EP0466778B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Fibers capable of spontaneously transporting fluids
Assignee: Eastman Chemical Co
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Filing: 1990-04-03
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Granted: 1994-08-24
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Expires: 2010-04-03
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed are fibers that are capable of spontaneously transporting certain fluids, for example aqueous fluids, such as water, on their surfaces. The fibers, especially in the form of tow, can be incorporated into absorbant articles, such as diapers, in order to transport fluids to more effectively utilize the absorbant portion of the article.
Inventors
- 👤 Bobby Mal Phillips
- 👤 Shriram Bagrodia
- 👤 William Alston Haile
- 👤 Harry Probert Hall
- 👤 David Augustus Casey
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 04:35
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F13/00; A61F13/15; A61F13/53; A61F13/534; A61F13/537; A61F13/53708; A61F13/53717; A61F13/538; A61L; A61L15/00; A61L15/16; A61L15/42; D; D01; D01D; D01D5/00; D01D5/22; D01D5/23; D01D5/253; D01F; D01F6/00; D01F6/88; D01F6/92; D01F6/96; D02; D02G; D02G1/00; A61F13/51; A61F2013/51002; A61F2013/51009; A61F2013/51023; A61F2013/51033; A61F2013/51059; A61F2013/51066; A61F2013/51073; A61F2013/530131; A61F2013/530138; A61F2013/530153; A61F2013/53016; A61F2013/530175; A61F2013/530226; A61F2013/530299; A61F2013/530868; A61F2013/530897; A61F2013/530912; A61F2013/530927; A61F2013/530956; A61F2013/530963; A61F2013/530978; A61F2013/53721; A61F2013/5383
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
106 words
A synthetic fiber which is capable of spontaneously transporting water on the surface thereof wherein said fiber satisfies the equation (1-X cos ϑ a ) < 0, wherein ϑ a is the advancing contact angle of water measured on a flat film made from the same material as the fiber and having the same surface treatment, if any, X is a shape factor of the fiber cross-section that satisfies the following equation wherein P w is the wetted perimeter of the fiber and r is the radius of the circumscribed circle circumscribing the fiber cross-section and D is the minor axis dimension across the fiber cross-section.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
13 words
The fiber of Claim 1 wherein (1-X cos ϑ a ) < -0.3.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
The fiber of Claim 1 wherein (1-X cos ϑ a ) < -0.9.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
The fiber of Claim 1 wherein (1-X cos ϑ a ) < -1.2.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The fiber of Claim 1 wherein 2 r D is between 1.5 and 5.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
The fiber of Claim 1 which satisfies the equation wherein γ LA is the surface tension of water in air in dynes/cm, ρ is the fiber density in grams/cc, and dpf is the denier of the single fiber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The fiber of Claim 1 wherein X is from about 1.2 to about 5.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The fiber of Claim 1 having a single fiber denier of between 10 and 70.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The fiber of Claim 1 comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of a polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, a cellulose ester, and a nylon.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
The fiber of Claim 9 having coated thereon a layer of a hydrophilic lubricant.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
The fiber of Claim 1 wherein the width of each groove in the fiber cross-section at any depth in the groove is equal to or less than the width of the groove at its mouth.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
98 words
An absorbant article comprising two or more fibers of Claim 1 wherein at least part of said fibers are located near the center of said absorbant article and at least part of same said fibers are located away from the center of said absorbant article; and wherein said fibers are capable of being in contact with an aqueous fluid for at least 10 seconds near the center of said absorbant article; and wherein away from the center of said absorbant article one or more sinks are present in said absorbant article that are in contact with said fibers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
11 words
A tow comprising a plurality of the fibers of Claim 1.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
53 words
An absorbant article comprising a diaper or incontinent pad having a major axis and a minor axis and a length in excess of a width which comprises a top sheet, a back sheet, and an absorbant core comprising at least one absorbant layer wherein said article further comprises the tow of Claim 13.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
49 words
The article of Claim 14 wherein said tow is uniformly spread across all or part of the width of the article and the fibers of the tow are substantially parallel to the major axis of the article and extend from about 1/2 to substantially the length of the article.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
The article of Claim 14 wherein the fibers of the tow are substantially parallel to the major axis of the diaper and extend substantially the length of the diaper.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
