U.S. patent application number 10/921029 was filed with the patent office on 2006-02-23 for high luster fiber materials, methods of manufacture and uses thereof.
Invention is credited to Robert A. Frink, Dale A. Hangey, Dong W. Kim.
Application Number | 20060040090 10/921029 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35909951 |
Filed Date | 2006-02-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060040090 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Frink; Robert A. ; et
al. |
February 23, 2006 |
High luster fiber materials, methods of manufacture and uses
thereof
Abstract
A plied carpet fiber material is disclosed herein that includes
at least one nontextured fiber component plied with at least one
additional fiber component to form the plied carpet fiber material,
wherein each nontextured fiber component comprises a luster
component. Plied carpet fiber materials are also disclosed herein
that include: a) at least one nontextured fiber component, wherein
each nontextured fiber component comprises a luster component, and
b) at least one textured fiber component, wherein each textured
fiber component comprises a luster component, wherein the at least
one nontextured fiber component and the at least one textured fiber
component are plied with one another to produce the plied carpet
fiber material. Plied carpet fiber materials are also disclosed
herein that include: a) at least two nontextured fiber components,
wherein each nontextured fiber component comprises a luster
component, and wherein the at least two nontextured fiber
components are plied together to form the plied carpet fiber
material. Methods are also provided for producing a plied carpet
fiber material that include: a) providing at least one nontextured
fiber component, wherein each nontextured fiber component comprises
a luster component; b) providing at least one textured fiber
component, wherein each textured fiber component comprises a luster
component; and c) combining the at least one nontextured fiber
component and the at least one textured fiber component to form the
plied fiber material.
Inventors: |
Frink; Robert A.;
(Catersville, GA) ; Kim; Dong W.; (Chester,
VA) ; Hangey; Dale A.; (Midlothian, VA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BINGHAM, MCCUTCHEN LLP
THREE EMBARCADERO CENTER
18 FLOOR
SAN FRANCISCO
CA
94111-4067
US
|
Family ID: |
35909951 |
Appl. No.: |
10/921029 |
Filed: |
August 17, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
428/92 ; 57/236;
57/239; 57/362 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 428/23957 20150401;
D02G 3/28 20130101; D02G 3/445 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
428/092 ;
057/236; 057/239; 057/362 |
International
Class: |
D05C 17/02 20060101
D05C017/02; D02G 3/02 20060101 D02G003/02; D02G 3/22 20060101
D02G003/22; D02G 3/38 20060101 D02G003/38 |
Claims
1. A plied carpet fiber material, comprising: at least one
nontextured fiber component plied with at least one additional
fiber component to form the plied carpet fiber material, wherein
each nontextured fiber component comprises a luster component.
2. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 1, wherein the at least
one additional fiber component comprises at least one nontextured
fiber component.
3. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 1, wherein the at least
one additional fiber component comprises at least one textured
fiber component.
4. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 1, wherein the at least
one additional fiber component comprises at least two plies.
5. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 4, wherein the at least
two plies comprises at least one nontextured fiber component, at
least one textured fiber component or a combination thereof.
6. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 1, wherein the luster
component of the nontextured fiber component is at least 10% higher
than a luster component of an identical fiber component that is
textured.
7. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 6, wherein the luster
component of the nontextured fiber component is at least 25% higher
than a luster component of an identical fiber component that is
textured.
8. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 7, wherein the luster
component of the nontextured fiber component is at least 50% higher
than a luster component of an identical fiber component that is
textured.
9. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 8, wherein the luster
component of the nontextured fiber component is at least 75% higher
than a luster component of an identical fiber component that is
textured.
10. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 1, wherein the at
least one nontextured fiber component or the at least one ply of an
additional fiber component comprises a delta shape, a Y shape, a
circular shape, a square shape, a starflake shape, a ribbon shape,
or a combination thereof.
11. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 10, wherein the at
least one nontextured fiber component or the at least one ply of an
additional fiber component comprises a delta shape, a circular
shape, a square shape, or a combination thereof.
12. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 11, wherein the delta
shape fiber component, the circular shape fiber component or the
square shape fiber component is hollow.
13. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 1, wherein the at
least one nontextured fiber component, the at least one ply of an
additional fiber component or a combination thereof are dyed.
14. A plied carpet fiber material, comprising: at least one
nontextured fiber component, wherein each nontextured fiber
component comprises a luster component, and at least one textured
fiber component, wherein each textured fiber component comprises a
luster component, wherein the at least one nontextured fiber
component and the at least one textured fiber component are plied
with one another to produce the plied carpet fiber material.
15. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 14, wherein the luster
component of the nontextured fiber component is at least 10% higher
than the luster component of the textured fiber component.
16. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 15, wherein the luster
component in the nontextured fiber component is at least 25% higher
than the luster component of the textured fiber component.
17. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 16, wherein the luster
component in the nontextured fiber component is at least 50% higher
than the luster component of the textured fiber component.
18. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 17, wherein the luster
component in the nontextured fiber component is at least 75% higher
than the luster component of the textured fiber component.
19. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 14, wherein the at
least one nontextured fiber component or the at least one textured
fiber component comprises a delta shape, a Y shape, a circular
shape, a square shape, a starflake shape, a ribbon shape, or a
combination thereof.
20. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 19, wherein the at
least one nontextured fiber component or the at least one textured
fiber component comprises a delta shape, a circular shape, a square
shape, or a combination thereof.
21. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 20, wherein the delta
shape fiber component, the circular shape fiber component or the
square shape fiber component is hollow.
22. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 14, wherein the at
least one nontextured fiber component, the at least one textured
fiber component or a combination thereof are dyed.
23. A plied carpet fiber material, comprising: at least two
nontextured fiber components, wherein each nontextured fiber
component comprises a luster component, and wherein the at least
two nontextured fiber components are plied with one another to
produce the plied carpet fiber material.
24. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 23, wherein the luster
component of the nontextured fiber components is at least 10%
higher than the luster component of an identical fiber component
that is textured.
25. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 24, wherein the luster
component in the nontextured fiber components is at least 25%
higher than the luster component of an identical fiber component
that is textured.
26. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 25, wherein the luster
component in the nontextured fiber components is at least 50%
higher than the luster component of an identical fiber component
that is textured.
27. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 26, wherein the luster
component in the nontextured fiber components is at least 75%
higher than the luster component of an identical fiber component
that is textured.
28. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 23, wherein the at
least two nontextured fiber components comprise a delta shape, a Y
shape, a circular shape, a square shape, a starflake shape, a
ribbon shape, or a combination thereof.
29. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 28, wherein the at
least two nontextured fiber components comprise a delta shape, a
circular shape, a square shape, or a combination thereof.
30. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 29, wherein the delta
shape fiber component, the circular shape fiber component or the
square shape fiber component is hollow.
31. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 23, wherein at least
one of the at least two nontextured fiber components are dyed.
32. A carpet yarn comprising the carpet fiber material of one of
claims 1, 14 or 23.
33. A carpet product comprising the carpet yarn of claim 32.
34. A carpet yarn comprising the carpet fiber material of claim 1
and a plurality of binder fibers.
35. A carpet yarn comprising the carpet fiber material of claim 14
and a plurality of binder fibers.
36. A carpet yarn comprising the carpet fiber material of claim 23
and a plurality of binder fibers.
37. The carpet yarn of one of claims 34, 35 or 36, wherein at least
some of the binder fibers comprises a synthetic material.
38. The carpet yarn of claim 37, wherein the synthetic material
comprises a polyamide-based compound.
39. A method of producing a plied carpet fiber material,
comprising: providing at least one nontextured fiber component,
wherein each nontextured fiber component comprises a luster
component; providing at least one textured fiber component, wherein
each textured fiber component comprises a luster component; and
combining the at least one nontextured fiber component and the at
least one textured fiber component to form the fiber material.
40. The method of claim 39, wherein combining comprises plying the
at least one nontextured fiber component and the at least one
textured fiber component to form the plied fiber material.
41. The method of claim 39, wherein the luster component of the
nontextured fiber component is at least 10% higher than the luster
component of the textured fiber component.
42. The method of claim 41, wherein the luster component in the
nontextured fiber component is at least 25% higher than the luster
component of the textured fiber component.
43. The method of claim 42, wherein the luster component in the
nontextured fiber component is at least 50% higher than the luster
component of the textured fiber component.
44. The method of claim 43, wherein the luster component in the
nontextured fiber component is at least 75% higher than the luster
component of the textured fiber component.
45. The method of claim 39, wherein the at least one nontextured
fiber component or the at least one textured fiber component
comprises a delta shape, a Y shape, a circular shape, a square
shape, a starflake shape, a ribbon shape, or a combination
thereof.
46. The plied carpet fiber material of claim 45, wherein the at
least one nontextured fiber component or the at least one textured
fiber component comprises a delta shape, a circular shape, a square
shape, or a combination thereof.
47. The method of claim 46, wherein the delta shape fiber
component, the circular shape fiber component or the square shape
fiber component is hollow.
48. The method of claim 39, wherein the at least one nontextured
fiber component, the at least one textured fiber component or a
combination thereof are dyed.
Description
FIELD OF THE SUBJECT MATTER
[0001] The field of the subject matter herein is fiber materials,
yarn products and carpet products, methods of manufacture and uses
thereof, and more specifically, high luster plied fiber materials
and yarns, methods of manufacture and uses thereof.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Fibers for consumer use, especially fibers that are
incorporated into carpet products and fabrics/textiles, are
constantly being evaluated for improvements with respect to the
consumer's sensory perception. These improvements may relate to
texture, quality, softness and luster.
[0003] Carpet fibers, which are used in the production of carpet
products, such as wall-to-wall carpet, rugs and mats, are modified
and in some instances improved to provide a certain fiber texture,
overall texture when the fibers are incorporated into a carpet
product and to provide a desired "look" for the space where the
carpet product is being used. Additional issues that arise in the
design of carpet fiber material and carpet products are daily and
long-term durability.
