Filament (e.g., Fiber, Etc.) Patents (Class 264/211.22)
  • Publication number: 20040004305
    Abstract: A solution spinning process for the production of a textile fiber with permanent repellent action includes the steps of preparing a spinnable polymer component and an ambivalent polymer compound which contains a repelling group and a residual group with an affinity for the spinnable polymer component, mixing the ambivalent polymer compound with the spinnable polymer component in a solvent, and spinning the mixture into a fiber, wherein the repelling groups orient themselves in the direction of the surface of the forming fiber and migrate to the surface, while the affine residual groups anchor the ambivalent polymer compound in the spinnable polymer compound as the solvent is driven off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2003
    Publication date: January 8, 2004
    Applicant: C. Cramer, Weberei, Heek-Nienborg, GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Michael Eisele
  • Publication number: 20030230833
    Abstract: A method of producing polyester filaments by heat drawing with hot tubes comprising shaping by lateral blowing of air the polyester melt extruded through the spinneret; passing the cooled as-spun fibers into hot tubes and heat drawing them; obtaining polyester filaments after the procedures of bundling, oiling, entangling, winding and the like, wherein the hot tube temperature is 80-200° C. and the winding speed is 2500-5300 m/min. The heated hot tube for drawing consists of an internal tube assembly and an electromagnetic induction heating element. The latter is a coil of high temperature resistant metal wire wound on the external wall of the internal tube. In the coil a current is passed, which is controlled by a temperature control circuit of a single return circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2003
    Publication date: December 18, 2003
    Applicant: Sinopec Shangai Petrochemical Company Limited
    Inventors: Yang Bo, Chen Ke Quan, Xu Xiao Chen, Ji Sun Jie, Zhang Wei Dong, Zeng Hai Ying
  • Publication number: 20030222374
    Abstract: The present invention refers to a process for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric of synthetic fiber with scented matter. The process consists of producing a molten mass of thermoplastic resin, inserting a base mixture into the mass containing microcapsules of a scented substance, extruding the mass and drawing the extruded filaments, and using the extruded threads to create a web of nonwoven fabric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2002
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventors: Massimiliano Castellari, Silvia Ferranti
  • Publication number: 20030201579
    Abstract: A flexible structure comprises a plurality of starch filaments. The structure comprises at least a first region and a second region, each of the first and second regions having at least one common intensive property selected from the group consisting of density, basis weight, elevation, opacity, crepe frequency, and any combination thereof. The common intensive property of the first region differs in value from the common intensive property of the second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2003
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Inventors: Gregory Charles Gordon, David William Cabell, Larry Neil Mackey, John Gerhard Michael, Paul Dennis Trokhan
  • Patent number: 6637181
    Abstract: Described is a process for producing segmented polyurethanes having improved processing characteristics in the melt state and an efficient spinning process based thereon to form highly elastic, fine linear density elastane yarn and filament having improved mechanical and thermal properties by using hydroxyalkyl-terminated polysiloxanes in combination with specific crosslinking-capable polyisocyanates in the reaction of long-chain high molecular weight polyhydroxy compounds with organic diisocyanates and low molecular weight diols and also optionally further auxiliary and additive substances in the melt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Bayer Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Siegfried Korte, Rolf-Volker Meyer, Stefan Hütte
  • Publication number: 20030189270
    Abstract: The synthetic threads are produced from a polymer mixture consisting of polyamide as base polymer and at least one additive polymer, the polymer mixture being pressed through nozzle openings as polymer melt with extrusion speeds (s) in the range from 18 to 160 m/min. The filaments thus formed are cooled, combined to threads, drawn off and spooled by forming at least one thread spool. The content of additive polymer in the polymer mixture is not less than M wt-% and not more than 2.5 wt-%, where M is derived from 0.0001·v−0.4, where v is the draw-off speed of the thread, and v lies in the range from 4500 to 8000 m/min. The additive polymer is amorphous and virtually insoluble in the polymer melt. In the spooled thread, the additive polymer is present in the base polymer in a fibril structure, the ratio s:v lies in the range from 1:50 to 1:250. Upon spooling, the thread spool preferably has a weight of the spooled thread of at least 4 kg.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Inventors: Dietmar Wandel, Alexander Klein
