Hills, Inc.

Outlast Technologies, Gmbh

Other

Jeffrey S Haggard

Mark Henry Hartmann

Monte Christopher Magill

Arnold E Wilkie

James E Brang

William H Hills

Fumin Lu

Arthur Talley, Jr

Angel Antonio De La Hoz

Mark R Miller

W Scott Harris

Michael W Felber

A continuous filament spun-laid web includes a plurality of polymer fibers within the web, the web having a first thickness and the web being free of any thermal or mechanical bonding treatment. Activation of the web results in at least one of an increase from the first thickness prior to activation to a second thickness post activation in which the second thickness is at least about two times greater than the first thickness, a decrease in density of the web post activation in relation to a density of the web prior to activation, the web being configured to withstand an elastic elongation from about 10% to about 350% in at least one of a machine direction (MD) of the web and a cross-direction (CD) of the web, and the web having a tensile strength from about 50 gram-force/cmto about 5000 gram-force/cm.

Method of forming a continuous filament spun-laid web

Multi-component fibers having enhanced reversible thermal properties and methods of manufacturing thereof are described. In one embodiment, a multi-component fiber includes a fiber body formed from a set of elongated members, and at least one of the set of elongated members includes a temperature regulating material having a latent heat of at least 40 J/g. The temperature regulating material provides thermal regulation based on at least one of absorption and release of the latent heat at the transition temperature. The multi-component fiber can be formed via a melt spinning process or a solution spinning process and can be used or incorporated in various products where a thermal regulating property is desired. For example, the multi-component fiber can be used in textiles, apparel, footwear, medical products, containers and packagings, buildings, appliances, and other products.

Multi-component fibers having enhanced reversible thermal properties and methods of manufacturing thereof

Multi-component fibers having enhanced reversible thermal properties and methods of manufacturing thereof are described. In one embodiment, a multi-component fiber includes a fiber body formed from a set of elongated members, and at least one of the set of elongated members includes a temperature regulating material having a latent heat of at least 40 J/g and a transition temperature in the range of 22&#xb0; C. to 40&#xb0; C. The temperature regulating material provides thermal regulation based on at least one of absorption and release of the latent heat at the transition temperature. The multi-component fiber can be formed via a melt spinning process or a solution spinning process and can be used or incorporated in various products where a thermal regulating property is desired. For example, the multi-component fiber can be used in textiles, apparel, footwear, medical products, containers and packagings, buildings, appliances, and other products.

Multi-component fibers having enhanced reversible thermal properties

A packer for downhole use features interacting elements of swelling material. Preferably the elements are in contact for relative movement from an initial diameter for run in. As the elements swell, they move with respect to each other to enlarge the diameter of the assembly so that a sealing contact is made. Each element exerts a residual force on the adjacent element to enhance the seal. Each element is preferably coated with a material that allows well fluids to reach the swelling material and then later to stiffen and become impervious from exposure to such fluids. The assembly can be covered for run in to delay the onset of expansion until the target depth is reached for the packer to be set.

Swelling packer with overlapping petals

A fiber extrusion pack for extruding molten material to form an array of fibers includes a number of split distribution plates arranged in a stack such that each split distribution plate forms a layer within the fiber extrusion pack, and features on the split distribution plates form a distribution network that delivers the molten material to orifices in the fiber extrusion pack. Each of the split distribution plates includes a set of plate segments with a gap disposed between adjacent plate segments. Adjacent edges of the plate segments are shaped to form reservoirs along the gap, and sealing plugs are disposed in the reservoirs to prevent the molten material from leaking from the gaps. The sealing plugs can be formed by the molten material that leaks into the gap and collects and solidifies in the reservoirs or by placing a plugging material in the reservoirs at pack assembly.

Fiber extrusion pack including split distribution plates

The invention relates to a multi-component fiber having enhanced reversible thermal properties and methods of manufacturing thereof. The multi-component fiber comprises a fiber body formed from a plurality of elongated members, at least one of the elongated members comprising a temperature regulating material dispersed therein. The temperature regulating material comprises a phase change material. The multi-component fiber may be formed via a melt spinning process or a solution spinning process and may be used or incorporated in various products where a thermal regulating property is desired. For example, the multi-component fiber may be used in textiles, apparel, footwear, medical products, containers and packagings, buildings, appliances, and other products.

A spinneret ( ) for extruding side-by-side bicomponent fibers includes a spinneret hole ( ) having a cross-sectional shape transverse to the direction of polymer flow that is asymmetric with respect to the arrangement of the side-by-side streams of polymer components therein. The lower viscosity component flows through a portion of the spinneret hole having a higher perimeter-to-area cross-sectional shape than the portion of the spinneret hole through which the higher viscosity component through which the lower viscosity component flows. The increased surface area (i.e., cross-sectional perimeter) of the spinneret hole contacting the lower viscosity polymer flow compensates for the viscosity differential between the polymer components that would otherwise result in dogleg bending of the extrudate.

Spinneret hole configuration for preventing bending of bicomponent extrudate

Nonwoven fabric is formed from a spunbond process by extruding generally ribbon-shaped fibers through slot-shaped orifices of a spinneret . The ribbon-shaped fibers are rapidly quenched after extrusion to achieve a substantially uniform molecular orientation throughout a transverse cross section of the fibers, yielding stronger fibers. The rapid quenching results largely from the relatively high aspect ratio (thinness) of the fibers and the relatively large surface area of the fibers, which permits the fibers to quickly cool throughout the transverse cross section. The ribbon-shaped fibers are drawn longitudinally by an aspirator that exerts a generally downward force produced by an air stream that longitudinally stretches and transversely attenuates the ribbon-shaped fibers in such a manner that the transverse cross-sectional shape of the ribbon-shaped fibers enhances the interaction between the air stream and the ribbon-shaped fibers to maximize the downward force. The attenuated ribbon-shaped fibers are deposited onto a web forming surface , such as a moving wire screen belt to form a web. The web is then bonded to form the nonwoven fabric.

Nonwoven fabrics formed from ribbon-shaped fibers and method and apparatus for making the same

A molten polymer filtration assembly includes at least three independently controllable and removable filter housings which extend from a common inlet passage to a common outlet passage, thereby providing parallel flow paths for polymer filtration. Each of the filter housings includes an inlet valve controlling the flow of polymer from the inlet passage, an outlet valve controlling the flow of polymer to the outlet passage, and a filtration passage which extends between the inlet and outlet valves and houses a candle-type filtration element. When the inlet and outlet valves are opened, the filter housing is on-stream and allows polymer to flow from the inlet to the outlet passage. Each filter housing is individually controllable, and can be set in an on-stream state independent of the state of any of the other filter housings, such that any number of filter housings can be on-stream at a given time. By setting the number of on-stream filter housing in correspondence with the polymer flow rate, the polymer residence time can be maintained in a relatively narrow range of durations over a wide range of polymer flow rates, thereby ensuring that the polymer residence time within the filtration system remains below an acceptable duration and that the polymer residence time is regulated to avoid significant fluctuation or variances in the polymer residence time. Interlocks prevent the closure of the outlet valve of each filter housing unless the inlet valve for that housing is closed. Removal of any filter housing is prevented unless its valves are both closed.

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Cocoa, FL, United States of America

Jeffrey S Haggard