[0004] One method that is being used to modify the texture and look
of fabrics is to incorporate fibers that have been "textured" into
the fabric product. Texturing is a general process that crimps
synthetic fibers, thus providing a bulkier product that simulates a
more natural fiber. Texturing processes are heavily implemented in
the production of carpet fibers to increase the bulk of the yarn,
which adds value to the carpet product. (see U.S. Pat. Nos.
3949041; 3979496; 5653010; 5802832; 6041586; 6209302 and 6725639)
However, utilizing the texturing process for carpet fibers does
have tradeoffs, in that the texturing process decreases the luster
of the fibers and/or yarns, and thus the overall appearance of the
yarns and/or carpet products suffer.
[0005] Luster is another characteristic of a fiber and/or yarn.
Luster can be defined as follows: "brightness or reflectivity of
fibers, yarns, carpets or fabrics. Synthetic fibers are produced in
various luster classifications including bright, semi-bright,
semi-dull and mid-dull. The luster of finished carpet could also be
influenced by yarn heatsetting methods, dyeing and finishing.
Luster is "shown" on the side of the yarn or fiber--meaning that
it's the side or shaft of the fiber or yarn that shows the
brightness of the yarn or reflects light to some degree to produce
a luster effect. In high-traffic commercial areas, duller carpet
yarns are often preferred for soil-hiding ability." (see
www.fabrica.com: Glossary of Fabric and Rug Terms) Luster levels
are considered when producing fibers and yarn; however, generally
fiber and yarn blends are conventionally put together using a
single luster level to produce a desired effect on the look of the
finished product. Also, given that the texturing process is a
conventional process used to produce carpet fibers, yarns and
products, it can be difficult to produce carpet yarns and products
with increased luster.
[0006] U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,848,413 and 4,897,989 ("Gray patents")
teach a "three-ply" yarn, pile fabric and methods of making both
the yarn and fabric, wherein the yarn includes nontextured
filaments; however, upon review of the methods of producing the
yarn, along with the Figures, it is clear that the yarn is not
actually "plied" or cabled. The yarns disclosed in the Gray patents
are actually "three filament" yarns consisting of two nontextured
filaments and one textured filament, wherein the filaments are
commingled using an air jet. The commingling of the three filaments
leads to the "wool-like appearance" of the pile fabric, along with
the minimization of "finger marks". The goal of achieving a
"wool-like appearance" in the pile fabric effectively negates any
increased luster provided by the nontextured filaments.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,582,816 teaches textile effect yarns and
methods of producing those yarns, wherein the yarns are utilized to
produce carpets. Although nontextured yarns are utilized in the
'816 patent, the nontextured yarns are not plied or cabled with the
textured yarns. This point is important, because if the nontextured
yarns and textured yarns are plied together and then heatset, the
carpet product will show the influences of the nontextured fiber
luster while maintaining the durability and "wearability" of the
textured yarns. In the '816 patent, the nontextured yarns and the
textured yarns are commingled using an air jet similar to that in
the above-mentioned Gray patents.
[0008] Therefore, it would be desirable to produce a plied or
cabled fiber material and/or yarn that comprises a significantly
higher luster level than conventional carpet yarns, which can be
incorporated into or utilized independently in the production of a
new and unique carpet product that is not only durable but also
wears well over the usable life of the product.
SUMMARY OF THE SUBJECT MATTER
[0009] A plied carpet fiber material is disclosed herein that
includes at least one nontextured fiber component plied with at
least one additional fiber component to form the plied carpet fiber
material, wherein each nontextured fiber component comprises a
luster component.
[0010] Plied carpet fiber materials are also disclosed herein that
include: a) at least one nontextured fiber component, wherein each
nontextured fiber component comprises a luster component, and b) at
least one textured fiber component, wherein each textured fiber
component comprises a luster component, wherein the at least one
nontextured fiber component and the at least one textured fiber
component are plied with one another to produce the plied carpet
fiber material.
[0011] Plied carpet fiber materials are also disclosed herein that
include: a) at least two nontextured fiber components, wherein each
nontextured fiber component comprises a luster component, and
wherein the at least two nontextured fiber components are plied
together to form the plied carpet fiber material.
[0012] Methods are also provided for producing a plied carpet fiber
material that include: a) providing at least one nontextured fiber
component, wherein each nontextured fiber component comprises a
luster component; b) providing at least one textured fiber
component, wherein each textured fiber component comprises a luster
component; and c) combining the at least one nontextured fiber
component and the at least one textured fiber component to form the
plied fiber material.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] In order to produce a plied carpet fiber material and/or
yarn that comprises a significantly higher luster level than
conventional carpet yarns, which can be incorporated into or
utilized independently in the production of a new and unique carpet
product, a carpet yarn material has been developed that includes at
least one nontextured fiber component plied with at least one
additional fiber component, such as at least one end of an
additional fiber component, to form the plied carpet fiber
material, wherein each nontextured fiber component comprises a
luster component.
