Textiles: manufacturing – Textile product fabrication or treatment – Of thread interlaced article or fabric
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-14
2001-10-02
Vanatta, Amy B. (Department: 3765)
Textiles: manufacturing
Textile product fabrication or treatment
Of thread interlaced article or fabric
C028S104000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06295706
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a method and a device for fibrillating a web-like, textile sheet material. It thus belongs very generally to the field of textile finishing.
With the term “fibrillating” the production of short fibre pieces, so-called micro-fibres, on the surface of the fibres constituting the sheet material is described. The micro-fibrils are the result of mechanical, enzymatic and/or chemical treatment of the textile sheet material. By way of this a “silk-like” feel is achieved. The “peach skin” or “patina” which thus arises gives the sheet material an improved drape and look. For fibrillating textile sheet material various methods and devices are known, e.g. with the aid of granular grinding means, such as sand paper or diamond paper, or by way of rotating brushes.
One method for fibrillating by way of impacting the textile sheet material with high pressure fluid is the subject-matter of WO97/19213. With this high pressure fluid exits a multitude of closely placed openings onto the continuously conveyed textile material sheet. The manufacture of a nozzle with such openings is complicated. Furthermore the small diameter of the openings and their small mutual distance lead to a blocking of the bores by way of deposits of dissolve salts and contaminants in the high pressure fluid. The fluid jets separated from one another exiting the openings may furthermore lead to an irregular, stripe-like fibrillation of the web-like textile sheet material.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to make available a method and a device for fibrillating web-like textile sheet material by way of impacting with high pressure fluid, which avoid the disadvantages of that which exists.
In the document U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,480 there is described a method in which a continuously conveyed, web-like textile sheet material is impacted with high pressure fluid delivered through a wide-slot nozzle. By way of this the individual fibres of the textile sheet material are to be intertwined or matted with one another in order to produce a fleece-like product.
A similar method with a wide-slot nozzle may also be applied for fibrillating a textile sheet material if the fluid is led to the wide-slot nozzle through a supply conduit whose cross section is considerably larger that the complete area of the free passage opening of the exit gap of the wideslot nozzle.
The method according to the invention and the device according to the invention, with which the set object is to be achieved, are defined in the independent patent claims.
The device according to the invention and the method according to the invention are suitable for all types of textile fibres, or for the textile sheet material manufactured therefrom, preferably for the fibrillation of fine and light fabrics in a gentle manner.
The invention envisages that the high pressure fluid as a continuous fluid curtain impinges over the whole width and on at least one side of the continuously conveyed textile sheet material from the wide-slot nozzle. Such a wide-slot nozzle can be manufactured simply and inexpensively. The shape of the exit gap of the wide-slot nozzle prevents, on account of its larger special dimension and—in comparison discrete bores—its continuous exit opening, a blocking of the high pressure fluid by way of contaminations. A further advantage of the uninterrupted, gap-shaped exit opening lies in an absolutely uniform fluid curtain with which the web-like textile sheet material is impacted. Interruptions in the fluid curtain by way of defects of the nozzles due to design do not occur.
Advantageous fibrillation results are obtained in that the fluid is supplied to the wide-slot nozzle at a pressure of 25 to 70 bar and the running textile sheet material at the impinging location of the fluid is supported by a smooth, preferably impermeable support surface, in particular in the form of a rotatable roller.
The high pressure fluid, by which means the fibrillation is effected, may usefully consist mainly of water, to which if required additional substances may be added. These are to simplify or improve the fibrillation and are preferably swelling agents for cellulose-containing fibres. As such alkaline solutions are particularly suitable, such as e.g. sodium hydroxide, or sodium carbonate solutions. The method according to the invention may be carried out particularly simply when the fluid mixed with air is led to the wide-slot nozzle.
The delivery of a continuous fluid curtain is effected preferably by way of a wide-slot nozzle, whose exit gap for the fluid may be infinitely adjusted in a width between 0.05 mm and 1 mm, preferably from 0.08 mm to 0.15 mm. Also the mounting of the wide-slot nozzle on pivotable arms has shown to be particularly suitable in order to achieve an outstanding fibrillation result. By way of this measure, the angle of impingment, which is spanned between the fluid curtain and the textile sheet material, may thus be infinitely adjusted. The angle may roughly lie in the region of 40° to 150°, preferably 60° to 120°.
The distance between the exit gap of the wide-slot nozzle and the impinging location on the textile sheet material should preferably not exceed 200 mm, advantageously it should not be larger than 150 mm. This is relevant because too large a distance causes pressure losses of the high pressure fluid at the impinging location and by way of this leads to an unsatisfactory fibrillation.
The impacting of the continuously supplied, web-like sheet material may be carried out advantageously when the fluid supply conduit opens into one end of the broad-slot nozzle and to the other end there is connected a return conduit for the fluid. With this connection on both sides, the fluid may be delivered in a circuit, by which means an essentially uniform fluid pressure over the whole length of the broad-slot nozzle may be achieved and any occurring deposits or incrustations may be swept away.
In order to achieve an adequate and uniform supply of fluid and constant fibrillation over the whole gap length, according to the invention the cross section of the supply conduit for the fluid is considerably larger than the total cross section of the exit gap.
By way of these, under all operating conditions always considerably more fluid may be delivered to the wide-slot nozzle than this lets through. Thus the ratio of the area of the tube cross section of the supply conduit of the nozzle to the total area of the passage opening of the exit gap should be at least 30 to 1, preferably 80 upto 100 to 1, or larger. With an exit gap with a total area of 70 mm
2
to 400 mm
2
from this there results a tube cross section for the supply tube with a total area of at least 2100 mm
2
to 40000 mm
2
.
The device for fibrillating according to the invention comprises further a drive means for guiding the textile sheet material under the wide-slot nozzle and a drive and tensioning device for the further transport of the textile sheet material.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3751777 (1973-08-01), Turmel et al.
patent: 4085485 (1978-04-01), Brandon et al.
patent: 4152480 (1979-05-01), Adachi et al.
patent: 4805275 (1989-02-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 5737813 (1998-04-01), Sternlieb et al.
patent: 5806155 (1998-09-01), Malaney et al.
patent: 5870807 (1999-02-01), Beaty
patent: 5983469 (1999-11-01), Beaty et al.
patent: 97/19213 (1997-05-01), None
Shoemaker and Mattare Ltd.
Solipat AG
Vanatta Amy B.
LandOfFree
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