth across the path of the strand beyond opposing sides of the strand with first and second air flows dispensed from first and second air orifices disposed on opposing sides of the adhesive orifice.
21. The method of claim 20 further comprising controlling the amplitude and frequency of vacillation of the adhesive fiber with the first and second air flows so that substantially all of the adhesive fiber is captured by the strand.
22. The method of claim 20 further comprising controlling the amplitude and frequency of vacillation of the adhesive fiber with the first and second air flows so that the strand is coated substantially uniformly with adhesive along an axial dimension of the strand.
22. The method of claim 20 further comprising:
drawing a plurality of at least two strands;
dispensing a plurality of adhesive fibers from a corresponding plurality of adhesive orifices toward a corresponding one of the plurality of strands;
vacillating the plurality of adhesive fibers back and forth across the path of the corresponding strand and beyond opposing sides of the strand with a plurality of corresponding first and second air flows disposed on opposing sides of the plurality of adhesive orifices;
each strand capturing substantially all of the adhesive fiber dispensed from the corresponding adhesive orifice when the strand is spatially separated from the substrate;
at least partially coating all sides of each strand with adhesive when the plurality of strands are spatially separated from the substrate; and
contacting the plurality of adhesive coated strands with the substrate to bond the plurality of strands to the substrate.
23. The method of claim 22 further comprising dispensing the corresponding plurality of air flows from the corresponding plurality of air orifices arranged in series with the corresponding plurality of adhesive orifices.
24. The method of claim 22 further comprising dispensing at least two adjacent adhesive fibers from corresponding adhesive orifices offset axially relative to each other along the path of the strand.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A device for coupling energy in a plasmon wave to an electron beam, the device comprising:
a transmission line;
a generator mechanism constructed and adapted to generate a beam of charged particles along a path adjacent to the transmission line; and
a detector microcircuit disposed along said path, at a location after said beam has gone past said line,
wherein the generator mechanism and the detector microcircuit are disposed adjacent transmission line and wherein a beam of charged particles from the generator mechanism to the detector microcircuit electrically couples the plasmon wave traveling along the transmission line to the microcircuit.
2. A device as in claim 1 wherein the generator mechanism is selected from the group comprising:
an ion gun, a thermionic filament, tungsten filament, a cathode, a vacuum triode, a field emission cathode, a planar vacuum triode, an electron-impact ionizer, a laser ionizer, a chemical ionizer, a thermal ionizer, an ion-impact ionizer.
3. A device as in claim 1 wherein the beam of charged particles comprises particles selected from the group comprising:
positive ions, negative ions, electrons, and protons.
4. A device as in claim 1 wherein the detector microcircuit detects the presence of a plasmon wave in the transmission line.
5. A device as in claim 1 wherein the detector microcircuit detects the absence of a plasmon wave in the transmission line.
6. A device as in claim 1 wherein the transmission line is formed from a metal.
7. A device as in claim 6 wherein the metal comprises a metal selected from the group comprising:
gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu) and aluminum (Al).
8. A device as in claim 1 wherein the transmission line has a pointed end and wherein the generator mechanism and the detector microcircuit are disposed adjacent the pointed end of the transmission line.
9. A device as in claim 1 further comprising:
shielding structure disposed to prevent interference with the beam of charged particles by sources of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) other than EMR from the transmission line.
10. A method comprising:
generating a beam of charged particles adjacent a metal transmission line; and
detecting changes in said beam of charged particles, wherein said changes are indicative of the presence or absence of a plasmon wave in the metal transmission line.
11. A method as in claim 10 wherein the beam of charged particles is generated by a mechanism selected from the group comprising:
an ion gun, a thermionic filament, a cathode, vacuum triode, a planar vacuum triode, an electron-impact ionizer, a laser ionizer, a chemical ionizer, a thermal ionizer, an ion-impact ionizer.
12. A method as in claim 10 wherein the beam of charged particles comprises particles selected from the group comprising:
positive ions, negative ions, electrons, and protons.
13. A method as in claim 12 wherein the step of detecting indicates the presence of a plasmon wave in the metal transmission line.
14. A method as in claim 12 wherein the step of detecting indicates the absence of a plasmon wave in the metal transmission line.
15. A device for coupling energy in a plasmon wave to an electron beam, the device comprising:
a metal transmission line having a pointed end, the metal comprising silver (Ag);
a generator mechanism constructed and adapted to generate a beam of charged particles, wherein the generator mechanism is selected from the group comprising:
an ion gun, a thermionic filament, tungsten filament, a cathode, a vacuum triode, a field emission cathode, a planar vacuum triode, an electron-impact ionizer, a laser ionizer, a chemical ionizer, a thermal ionizer, an ion-impact ionizer;
a detector microcircuit disposed adjacent to the generator mechanism; and
shielding structure disposed to prevent interference with the beam of charged particles by sources of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) other than EMR from the transmission line,
wherein the generator mechanism and the detector microcircuit are disposed adjacent the pointed end of the transmission line and wherein a beam of charged particles from the generator mechanism to the detector microcircuit electrically couples the plasmon wave traveling along the metal transmission line to the microcircuit.