[0014] In another embodiment, a plied carpet material has been
developed that includes a) at least one nontextured fiber
component, wherein each nontextured fiber component comprises a
luster component, and b) at least one textured fiber component,
wherein each textured fiber component comprises a luster component,
wherein the at least one nontextured fiber component and the at
least one textured fiber component are plied with one another to
produce the plied carpet fiber material. It should be understood
that carpet yarns disclosed herein may be used to produce carpet
products, such as wall-to-wall carpet, area rugs, bathroom mats and
the like.
[0015] In yet another embodiment, plied carpet fiber materials may
also include: a) at least two nontextured fiber components, wherein
each nontextured fiber component comprises a luster component, and
wherein the at least two nontextured fiber components are plied
together to form the plied carpet fiber material.
[0016] It has been discovered that by including at least one
nontextured fiber component into a carpet yarn or carpet product
that the differences in luster can be accentuated. Incorporating at
least one nontextured fiber component into the plied carpet yarn or
carpet product also addresses the shortcomings of the previously
mentioned patents, wherein the nontextured filaments and yarns were
commingled using an air jet in order to provide a "wool like
appearance". When the carpet yarn material comprises at least one
nontextured fiber component, as described herein, wherein the
nontextured fiber components are plied with similar fiber
components, there is minimal heat shrinkage in heatsetting because
of the lack of texture or crimp in the yarn. When the carpet yarn
material comprises at least one plied nontextured fiber component,
as described herein, wherein the plied nontextured fiber components
are plied with textured fiber components and heatset, the
nontextured fiber components take on the twist of the plied yarn
while retaining the luster of a nontextured fiber.
[0017] The carpet yarn material, as mentioned, is a plied product.
As used in the carpet industry, the term "ply" means the measure of
the number of individual yarns twisted together to produce a
finished carpet yarn. For example, a two-ply yarn means that each
tuft consists of two yarns twisted or plied together. As used
herein, the term "end" means one strand of a fiber.
[0018] As mentioned, in some embodiments, at least one nontextured
fiber component may be plied with another nontextured fiber
component to form a 2-ply plied nontextured yarn. In other
embodiments, a nontextured fiber component may be plied with a
textured fiber component to form a 2-ply plied yarn. Once the 2-ply
plied yarn is formed, it can be plied with another textured fiber
component to form a 3-ply plied yarn. Additional higher plied yarns
(4-ply, 5-ply, etc) may also be formed. As used herein, the phrase
"additional fiber component" means a textured fiber component, a
nontextured fiber component or a combination thereof, if there are
two or more plies of the additional fiber component.
[0019] Some embodiments of the plied carpet fiber materials
comprise a plurality of binder fibers. Binder fibers are only
useful in a finished product when they are activated, such as by
heat activation. In some embodiments, activating the binder fibers
comprises forming chemical, such as covalent, ionic or hydrogen
and/or physical, such as adhesion, bonds between at least some of
the plurality of binder fibers and at least one of the nontextured
fiber component and/or the textured fiber component. However, it is
not necessary to activate the binder fiber in the carpet yarn
materials during the initial production of the carpet yarn
materials. For example, if a contemplated carpet yarn material is
produced with a plurality of binder fibers, the carpet yarn
material may be shipped to a customer, who would then activate the
binder fibers.
[0020] In embodiments where the nontextured fiber component is
combined with conventional plied yarns, one ply of the nontextured
fiber component is plied with one ply of a conventional yarn
(textured), in order to form a two-ply plied yarn. This two-ply
plied yarn is then plied or cabled with another one-ply
conventional yarn. The three-ply yarn may then be heatset, if it is
a cut pile carpet application. After heatsetting, the three-ply
yarn has the bulked appearance of being textured, but has a higher
luster component from the nontextured fiber component. The two-ply
plied yarn may also be plied or cabled with conventional yarns that
are greater than one-ply, such as two-ply, three-ply or greater.
The nontextured fiber component may be dyed prior to or after any
of the plying steps or heatsetting steps by any conventional dying
process.
[0021] In some embodiments, plied yarns are heatset to prevent
untwisting under traffic. In these embodiments, the plied yarns are
"cut pile" yarns, as opposed to loop carpet yarns, wherein loop
carpet yarns do not require heatsetting. These plied yarns may be
heatset at any time after plying. Heatsetting or "twist setting"
comprises a thermal energy that is applied to the materials and/or
products. Heatsetting is considered a process that locks in the
twist of the yarn by heating the yarn to a temperature that loosens
the bonds between the molecules. New bonds are formed as the yarn
cools.
