Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Coated or structually defined flake – particle – cell – strand,... – Rod – strand – filament or fiber
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-05
2004-04-20
Edwards, N. (Department: 1774)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Coated or structually defined flake, particle, cell, strand,...
Rod, strand, filament or fiber
C428S375000, C428S324000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06723428
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to fiber, and, more particularly to a fiber having anti-microbial (and/or anti-fungal) properties which remain with the fiber when used in a fabric product after repeated launderings/uses. More specifically it provides a wholly or partly synthetic fiber and multi- or mono-component anti-microbial and/or anti-fungal synthetic fibers, alone or integrated with other synthetic or natural fibers, using various thermoplastic polymers and additives. It may be a bi-component fiber having either a core-sheath or side-by-side configuration or other configurations (e.g. pie-wedge). One arrangement uses binder fibers, which are staple fiber or filament.
The present invention further relates to products made wholly or in part of such fiber.
There is an incontinent garment [invention] embodiment which relates generally to garments and other articles, and, more particularly, to garments and other articles which have anti-microbial properties for people who are incontinent. Such garments and articles include underwear, pajamas, washable and/or disposable diapers, as well as linens, and bed packs for bed ridden patients, to prevent bed sores. Such garments and articles may be made of woven fabric, knitted fabric or non-woven fabric.
There is an air filter embodiment which relates to vehicle and aircraft cabin air filters that are made of a wholly or partly synthetic fiber that can be either mono- or multi-component in nature and has anti-microbial properties and can be used with other synthetic or natural fibers to form a variety of fabrics and materials. Such invention provides for filter materials that are resistant to bacterial and fungal growth as well as to the deterioration of the fibers contained in these filter materials.
There is a dressings embodiment which relates to wound care materials and burn dressings formed of fibers and/or fabrics made of a wholly or partly synthetic fiber that can be either mono- or multi-component in nature and has anti-microbial properties and can be used with other synthetic or natural fibers to form a variety of different types of fabrics and materials suitable for these uses. The invention provides wound care dressings and burn dressings for suppressing bacterial and fungal growth, and the related risk of infection, in materials used for wound care dressings and burn dressings.
There is a fabric embodiment which relates generally to fabric construction, and, more particularly, to fabric having qualities imparted to it which remain for the life of the fabric, such as excellent color fastness without the need for a dye bath.
There is a footwear components embodiment which relates generally to the footwear art, and, more particularly, to footwear components having anti-microbial properties.
There is a wide sheet embodiment which relates to wide sheet materials that are made of a wholly or partly synthetic material and having anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties. Such sheets can be used with other synthetic or natural materials to form a variety of different end use products. This invention provides for sheet materials for end use products that are resistant to bacterial and fungal growth as well as to the deterioration of the agents contained in these materials.
There is also a shoe embodiment which relates to insoles and other shoe products.
There is a laminate embodiment which relates to generally to laminate materials, and, more particularly that are made of a wholly thermoplastic stiff reinforcing multiple laminate moldable into compound shapes and bondable via a thermoplastic hot melt adhesive to a carrier surface to be reinforced and suitable for footwear.
There is an institutional and home furnishings embodiment which relates to bed sheets, pillow cases, mattress pads, blankets, towels, drapes, bedspreads, pillow shams, carpets, walk-off mats, napkins, linens, wall coverings, upholstered furniture, liners, mattress ticking, mattress filling, pillow filling, carpet pads, upholstery fabric and the like. It includes fabrics and materials, and also support substrates and products constructed using generally a wholly or partly synthetic fiber (which may be mixed with natural fibers) that can be either mono- or multi-component in nature and has anti-microbial properties. These are for use in the home, or in institutional settings such as hotels and motels, adult communities, offices, hospitals, nursing homes, and prisons.
There is a medical-healthcare embodiment which relates to medical/healthcare wipes possessing anti-microbial properties, more particularly, to such wipes made of materials and fabrics composed of a wholly or partly synthetic fiber that can be either mono- or multi-component in nature and having anti-microbial properties and can be used with other synthetic or natural fibers. The invention provides wipes for suppressing bacterial and fungal growth, and the related risk of infection. Such wipes are usually disposable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There is a growing interest today in products which have anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties. There are a number of additives, fibers and products on the market which claim to have these properties. However, many do not have such properties, or the properties do not remain for the life of the product, or they have adverse environmental consequences.
Various materials have been used in the past to provide anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties to fibers and fabrics.
Examples of some organic types of anti-microbial agents, are U.S. Pat. No.: 5,408,022 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,987 (an anti-microbial polymerizable composition containing an ethylenically unsaturated monomer, a specific one-, di- or tri-functional anti-microbial monomer and a polymerization initiator which can yield an unreleasable anti-microbial polymer from which the anti-microbial component is not released), U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,870 (a silver containing anti-microbial agent which comprises carboxymethylcellulose, a crosslinked compound, containing silver in the amount of 0.01 to 1% by weight and having a degree of substitution of carboxymethyl group of not less than 0.4 and the anti-microbial agent being a silver salt of carboxymethylcellulose, which is insoluble to water), U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,570 (an organic solvent-soluble mucopolysaccharide consisting of an ionic complex of at least one mucopolysaccharide and a quaternary phosphonium, an antibacterial antithrombogenic composition comprising organic solvent-soluble mucopolysaccharide and an organic polymer material, an antibacterial antithrombogenic composition comprising organic solvent-soluble mucopolysaccharide and an inorganic antibacterial agent, and to a medical material comprising organic solvent-soluble mucopolysaccharide).
Examples of some inorganic types of anti-microbial agents are:
Japanese Patent No. 1246204 (1988) which discloses an anti-microbial thermoplastic article with copper a compound added to the melted polymer just before extruding, in which the anti-microbial material is said to be resistant to washing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,585 which discloses an antimicrobial with a first coating providing the antimicrobial properties and a second coating as a protective layer. A metal having antimicrobial properties is used including silver which is coated with a secondary protective layer.
Japanese Patent No. 2099606 (1990) which discloses a fiber with anti-microbial properties made of a liquid polyester and inorganic micro particles of zinc silicate, both being added to the melted polymer after polymerization and just before extrusion.
The use of anti-microbial agents in connection with thermoplastic material is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,679 (1986). This patent is concerned with the degradation of anti-microbial agents during processing. This patent states that thermoplastic compounds which are candidates for treatment with anti-microbial agents include material such as polyamides (nylon 6 or 6,6), polyvinyl, polyolefins, polyurethanes, polyethylene terephthalate, styrene-butadiene r
Brown Steven R.
Cashin Arthur H.
Foss Stephen W.
Goodwin, Jr. Gordon
Goudreault Kim
Cohen Jerry
Edwards N.
Foss Manufacturing Co., Inc.
Kaye Harvey
Perkins Smith & Cohen
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