The article of Claim 14 wherein said absorbant core comprises fluff pulp and superabsorbant powder.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
61 words
The absorbant article of Claim 14 which is a diaper containing up to 3 tows of Claim 14 wherein the major axis of each tow lies between ±30° around the major axis of the diaper and wherein the tows lie either just beneath the top sheet or lie intimately mixed with the absorbant core or lie adjacent to the back sheet.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
11 words
Staple fibers comprising a plurality of cut fibers of Claim 1.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
59 words
An absorbant article comprising a diaper or incontinent pad having a major axis and a minor axis and a length in excess of a width comprising a top sheet, a back sheet, and an absorbant core comprising at least one absorbant layer wherein said core comprises an intimate blend of the staple fiber of Claim 15 with fluff pulp.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
103 words
The fiber of Claim 1 incorporated into one or more of the following: a tampon, a sweat absorbing headband or wristband, a surgical sponge or a wound dressing, a sweat absorbing and distributing insole for footwear, a wipe, a fabric softener strip for use in clothes dryers, a wound drain or surgical drain, a towel, a geotextile, athletic socks, a jogging suit, a cosmetic applicator, a furniture polish applicator, a pap smear sampler, a throat culture sampler, a blood-analyzer test element, an ink cartridge, a household and industrial deodorizer, a humidifier fabric, a moist filter media, an orthopaedic cast liner, or spunbonded structures.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
48 words
A spinneret having at least one orifice substantially as described in Figure 3 wherein W is between 0.064 mm and 0.12 mm; X₄ is 2W ± 0.5W; ϑ₂ is 30° ± 30°; ϑ₄ is 45° ± 45°; ϑ₆ is 30° ± 30°; and ϑ₈ is 45° ± 45°.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
43 words
A spinneret having at least one orifice substantially as described in Figure 4 wherein W is between 0.64 mm and 0.12 mm; X₂₂ is 3W ± W; X₂₄ is 4W ± 2W; X₃₀ is 2W ± 0.5W; and ϑ₁₀ is 45° ± 15°.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
39 words
A spinneret having at least one orifice substantially as described in Figure 5 wherein W is between 0.064 mm and 0.12 mm; X₃₄ is 2W ± 0.5W; and n = number of legs per 180° = 2 to 6.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
88 words
A spinneret having at least one orifice substantially as described in Figure 6 wherein W is between 0.064 mm and 0.12 mm; X₄₄ is 11W ± 5W; X₄₆ is 11W ± 5W; X₄₈ is 24W ± 10W; X₅₀ is 38W ± 13W; X₅₆ is 11W ± 5W; X₅₈ is 7W ± 5W; X₆₀ is 17W ± 7W; X₆₂ is 28W ± 11W; X₆₄ is 24W ± 10W; X₆₆ is 17W ± 7W; X₆₈ is 2W ± 0.5W; ϑ₁₈ is 45° ± 15° and ϑ₂₀ is 45° ± 15°.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
48 words
A spinneret having at least one orifice substantially as described in Figure 7 wherein W is between 0.064 mm and 0.12 mm; X₄ is 2W ± 0.5W; ϑ₂ is 30° ± 30°; ϑ₄ is 45° ± 45°; ϑ₆ is 30° ± 30°; and ϑ₈ is 45° ± 45°.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
48 words
A spinneret having at least one orifice substantially as described in Figure 8 wherein W is between 0.064 mm and 0.12 mm; X₄ is 2W ± 0.5W; ϑ₂ is 30° ± 30°; ϑ₄ is 45° ± 45°; ϑ₆ is 30° ± 30°; and ϑ₈ is 45° ± 45°.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
103 words
A spinneret having at least one orifice substantially as described in Figure 6A wherein W is between 0.064 mm and 0.12 mm, X₇₆ is 12W ± 4W, X₇₈ is 8W ± 4W, X₈₀ is 24W ± 12W, X₈₂ is 18W ± 6W, X₈₆ is 16W ± 6W, X₈₈ is 24W ± 12W, X₉₀ is 18W ± 6W, X₉₂ is 2W ± 0.5W, ϑ₂₂ is 135° ± 30°, ϑ₂₆ is 45° ± 15°, ϑ₂₈ is 45° ± 15°, ϑ₃₀ is 45° ± 15°, ϑ₃₂ is 45° ± 15°, ϑ₃₄ is 45° ± 15°, ϑ₃₆ is 45° ± 15°, and ϑ₃₈ is 45° ± 15°.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
130 words
A process for preparing a fiber that satisfies the equation (1-X cos ϑ a ) < 0, wherein ϑ a is the advancing contact angle of water measured on a flat film made from the same material as the fiber and having the same surface treatment, X is a shape factor of the fiber cross-section that satisfies the following equation wherein P w is the wetted perimeter of the fiber and r is the radius of the circumscribed circle circumscribing the fiber cross-section and D is the minor axis dimension across the fiber cross-section, comprising heating a fiber-forming material at or above its melting point and extruding said heated material through a spinneret having at least one orifice capable of forming the desired fiber, and applying an appropriate surface treatment.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
29 words
Process for spontaneously transporting an aqueous fluid comprising contacting at least a synthetic fiber according to any of claims 1 to 11 with the aqueous fluid to be transported.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
29 words
Process for spontaneously transporting an alcoholic fluid comprising contacting at least a synthetic fiber according to any of claims 1 to 11 with the alcoholic fluid to be transported.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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