[0022] The thermal energy may come from any suitable source,
including extended/non-point sources, such as a UV-VIS source, an
infra-red source, a heat source, both radiative and convective, or
a microwave source; or electron sources, such as electron guns or
plasma sources. Other suitable energy sources include electron
beams, and radiative devices at non-IR wavelengths including x-ray,
and gamma ray. Still other suitable energy sources include
vibrational sources such as microwave transmitters. In preferred
embodiments, the energy source is an extended source. In more
preferred embodiments, the energy source is a heat source, such as
an atmospheric pressure forced air machine, which can be followed
by a steam purge, or a pressurized twist-setting machine. An
example of an atmospheric pressure forced air machine is the
Suessen.RTM. Twist-Setting Machine, which will activate at least
some of the plurality of heat-activated binder fibers and/or
twistset other fiber components at temperatures ranging from about
190.degree. C. to about 200.degree. C. Examples of pressurized
twist-setting machines are those of the autoclave-type and those
manufactured by Superba.RTM., which will activate at least some of
the plurality of heat-activated binder fibers at temperatures
ranging from about 105.degree. C. to about 138.degree. C. If no
binder fibers are present, the temperature range for twistsetting
the fibers ranges from about 123.degree. C. to about 138.degree.
C.
[0023] It should be understood that the thermal energy may be
applied consistently or in short bursts. It is also contemplated
that the thermal energy may be gradually and continuously applied
over a temperature range until the thermal energy is at or above
the melting point of the heat-active components. For example, the
fiber material and/or yarn may be heated by an atmospheric pressure
forced air machine at a temperature of about 195.degree. C. for a
residence time of about 60 seconds, before the treated fiber
material and/or yarn product is tufted. The thermal energy may also
be immediately applied at or above the melting point of the
heat-active binder fiber components without any ramp time.
[0024] In a contemplated embodiment, the at least one nontextured
fiber component, the at least one textured fiber component and/or
the at least one additional fiber component may comprise any
suitable fiber material that can be utilized in a carpet product,
such as those described herein. It should be understood that in
embodiments where there are at least two nontextured fiber
components, that those fiber components may comprise similar
chemical constituents or different chemical constituents, as long
as the fiber components are nontextured. It should also be
understood that in embodiments where there are at least two
textured fiber components, that those fiber components may comprise
similar chemical constituents or different chemical constituents,
as long as the fiber components are textured. In other contemplated
embodiments, the at least one nontextured fiber component and/or at
least one textured fiber component comprise materials previously
disclosed in European Patent No. 324,773 and U.S. Pat. No.
5,478,624, which are both commonly-owned and incorporated herein by
reference in their entirety. As mentioned in those patents, the
fiber components may comprise a polyamide-based compound, including
nylon-6 and nylon-6,6 or a polyester-based compound.
[0025] The luster component of the at least one nontextured fiber
component, the luster component of the at least one textured fiber
component and the luster component of the at least one additional
fiber component may comprise any suitable luster component
depending on the needs of the product, the customer and/or the
vendor, and it is contemplated that each of the luster components
of the nontextured fiber components and the textured fiber
components are different from one another. Each luster component
may be determined by any suitable and conventional method, but
luster components are referred to herein as by their percent
TiO.sub.2, % TiO.sub.2 or their percent titanium dioxide content,
which are each interchangeable and have the same meaning for the
purposes of this work. In embodiments where there are at least two
nontextured fiber components and/or at least two textured fiber
components, the luster component for the nontextured fiber
components and/or the textured fiber components is the average of
the luster component for each of the nontextured fiber components
or the textured fiber components. For example, if there is a
nontextured fiber component having a 0.45% TiO.sub.2 and a second
nontextured fiber component having a 0.55 % TiO.sub.2, the luster
component of the complete nontextured fiber component is 0.50 %
TiO.sub.2. The same calculations apply to blends (at least two)
textured fiber components.
[0026] In contemplated embodiments, the luster component of the
nontextured fiber component is at least about 10% greater than the
luster component of either the textured fiber component or of an
identical fiber that is textured. In other contemplated
embodiments, the luster component of the nontextured fiber
component is at least about 25% greater than the luster component
of either the textured fiber component or of an identical fiber
that is textured. In yet other contemplated embodiments, the luster
component of the nontextured fiber component is at least about 50%
greater than the luster component of either the textured fiber
component or of an identical fiber that is textured. And in
additional embodiments, the luster component of the nontextured
fiber component is at least about 75% greater than the luster
component of either the textured fiber component or of an identical
fiber that is textured. The percent difference of luster components
may be measured by any suitable analytical method or apparatus,
including reflective spectroscopic techniques.
[0027] The at least one textured, nontextured fiber components and
additional fiber components may also comprise denier components. As
mentioned earlier, denier (or fiber denier) is a physical property
of a particular fiber and can be defined as: "A direct yarn
numbering measurement, it is the weight in grams of 9,000 meters of
yarn. Therefore, the higher the denier, the larger the yarn.