  • Publication number: 20030183978
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing silk or silk-like fibers materials, wherein a solution wherein silk fibroins and/or silk-like materials are dissolved in hexafluoroacetone hydrate, is spun and extended if necessary, and a method of manufacturing a silk or silk-like film wherein a solution in which silk fibroins and/or silk-like materials are dissolved in hexafluoroacetone hydrate, developed, and extended after drying if necessary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2002
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Inventor: Tetsuo Asakura
  • Patent number: 6627129
    Abstract: The present invention relates to industrial high relative viscosity (RV) filaments, such as, for use in papermaking machine felts and other staple fiber applications. The invention is further directed to apparatus and processes for solid phase polymerization (SPP) of polyamide flake suitable for use, such as, in remelting and then spinning the industrial high RV filaments. The invention is also directed to processes for melt phase polymerization (MPP) of molten polymer for making the filaments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Glenn Alan Schwinn, Gary Raymond West
  • Publication number: 20030178741
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for manufacturing spun-bonded nonwoven fabrics that can reduce the diameter of a filament without decreasing productivity and can stably produce nonwoven fabrics, which comprises quenching a multiple number of continuous melt-spun filaments through spinning nozzles with quench air fed to a quenching chamber, drawing the filaments with drawing air, and depositing the filaments on a moving collector suraface, characterized in that the quench air fed to the quenching chamber is divided into at least 2 streams in vertical direction, wherein an air velocity of the quench air in the lowermost stream is set higher than that of the quench air in the uppermost stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Inventors: Minoru Hisada, Kenichi Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20030178742
    Abstract: A spun-bond web-making apparatus has the cooling passage below the spinneret provided with a plurality of air chamber sections which are supplied with air at different temperatures, the cooling passage being connected to the drawing unit for aerodynamic stretching of the filaments without a gap through which external air can be supplied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Applicant: Reifenhauser GmbH & Co. Maschinenfabrik
    Inventors: Hans-Georg Geus, Detlef Frey, Peter Schlag
  • Publication number: 20030173702
    Abstract: The present invention is relative to a melt spinning apparatus for melt spinning a biodegradable polymer material. The biodegradable polymer material is melted by a melt mechanism (4) including a screw (16) which is mounted in a vertically mounted cylinder (8) coaxially with the cylinder (8) and which is rotationally driven by a rotational driving mechanism (7). The screw includes at least one turn of a helical groove (17) on its peripheral surface. The biodegradable polymer material being melted in this way is discharged in the vertical direction from a discharge opening of a nozzle (10) mounted coaxially on the cylinder (8).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2003
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Inventors: Keiji Igaki, Hideki Yamane
  • Patent number: 6613257
    Abstract: A process for making load limiting yarn comprising making block copolymer and then spinning the block copolymer into yarn. The process employs a twin screw extruder and comprises (A) forwarding aromatic polyester melt to an injection position in a twin screw extruder, (B) injecting lactone monomer into the molten aromatic polyester, (C) dispersing the monomer into the aromatic polyester melt so that a uniform mixture forms in less than about thirty seconds, and (D) reacting the uniform mixture resulting from step (C) at a temperature from about 250° C. to from a block copolymer. Steps (A) through (D) occur in less than about four minutes residence time in the twin screw extruder. The process is advantageous because high IV starting aromatic polyester can be used and the short reaction time at high temperature results in block copolymer with minimum transesterification, a high melting point, and a high melt viscosity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc.
