Patents Represented by Attorney Terry T. Moyer
  • Patent number: 7468333
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to substrates that exhibit useful, auto adaptable surface energy properties that depend on the environment of the substrate. Such surface energy properties provide relatively high advancing and receding contact angles for liquids when in contact with the target substrate surface. The substrates exhibit low surface energy quantities of at most about 20 millijoules per square meter (mJ/m2) at a temperature of about 25 degrees C. and a surface energy greater than about 20 mJ/m2 at, or with exposure to, a temperature of about 40 degrees C. More specifically, encompassed within the present invention are textile substrates having this highly desirable unique surface energy modification property and which exhibit wash durable oil and water repellency and stain release features. Novel compositions and formulations that impart such surface energy modifications to substrates are also encompassed within this invention, as well as methods for producing such treated substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Wiliam C. Kimbrell, Jr., Xinggao Fang, Yunzhang Wang, Dominick J. Valenti, Daniel T. McBride
  • Patent number: 7407899
    Abstract: This invention relates to textile substrates to which a finishing treatment has been applied during the manufacturing process. Such a finishing treatment provides improved water and/or oil repellency and stain and soil resistance. The finishing treatment generally includes a repellent agent, a stain release agent, and a particulate component. Other compounds may be added to the treatment, such as stain-blocking agents, crosslinking agents, coupling agents, antimicrobial agents, and pH adjusting agents. The components of the finishing treatment are generally applied to the textile substrate using an application process that results in layered structures on the surface of the treated substrate, which has been found to greatly improve the durability of the treatment. Such treated textile substrates thus exhibit excellent stain and soil resistance and water and/or oil repellency properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Yunzhang Wang, Daike Wang, Simon X. Zhang
  • Patent number: 7399519
    Abstract: Certain chemical compositions provide superior repellency, durability, and soil (stain) release properties when applied to a textile or fabric. Compositions may contain a fluorochemical-containing soil release component or a crosslinking component, or both, and also may contain an antimicrobial agent. In some applications, the crosslinking component may be hydrophobic, so as to be generally not compatible with aqueous environments. Compositions having less than about 6 weight percent of a fluorochemical-containing soil release component, based upon the weight of the treating composition, may be employed in some applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Xinggao Fang, Sidney S. Locke, Jr., Paul A. Maclure, Jason G. Chay, Michelle Purdy
  • Patent number: 7399566
    Abstract: The invention provides novel colored toner and developer compositions containing polymeric colorants. Such compositions may contain poly(oxyalkylene) or poly(alkylester) substituted color chromophores which are attached to relatively long chained ologomers. The color toner and developer compositions of the invention resist color bleeding and aggregation, and may retain their color fidelity over extended time periods. Such color toner compositions are useful in color imaging systems. The invention provides novel compositions that can readily be formulated and manufactured using the polymeric or oligomeric colorants. The toners of the invention may contain charge control agents, thermoplastic resins, colorants, and additives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Itipon Padunchwit, Gordon Boon Ann Lim, Jusong Xia, Kim Ieng Goh, Kheng Teck Chan
  • Patent number: 7395717
    Abstract: The invention relates to a flexible, resilient capacitive sensor suitable for large-scale manufacturing. The sensor comprises a dielectric, an electrically conductive layer on the first side of the dielectric layer, an electrically conductive layer on a second side of the dielectric layer, and a capacitance meter electrically connected to the two conductive layers to detect changes in capacitance upon application of a force to the detector. The conductive layers are configured to determine the position of the applied force. The sensor may be shielded to reduce the effects of outside interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Alfred R. DeAngelis, D. Bruce Wilson, Brian A. Mazzeo
  • Patent number: 7394555
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an electronic digital control system for printing a pattern onto the surface of a moving substrate in accordance with digitally-defined pattern data using a plurality of individually controllable colorant-dispensing applicators arranged in a series of arrays positioned along the path of said moving substrate, with each array containing a colorant representing a separate process color. The digital control system converts the pattern data, expressed in terms of a color assignment for each individual pattern element comprising the desired pattern, into a series of logical firing instructions for each applicator as required to reproduce the assigned color on the substrate using one or more process colors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Steven W. Cox, Harold Lee Johnson, George C. Varner, Jerome L. Wood
  • Patent number: 7393011
    Abstract: An airbag assembly including one or more elongate tether elements that extend through vent openings along travel paths from anchoring locations such that the tether elements extend in sliding relation through the vent openings. The gas emission capacity of the vent openings may be adjustable based on internal cushion pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventor: Ramesh Keshavaraj
  • Patent number: 7390912
    Abstract: This invention provides a novel class of compounds and compositions and synthetic methods related to lactone antioxidant 3-arylbenzofuranones. The compounds may be useful to prevent yellowing and deterioration of organic materials preferably polymers, such as polyurethane foams as one example. The lactone antioxidants may be polymeric, and may also be liquid or paste in physical form at room temperature. Although it is not necessary for its stabilizing properties, the compositions may, in some species, bear one or more reactive primary OH groups on the polymer chains. The chains may also contain oligomeric oxyalkylene ether and aliphatic ester functional groups, in one embodiment of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventor: Jusong Xia
  • Patent number: 7383960
    Abstract: Surface covering display elements, systems and/or methods are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, a multi-patterned rug display sample, element or unit has at least two different geometric designs and/or coloration schemes across a common surface for simultaneous comparative evaluation by a potential purchaser. The rug display sample may be patterned to include two or more geometric or solid patterns corresponding to patterns available on floor covering products independent of the display sample. Also, the display unit may include a feature rug, color runner, color rug, and/or hang tag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Ronald Magee, Jennifer L. Beedy, James L. Thom, Jr., J. Michael Hartley, R. Lee Burch, III, Dane M. Owen, Debra M. Michalak, Ritchie D. Eisenhour, Shandra L. Shermerhorn, Marilyn F. McClanahan, Ellen E. Olsen