Typical nylon carpet fiber has 15-18 denier. This thickness of a
fiber can be regulated by the size of the openings of the
spinneret." (see www.fabrica.com: Glossary of Fabric and Rug Terms)
In this definition, the term "denier" is used to mean "denier per
filament". However, in recent years, the denier per filament for
soft fibers has approached 9 denier per filament. In some
contemplated embodiments, the denier component (which may comprise
either the denier or the denier per filament) of the at least one
textured component and the at least one nontextured component is
the same. In other embodiments, the denier component of the at
least one textured component is different than the denier component
of the at least one nontextured component. In yet other
embodiments, where there are at least two nontextured components
and/or at least two textured components, the denier component may
be different for each component. For example, in an embodiment
where there are at least two nontextured components, the denier per
filament for one nontextured component may be 12 and the denier per
filament of the second nontextured component may be 15. In some
embodiments, the denier component that comprises a denier per
filament may be a number comprising decimal places, such as 16.4 or
17.28. The denier components comprise any suitable denier or denier
per filament for the needs of the product, the customer and/or the
vendor.
[0028] Nontextured, additional and textured fiber components may
comprise any suitable shape and/or have any suitable diameter,
including a delta (triangle) shape, a "Y" shape, a circular shape,
a square shape, a starflake-type of irregular shape, a ribbon shape
or a combination thereof. When referring to shape, this generally
means that if you slice the fiber width-wise, you will see the
"shape" of the fiber at the flat site of the cut. In some
contemplated embodiments, the nontextured and/or textured fiber
components may also comprise an "O" shape meaning that the center
of the fiber is hollow. A hollow core can also be present in the
delta shape and the square shape.
[0029] Carpet yarns and/or carpet products described herein may
also include a plurality of synthetic materials. As further
contemplated, the synthetic material may comprise at least one
heat-active material and also may comprise at least one polyamide
compound or polyamide-based compound. As used herein, the term
"compound" means a substance with constant composition that can be
broken down into elements by chemical processes. Polyamides and
polyamide-based compounds, as the name implies, are polymers that
comprise amide monomers. Several contemplated polyamide-based
compounds comprise nylon-6, nylon-6,6 and/or nylon-12.
[0030] Amides are an important group of nitrogenous compounds and
monomers that are used as intermediates and/or building blocks in
the production of polymers, textiles, plastics and adhesives. Amide
monomers are generally represented by the following formula:
##STR1## wherein R is an alkyl group, an aryl group, a cyclic alkyl
group, an alkenyl group, an arylalkylene group, or any other
appropriate group that can be utilized to be a part of an amide
compound.
[0031] As used herein, the term "monomer" generally refers to any
chemical compound that is capable of forming a covalent bond with
itself or a chemically different compound in a repetitive manner.
The repetitive bond formation between monomers may lead to a
linear, branched, super-branched, or three-dimensional product.
Furthermore, monomers may themselves comprise repetitive building
blocks, and when polymerized the polymers formed from such monomers
are then termed "blockpolymers". The weight-average molecular
weight of monomers may vary greatly between about 40 Dalton and
20000 Dalton. However, especially when monomers comprise repetitive
building blocks, monomers may have even higher molecular weights.
Monomers may also include additional groups, such as groups used
for crosslinking, radiolabeling, and/or chemical or environmental
protecting.
[0032] The term "alkyl" is used herein to mean a branched or a
straight-chain saturated hydrocarbon group or substituent of 1 to
24 carbon atoms, such as methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl,
n-butyl, isobutyl, t-butyl, octyl, decyl, tetradecyl, hexadecyl,
eicosyl, tetracosyl and the like. In some embodiments, contemplated
alkyl groups contain 1 to 12 carbon atoms. The term "cyclic alkyl"
means an alkyl compound whose structure is characterized by one or
more closed rings. The cyclic alkyl may be mono-, bi-, tri- or
polycyclic depending on the number of rings present in the
compound. The term "aryl" is used herein to mean a monocyclic
aromatic species of 5 to 7 carbon atoms or a compound that is built
with monocyclic aromatic species of 5 to 7 carbon atoms and is
typically phenyl, naphthalyl, phenanthryl, anthracyl etc.
Optionally, these groups are substituted with one to four, more
preferably one to two alkyl, alkoxy, hydroxy, and/or nitro
substituents.
[0033] The term "alkenyl" is used herein to mean a branched or a
straight-chain hydrocarbon chain containing from 2 to 24 carbon
atoms and at least one double bond. Preferred alkenyl groups herein
contain 1 to 12 carbon atoms. The term "alkoxy" is used herein to
mean an alkyl group bound through a single, terminal ether linkage;
that is, an alkoxy group may be defined as --OR wherein R is an
alkyl group, as defined above. The term "arylalkylene" is used
herein to mean moieties containing both alkylene and monocyclic
aryl species, typically containing less than about 12 carbon atoms
in the alkylene portion, and wherein the aryl substituent is bonded
to the structure of interest through an alkylene linking group.
Exemplary arylalkylene groups have the structure
--(CH.sub.2).sub.j--Ar wherein "j" is an integer in the range of 1
to 6 and wherein "Ar" is an aryl species.
[0034] .epsilon.-Caprolactam, also known as aminocaproic lactam and
2-oxohexamethyleneimine, is a compound that is produced in flake
and molten forms and is used primarily in the manufacture of
nylon-6, nylon-66 and nylon-12 products such as those products
contemplated herein or other synthetic fibers, plastics, bristles,
films, coatings, synthetic leathers, plasticizers and paint
vehicles. Caprolactam can also be used as a cross-linking agent for
polyurethanes and in the synthesis of the amino acid lysine.