    Inventors: Weiming Tang, Frank Mares, Robert Clark Morgan
  • Publication number: 20030146537
    Abstract: A process for making non-thermoplastic starch fibers comprises the steps of: (a) providing a non-thermoplastic starch composition comprising from about 50% to about 75% by weight of modified starch and from about 25% to about 50% of water and having a shear viscosity within the at least one nozzle from about 1 to about 80 Pascals-second at the processing temperature and at a shear rate of 3,000 sec−1; (b) extruding the non-thermoplastic starch composition through at least one extrusion nozzle terminating with a nozzle tip, thereby forming at least one embryonic starch fiber; (c) attenuating the at least one embryonic starch fiber with an attenuating air having an average velocity at the nozzle tip greater than about 30 meters per second, to cause the fiber to form an average equivalent diameter of less than about 20 microns; (d) dewatering the at least one embryonic starch fiber to a consistency of from about 70% to about 99% by weight, thereby producing at least one non-thermoplastic starch fiber, wher
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2002
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Applicant: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Michael David James, Larry Neil Mackey, Donald Eugene Ensign, Savas Aydore
  • Publication number: 20030141611
    Abstract: The present invention concerns an adjustable shroud useful with any melt spinable polymers during their production. The adjustable shroud can be produced from different embodiments such as hinged wall sections, bellows, or collapsible or nesting walls. The adjustable shroud may be controlled by means of hydraulics, pneumatics, mechanical worm screws powered by an electrical motor or manually, or any other suitable means obvious to those skilled in the art. The length of the adjustable shroud functions such that it extends toward or away from the spinneret depending on the desired length of the shroud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Publication date: July 31, 2003
    Inventor: Kenneth Charles Giese
  • Publication number: 20030102594
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a functional synthetic cottonwool, comprising the steps of: mixing 0.5˜20% by weight of a mixed powder consisting of 85% by weight of activated charcoal and 15% by weight of a silver-containing inorganic antibacterial carrier, with 80˜99.5% by weight of a base resin selected from polyester, nylon, acryl, polypropylene or silicone; and melt spinning the mixture. The functional synthetic cottonwool has antibacterial and deodorizing effects, radiates far-infrared rays to a human body, and thus promotes the health of a human body when used as a fiberfill of quilts, jackets, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Inventor: Jangho Choi
  • Publication number: 20030094737
    Abstract: We have determined that strength characteristics of elastic strand improve when the strand is heated. Thus, the present invention is directed to improving strength characteristics of an elastic strand by heating the strand. The strand may be heated by thermal conduction and/or convection, by irradiative methods using, for example, infrared or microwave radiation, or some combination of these. If the elastic strand is made at a location different from the location where the strand is used as a raw material, the strand may be heated at either location, or both locations. Furthermore, the strand may be heated in-line, i.e. as part of the process that makes the strand or the process that uses the strand as a raw material, or off-line, i.e. in a step separate from either of the aforementioned processes. Finally, in addition to heat treating the strand, the strand's exposure to water or water vapor may be regulated to reduce or eliminate strength degradation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Publication date: May 22, 2003
    Inventors: Peiguang Zhou, Wing-Chak Ng
  • Publication number: 20030087573
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a process for producing continuous filament nonwoven fabric which comprises the steps of providing a single polymeric resin having an MFR of between about 6 to 16, spinning said single polymeric resin using commercially available continuous filament spinning equipment, to yield a continuous filament nonwoven fabric exhibiting a tensile strength improvement of at least 30% when compared to similar resin of greater than 35 MFR.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2002
    Publication date: May 8, 2003
    Applicant: Polymer Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Valeria Griep Erdos, Pierre D. Grondin, Paul A. Kamnikar
  • Patent number: 6555038