  • Patent number: 7384681
    Abstract: A family of composite fabrics is disclosed, such fabrics comprising a relatively thick textile substrate or base to which is attached a sheer fabric, and a method for making same. Contours or three-dimensional patterns associated with the surface of the base to which the sheer fabric is attached are visible through the sheer fabric, imparting to the composite a decorative, three-dimensional quality that is both original and desirable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Kirkland W. Vogt, Jane E. Armstrong
  • Patent number: 7381762
    Abstract: Hydroxybenzotriazole-based compounds are useful for ultraviolet light absorbing additives for a variety of applications. Such compounds have particular usefulness in various applications, including plastics, automotive, coatings, and food packaging applications. Such inventive compound exhibit excellent UV radiation absorbing activity, high thermal stability, excellent low fogging, low extraction/low migration rates, and high lightfastness levels, particularly when incorporated within certain media and/or on the surface of certain substrates, particularly polyesters, polyolefins, and polyurethanes. Block copolymer chain or chains consisting of poly(oxyalkylene) and/or aliphatic polyester segments can be conveniently tailored to increase the solubility or compatibility in different solvents or resins thereby permitting the introduction of such excellent UV absorbing chromophores within diverse media and/or or diverse substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventor: Jusong Xia
  • Patent number: 7381447
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing composite textile and composite textile obtainable by this process as well as the use of said composite textile for automotive applications among other things. Said process comprises the following steps: (a) applying a foamed polymer dispersion onto a suede-like textile substrate; (b) drying the composite material of polymer foam and substrate; (c) compacting the polymer foam with the substrate; and (d) heat-treating and/or cross-linking the polymer foam. The composite textile is characterised by a suede-like textile substrate and a polymer foam layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Milliken & company
    Inventor: Werner Hoersch
  • Patent number: 7378359
    Abstract: A composite construction incorporating one or more non-woven layers at least partially formed from heat fused monoaxially drawn tape fiber elements of discrete length. The non-woven layers are provided with a mat structure covering across at least one surface. The mat structure covering is formed at least partially from interwoven heat fused, monoaxially drawn tape fiber elements of elongate length. The tape fiber elements in the woven and non-woven layers incorporate a base layer of a strain oriented polymer and at least one covering layer of a heat fusible polymer. The covering layer of the tape fiber elements is characterized by a softening point below that of the base layer to permit bonding fusion upon application of heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Inventor: Howell B. Eleazer
  • Patent number: 7374808
    Abstract: Color, pattern, design, and/or the like is applied by means of a jet dye process, or any other secondary or post pattern application process, including but not exclusively, silk screen printing, rotary printing, etc., to a bonded carpet, where the yarn in the carpet is all white (no dye applied) or light colored or where the yarn is pre-dyed with a single or multiple colors or where the yarn is treated chemically. The bonded carpet preferably has a low face weight and flat, short, dense, vertical cut pile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: N. David Sellman, Jr., Kyle T. Veatch
  • Patent number: 7371445
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an airbag cushion which exhibits a low amount of seam usage (in order to attach at least two fabric panels or portions of a panel together) in correlation to an overall high amount of available inflation airspace within the cushion itself. These correlated elements are now combined for the first time in what is defined as an effective seam usage index (being the quotient of the length of overall seams on the cushions and the available inflation airspace volume). The inventive cushion must have at least one substantially straight seam and must possess an effective seam usage factor of less than about 0.11. A cushion exhibiting such a low seam usage factor and also comprising an integrated looped pocket for the disposition of an inflator can is also provided as well as an overall vehicle restraint system comprising the inventive airbag cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventor: Ramesh Keshavaraj
  • Patent number: 7371700
    Abstract: A nonwoven textile substrate formed from microfibers with a polyurethane matrix fully and/or partially impregnated therein, a non-azo disperse dye within microfibers, including the surface, and the matrix. The dyed fibers having an L value of about 35 or less, an ?E light fastness of about 6 or less when subjected to about 225 kilo-joules, and a long term crock of at least about 1.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Kaushal Gandhi, Benjamin H. Glover
  • Patent number: 7368921
    Abstract: The invention relates to a flexible, resilient capacitive sensor suitable for large-scale manufacturing. The sensor includes a dielectric, an electrically conductive detector and trace layer on the first side of the dielectric layer comprising a detector and trace, an electrically conductive reference layer on a second side of the dielectric layer, and a capacitance meter electrically connected to the trace and to the conductive reference layer to detect changes in capacitance upon interaction with detector. The sensor is shielded to reduce the effects of outside interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Alfred R. Deangelis, D. Bruce Wilson, Brian A. Mazzeo
  • Patent number: 7354063
    Abstract: An airbag construction for a vehicle is described. The construction utilizes non-circular polygon shaped panels, which provide greater nesting efficiency than previously achieved by comparable airbags using round panels. In addition, the construction enables the airbag to take full advantage of the strength of the yarns forming the fabric, and the energy absorption of the fabric construction, enabling the use of lower tenacity yarns and/or materials at comparable levels of performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventor: Ramesh Keshavaraj
  • Patent number: 7353669
    Abstract: An air bag substrate fabric utilizing a tying yarn knitting arrangement wherein a portion of the tying yarns are threaded to engage needles so as to form two stitches with one on either side of the inlay warp yarn at rows of stitch formation. The neighboring stitches resist yarn separation and resultant combing while also blocking the commencement and propagation of de-knitting when a tying yarn is broken.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventors: Gerard Ternon, Ramesh Keshavaraj
  • Patent number: D573352
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Milliken & Company
    Inventor: John A. Sollars, Jr.