[0035] Amides, such as caprolactam, are generally produced by
reacting a ketone with hydroxylamine to make an oxime, and then
using an acid catalyzed rearrangement of the oxime(s),
conventionally called the Beckmann rearrangement, to form the
amide. Merchant quality caprolactam can be produced by methods
described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/251335 filed on
Sep. 21, 2002, which is commonly owned and herein incorporated in
its entirety.
[0036] In addition, methods are provided herein that teach that a
plied carpet fiber or carpet yarn material may be produced that
includes: a) providing at least one nontextured fiber component,
wherein each nontextured fiber component comprises a luster
component and b) forming the plied carpet fiber or carpet yarn
using the at least one nontextured fiber component. Other methods
are provided herein that teach a plied carpet yarn or carpet fiber
material that includes a) providing at least one nontextured fiber
component, wherein each nontextured fiber component comprises a
luster component, b) providing at least one textured fiber
component, wherein each textured fiber component comprises a luster
component; and c) combining the at least one nontextured fiber
component with the at least one textured fiber component to produce
a plied carpet fiber and/or carpet yarn.
[0037] The nontextured fiber components, textured fiber components
and/or the plurality of binder fibers may be provided by any
suitable method, including a) buying the nontextured fiber
components, textured fiber components and/or the plurality of
binder fibers from a supplier or textile mill; b) preparing or
producing the nontextured fiber components, textured fiber
components and/or the plurality of binder fibers in house using
chemicals provided by another source and/or c) preparing or
producing nontextured fiber components, textured fiber components
and/or the plurality of binder fibers in house using chemicals also
produced or provided in house or at the location. It is
contemplated that nontextured fiber components, textured fiber
components and/or the plurality of binder fibers are made of any
suitable material, such as those materials already described
herein.
[0038] The nontextured fiber components, textured fiber components,
additional fiber components and/or the plurality of binder fibers
can be combined once the components and, in some embodiments, the
plurality of binder fibers are provided. Combining nontextured
fiber components, textured fiber components and/or the plurality of
binder fibers can be done using any suitable, conventional and/or
readily available combining method. It is contemplated that
nontextured fiber components, textured fiber components and/or the
plurality of binder fibers can be combined together at the same
time or can be combined sequentially--meaning that, in some
contemplated embodiments, the nontextured fiber components and/or
textured fiber components can be combined first before the at least
some of the plurality of binder fibers is combined with both
components or the at least some of the plurality of the binder
fibers may be combined with each one of the nontextured fiber
component and/or the textured fiber component before each is
combined with one another. In contemplated embodiments, the
nontextured fiber components are combined with other nontextured
fiber components or textured fiber components by plying, cabling
and/or folding the fiber components with one another. It is also
contemplated that plying the nontextured fiber components with one
another or with textured fiber components coupled with heatsetting
the plied fiber components will significantly increase the luster
component of the plied yarn.
[0039] The fiber materials contemplated and described herein may be
used alone or in combination with other materials and/or products
to form any suitable product, including yarn products and carpet
products. It should be understood that the nontextured fiber
components, the textured fiber components, the plied carpet yarn
and/or the carpet product may be dyed--alone or in
combination--using any conventional dyeing methods, such as carpet
dyeing--exhaust or continuous dyeing, yarn skein dyeing and/or yarn
package dyeing. Precolored yarns may also be utilized, such as
those that are solution dyed during extrusion spinning or yarn
space dyed. Fibers may also be used that are dyed by solution
dyeing (extrusion melt dyeing)). Also, any conventional colorants
may be used, such as those that are currently being used in the
carpet and textile industries. It should also be understood that
the nontextured fiber components, the textured fiber components,
the plied carpet yarn and/or the carpet product may be produced in
a "non-dyed" form in order to send to customers for dying
treatments. In one example, the nontextured fiber components may be
dyed and then plied with textured fiber components. The resulting 2
or 3-ply yarn may then be heatset and the entire yarn dyed. This
second dying for the nontextured fiber components would produce
unique styling effects that combine color and luster in the final
carpet product.
EXAMPLES
[0040] The fiber materials, yarn products, carpet products and
methods used to produce those materials and products, as described
in the examples, are for illustrative purpose only and should not,
in any way, limit the scope of this invention.