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing aqueous liquor dyeable modified polypropylene threads. The inventive method is characterized in that a CR polypropylene suitable for fiber formation is mixed with a reaction partner which can react with CR polypropylene and the mixture obtained is processed in an extrusion spinning facility to form a thread. Suitable reaction partners are difunctional carboxylic acids, corresponding carboxylic acid derivatives or master batches made of polypropylene and difunctional carboxylic acids or corresponding carboxylic acid derivatives. The polypropylene threads obtained can be knitted to form textile fabrics. The polypropylene threads and textile fabrics can be dyed with the usual coloring agents according to a standard aqueous liquor extrusion process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Deutsche Institute fur Textil - und Faserforschung Stuttgart
    Inventors: Sabine Egeler, Rainer Gutmann, Winfried Schuler, Karl-Heinrich Wiese
  • Patent number: 6552123
    Abstract: Provided are melt-spun fibers comprising, as at least one component, a water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol, and a method for producing fibrous structures comprising the fibers. The thermoplastic polyvinyl alcohol fibers comprise, as at least one component, a water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol containing from 0.1 to 25 mol % of C1-4 &agr;-olefin units and/or vinyl ether units, having a molar fraction, based on vinyl alcohol units, of a hydroxyl group of vinyl alcohol unit located at the center of 3 successive vinyl alcohol unit chain in terms of triad expression of being from 70 to 99.9 mol %, having a carboxylic acid and lactone ring content of from 0.02 to 0.15 mol %, and having a melting point falling between 160° C. and 230° C., and contain from 0.0003 to 1 part by weight, relative to 100 parts by weight of the polyvinyl alcohol therein and in terms of sodium ion, of an alkali metal ion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Kuraray Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Katayama, Kazuhiko Tanaka, Naoki Fujiwara, Tomoaki Kimura, Akihiro Hokimoto, Nobuhiro Koga, Hitoshi Nakatsuka, Yoshimi Umemura, Hiroshi Kanehira, Masao Kawamoto, Junyo Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20030034585
    Abstract: A stretching device and method of manufacturing stretched synthetic filaments (2, 3) includes a spinning device (1) and a pneumatic drawing-off device (10). A heating device (5) is situated between the spinning device (1) and the drawing-off device (10) which heats the filaments (2, 3) to a temperature between their glass-transition temperature and their melting temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2002
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Inventors: Engelbert Locher, Helmut Leiner, Robert Groten, Peter Dengel, George Riboulet
  • Publication number: 20030030175
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for the production of a spunbonded nonwoven fabric, by spinning a linear filament sheet of filaments arranged parallel next to one another, in the form of a curtain, from a plurality of spinning capillaries, with aerodynamic take-off and stretching of the filament sheet, where the filament sheet (8) that exits from the stretching channel (12) or is drawn off a spool is moved laterally, crosswise, by an air stream, the direction of which changes periodically, where the air stream is alternately directed at a slant to the filament sheet (8), seen in the horizontal plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Publication date: February 13, 2003
    Inventors: Engelbert Locher, Michael Hess
  • Patent number: 6365079
    Abstract: A process for preparing a starch-based thermoplastic hydroxy-functionalized polyetheramine comprising continuously feeding from about 40 to about 98 weight percent starch and from about 2 to about 60 weight percent of a thermoplastic hydroxy-functionalized polyetheramine into a mixing screw extruder at a temperature of from about 30° C. to about 120° C. while maintaining a water content in the extruder of from about 7 to about 50 percent, continuously removing the compounded mixture from the extruder in the form of strands at a rate of from 13.5 to 2725 kg/hour, and forming the strands of compounded mixture into pellets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: Marie S. Winkler, Tricia S. Berry, Donald E. Kirkpatrick
  • Patent number: 6355347
    Abstract: This invention relates, in general, to methods of making blend compositions of an unmodified polyvinyl alcohol and a metallocene polyolefin or grafted metallocene polyolefin and thermoplastic film and fiber structures comprising these blend compositions. More specifically, this invention relates to methods of making substantially water-free films and fibers comprising unmodified polyvinyl alcohol and a metallocene polyolefin or grafted metallocene polyolefin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: David Michael Schertz, James Hongxue Wang, Gregory J. Wideman, William S. Pomplun
  • Patent number: 6350518
