Fiber charging apparatus

1. An apparatus for spinning fine polymer fibers, comprising:

a spinneret having at least one polymer supply inlet connected to at least one spinning nozzle outlet from which a polymer-containing liquid stream will issue in an intended path in a downstream direction and forwarding gas nozzles disposed adjacent to said spinning nozzle; a corona charging system positioned downstream of said spinning nozzle and comprising an electrically-charged point-electrode which is electrically insulated from said spinneret, and a target-electrode which is maintained at a different electrical potential from the point-electrode, said electrodes positioned such that an ion field is created between them and is intersected by the intended path of said polymer-containing liquid stream; and a collector positioned downstream of said ion field for collecting said fine polymer fibers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said point-electrode is positioned such that the ion field is created in a direction transverse to the direction of the intended path of said polymer-containing liquid stream.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said target-electrode is positioned downstream of said spinning nozzle and on the opposite side of the intended path of said polymer-containing liquid stream from said point-electrode.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said point-electrode comprises a linear array of conductive needles.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said point-electrode comprises a plurality of conductive strands.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said point-electrode comprises a conductive wire positioned parallel to said target electrode.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said spinneret comprises a beam having a length, with multiple spinning nozzles positioned along said length, and said point-electrode having a length substantially equal to the length of the spinneret and positioned downstream of and substantially parallel to said spinneret and adjacent the intended path of the polymer-containing liquid stream.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said point-electrode comprises a bar having a linear array of conductive needles disposed substantially perpendicular to and along the length of said bar, wherein said needles are directed toward the intended path of said polymer-containing liquid stream.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said point-electrode comprises a conductive wire.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said point-electrode comprises a plurality of conductive strands.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said target-electrode comprises a semi-conductive material.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said target-electrode comprises a conductive material.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said target-electrode is planar.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said target-electrode is a bar.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said bar is cylindrical.

16. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said target-electrode is said spinneret.

17. An apparatus for spinning fine polymer fibers, comprising:

a spinneret having at least one polymer supply inlet connected to at least one spinning nozzle outlet from which an uncharged, electrically conductive, polymer-containing liquid stream issues in a downstream direction, and forwarding gas nozzles disposed adjacent to said spinning nozzle; a corona charging system comprising an electrically-charged point-electrode, downstream of and insulated from said spinneret and positioned such that an ion field is created by said point-electrode and is intersected by said polymer-containing liquid stream which forms a target electrode; and a collector positioned downstream of said ion field for collecting said fine polymer fibers.