Example 1
[0041] Undrawn feeder yarn for 1124 Medium Dyeable Bright (MB) was
obtained. The undrawn yarn or total bundle denier was 2786. This
denier is at take up in extrusion, which in this Example is the
first step in a two step operation. It should be understood,
however, that the two step process described in this Example can be
easily converted into a one step process that produces a similar
product. In this Example, the second step is called "Sintex" and
the yarn is drawn, thus reducing the total bundle denier to about
1037 denier. This drawn denier, which is about 1037, is divided by
the number of filaments (or 60 in this case) resulting in a denier
per filament (dpf) of 17.28. The Mod ratio, which is the ratio
between the outside and inside circumference of the cross-section
was calculated to be 2.33. The undrawn 2786 bundle denier fiber was
spun according to the specifications shown in Table 1. The samples
of 1024 MB produced an average 1037 drawn untextured total bundle
denier (v. 1150-1175 total bundle denier for standard drawn
textured 1124 MB) and commingling averaged 23 EPM. EPM stands for
"entanglement per meter" and are the "tack" points put in the yarn
to keep the individual filaments together during cabling. The 1024
MB drawn untextured process included pre-draw, mechanical draw,
bypassing texturing going directly to driven Roll 4, then to
commingling, and then relaxing 1% between driven Roll 4 and driven
Roll 5, and then to winder. The Sintex machine specifications for
this example are shown in Table 2. TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Spinning
Specifications Product 1124 MB Spin Description 2780 MB Polymer
Type MBM-Chip Capillary 8.5 .times. 30 .times. 30 Throughput (pph)
38.0 Spinnerette 60Y Type 146 Number of Filaments 60 Spin Merge
7845 Line 1 Model 50 Finish Type N-149-16 Drip Indicator Type 0.020
inches Winder Tensions (gms) 125 .+-. 15 Oil on Yarn (%) 1.00 .+-.
0.3 Lube Roll (RPM) 18.5 .+-. 0.5 Quench Inlet (126 CFM) 1.40 .+-.
0.05 Quench Exhaust (152 CFM) 1.55 .+-. 0.05 Undrawn Denier (units)
2805 .+-. 83 Mod Ratio 2.30 .+-. 0.3 TiO.sub.2 (%) N/A Monomer
Exhaust (Inches) 8 .+-. 0.5 ME Ring Temp (.degree. C.) N/A Sleeve
Number 2020 Inside Color Red Bars Outside Color Yellow/Red
Filtration 25 micron metal felts Pot Life (Days Max) 60 Max Pack
Pressure (psig) 4000 Schedule Wipes As Needed Doff Cycle 50 min
Target Range Zone Temperature (.degree. C.) 255 230-260 250 230-260
Adjustable 230-290 EPT (.degree. C.) 258 .+-. 7 Block Temp
(.degree. C.) 258 .+-. 7 QZT Range (.degree. C.) 1 to 120 Ind. QZT
120 Max
[0042] TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Sintex Machine Specifications
Specification 1024 MB (w/N-149-16) Finished Product 1024 MB
Description Feeder Yarn Description 2780 MB (Supply Yarn) Polymer
Type MBM-Chip Undrawn Sleeve 2020 Inside Red Bars Outside
Yellow/Red Controllers Superheater Temperature 390 .+-. 10.degree.
C. Impedence Temp., North OFF Impedence Temp., South OFF
Commingling Air Pressure 90 .+-. 15 psi Temco Commingling Jets LD
32.02 Air Blast On 90 .+-. 15 psi Inverters Roll 1 36.50 .+-. 0.3
(Frequency (Hz)) Roll 2 24.07 .+-. 0.3 Roll 3 61.27 .+-. 0.3 Roll 4
130.56 .+-. 0.3 Roll 5 129.25 .+-. 0.3 Print Roll 109 .+-. 3 Travel
Guide 65 .+-. 3 Line Gauge Settings Winder Air Pressure (P0) 65
.+-. 5 psi Anti-Burn Out Air 80 .+-. 2 psi Pressure Panel
Temperature 45 .+-. 20.degree. C. (Steady State) Nozzle 0.058
inches (Nominal) Drawing Speed 6420 FPM (6.0 k) Roll Ratios 2/1 1.1
3/1 2.8 4/3 1.0 5/4 0.99 Roll Number/Wraps Temperature .degree. C.
RPM 1/3 N/A 2191 .+-. 22 2 (Vapor)/6 120 .+-. 10 1444 .+-. 14 3
(Vapor)/6 155 .+-. 10 3676 .+-. 37 4/6 N/A 3917 .+-. 31 5/6 N/A
3878 .+-. 32 Doff Cycle 34 minutes/0 Seconds Between Winders 15
Seconds Nominal Package Size 10.3 inches Tensions After #4 Roll 150
.+-. 30 gms Before Comm. 50 .+-. 30 gms After Comm. 125 .+-. 30 gms
Winder 100 .+-. 30 gms Lab Samples Individual Denier 1000 .+-. 50
Limits EPM (eTYT) 25.0 (10-45) Crimp (eTYT) N/A
[0043] Thus, specific embodiments and applications of high luster
fiber materials and yarns, their manufacture and uses thereof have
been disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in
the art that many more modifications besides those already
described are possible without departing from the inventive
concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to
be restricted except in the spirit of the disclosure and the
claims. Moreover, in interpreting the disclosure and the claims,
all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner
consistent with the context. In particular, the terms "comprises"
and "comprising" should be interpreted as referring to elements,
components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the
referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or
utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps
that are not expressly referenced.
* * * * *
References