    Abstract: This invention relates, in general, to methods of making blend compositions of an unmodified poly vinyl alcohol and a thermoplastic elastomer and thermoplastic film and fiber structures comprising these blend compositions. More specifically, this invention relates to methods of making substantially water-free films and fibers comprising unmodified polyvinyl alcohol and a thermoplastic elastomer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: David Michael Schertz, James Hongxue Wang, Gregory J. Wideman, William S. Pomplun
  • Patent number: 6280671
    Abstract: Multilayer plastic composites containing at least two incompatible plastics, A and B, in which the layering sequence alternates between A and B, the layers of plastic B are discontinued at regular intervals, and the resulting gaps in the layers are filled in with plastic A, exhibit good adhesion between the layers. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the amorphous, crystalline, or semi-crystalline plastic B has a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the amorphous plastic A. The plastic composite is preferably produced via coextrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Roehm GmbH Chemische Fabrik
    Inventors: Volker Benz, Hans Lorenz, Michael Meier-Kaiser, Michael Mueller, Klaus-Ernst Poehlmann
  • Publication number: 20010014358
    Abstract: A die head assembly for meltblowing thermoplastic material comprising a first chamber for receiving a pressurized fluid, a second chamber for receiving a pressurized molten thermoplastic material, the second chamber defining an outlet through which the molten thermoplastic material exits the die head, and a fluid tube removably securable to the first chamber and defining a passageway having an inlet in communication with the first chamber and an outlet extending at least into the outlet of the second chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Publication date: August 16, 2001
    Inventors: Jeffrey E. Fish, Jark C. Lau, Bryan D. Haynes
  • Patent number: 6261677
    Abstract: A novel synthetic fiber is disclosed including a first component of an aliphatic polyester polymer, a second component of a multicarboxylic acid, an admixture of the first component aliphatic polyester polymer and the second component multicarboxylic acid to form an unreacted specified thermoplastic composition, and melt blending the unreacted specified thermoplastic composition in an extruder or a mixer. The second component multicarboxylic acid lubricates the extruder and provides a nucleating agent for crystallizing the specified thermoplastic composition to form a mean crystal size less than about 120 Angstroms. Fiber composed of the specified thermoplastic composition has a mean crystal size less than about 120 Angstroms. The fiber has a glass transition temperature (Tg) less than about 55° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Fu-Jya Daniel Tsai, Brian Thomas Etzel
  • Patent number: 6256883
    Abstract: A method of producing a nozzle plate for use in an ink jet head includes the steps of (a) stretching a predetermined number of resin lines, each having a cross section corresponding in shape to each nozzle hole to be formed in an ink jet head, in the same arrangement as that of nozzle holes to be formed in the ink jet head, (b) plating the peripheral surface of each of the resin lines with a metal, while maintaining the arrangement of the resin lines, (c) forming a nozzle substrate so as to include the resin lines therein with the metal used in the plating of the resin lines, (d) slicing the nozzle substrate, and (e) removing the resin lines from the sliced nozzle substrate, thereby forming the nozzle plate. In the above method, the resin lines can be removed from the nozzle substrate, and then the nozzle substrate can be sliced so as to form the nozzle plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Ricoh Microelectronics Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 6248418
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a polyester product excellent in resilient elasticity, shape retainability and shape stability, and a process for producing the same. The invention provides a polyester product with high resilient elasticity, shape retainability, and shape stability, which is produced by heat-treating a product comprising polyester fibers or a film prepared by taking up a molten polyester at a take-up speed of 2000 m/min to 4000 m/min, in wet heat and/or dry heat at not lower than 120° C. with the product maintained in a loose or constrained condition without being drawn. The product is very suitable, for example, as a collar interlining cloth of a shirt, a base fabric of a shirt, or a fabric of a lady's dress, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Setsuo Taguchi, Miyoshi Okamoto, Yukihiro Maeda
  • Patent number: 6171537
    Abstract: A process for the preparation of poly(urethaneurea) fibers by reacting a blocked aliphatic diamine with a capped glycol prepolymer, followed by extrusion spinning, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventor: Jeffrey David Cohen