US3923942A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Filler material and method of manufacturing same
Assignee: Toray Industries Inc
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Filing: 1974-01-16
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Granted: 1975-12-02
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Expires: 1994-01-16
Abstract
Abstract Down-like synthetic filler material comprises spherical elements or particles made up of filamentary material with a denser concentration of filaments near the surface of the filler elements or particles and provided by an eccentric stream of gas which shapes the filaments into the spherical element.
Inventors
- 👤 Shiro Nishiumi
- 👤 Shoichi Hasegawa
- 👤 Toshiyuki Mizoguchi
- 👤 Sachiko Furuta
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 23:10
CPC Classifications
B; B68; B68G; B68G1/00; D; D04; D04H; D04H3/00; D04H3/02; D04H3/07
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
155 words
IN A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A SPHERICAL BODY USEFUL AS A FILLER MATERIAL, FROM A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL, DISCONTINUOUS FILAMENTS WHICH ARE AT LEAST 0.2 METERS IN LENGTH, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE JETTING A STREAM OF SAID DISCONTINUOUS FILAMENTS TO OPEN AND SEPARATE SAID FILAMENTS, DIRECTING SAID FILAMENTS INTO A VESSEL HAVING VENT OPENINGS THERETHROUGH, CAUSING SAID FILAMENTS TO PILE UP THEREIN, AND THEN CAUSING THE PILED FILAMENTS TO BEND THREE-DIMENSIONALLY BY SUBJECTING THEM TO ENTRAINMENT IN A ROTATING STREAM OF GAS WHICH IS DIRECTED ECENTRICALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID VESSEL, SAID ECCENTRIC STREAM OF GAS ALSO BEING DIRECTED TO FORCE SAID FILAMENTS TO BE CONDENSED AND ROTATED INSIDE SAID VESSEL BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE INTO A GENERALLY SPHERICAL CONFIGURATION WITH SAID FILAMENTS CONTACTING EACH OTHER AND CONCENTRATED IN THE AREA OF THE SURFACE OF THE SPHERE, AND THEREBY TRANSFORMED INTO A SPHERICAL BODY, AND THEN ADHERING SAID FILAMENTS TO EACH OTHER AT THEIR CONTACT POINTS.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
155 words
IN A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A SPHERICAL BODY USEFUL AS A FILLER MATERIAL, FROM A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL, DISCONTINUOUS FILAMENTS WHICH ARE AT LEAST 0.2 METERS IN LENGTH, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE JETTING A STREAM OF SAID DISCONTINUOUS FILAMENTS TO OPEN AND SEPARATE SAID FILAMENTS, DIRECTING SAID FILAMENTS INTO A VESSEL HAVING VENT OPENINGS THERETHROUGH, CAUSING SAID FILAMENTS TO PILE UP THEREIN, AND THEN CAUSING THE PILED FILAMENTS TO BEND THREE-DIMENSIONALLY BY SUBJECTING THEM TO ENTRAINMENT IN A ROTATING STREAM OF GAS WHICH IS DIRECTED ECENTRICALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID VESSEL, SAID ECCENTRIC STREAM OF GAS ALSO BEING DIRECTED TO FORCE SAID FILAMENTS TO BE CONDENSED AND ROTATED INSIDE SAID VESSEL BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE INTO A GENERALLY SPHERICAL CONFIGURATION WITH SAID FILAMENTS CONTACTING EACH OTHER AND CONCENTRATED IN THE AREA OF THE SURFACE OF THE SPHERE, AND THEREBY TRANSFORMED INTO A SPHERICAL BODY, AND THEN ADHERING SAID FILAMENTS TO EACH OTHER AT THEIR CONTACT POINTS.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the filaments to be opened with an air stream and ejected into the vessel are cut intermittently, to a certain length longer than 0.2 meter and are then ejected into said vessel to be transformed into said spherical body.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the direction of movement of the filaments is controlled by a connecting tube mounted between the outlet from which said filaments are ejected and said vessel, to control the direction of filament movement into said vessel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said filaments are directed eccentrically with respect to said vessel, and said filaments are smoothly rotated and thereby transformed into spheres.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the said filaments piled up in the vessel are directed eccentrically with respect to said vessel by the translational movement of said vessel with respect to said jet stream and thereby said filaments are transformed into spheres.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein another stream, separate from the stream ejecting said filaments, is eccentrically directed toward said filaments in said vessel, and at an angle to the stream first mentioned, and at a pressure to cause said filaments to be rotated by said eccentric stream, and thereby transformed into spheres.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the contact points of said filaments are adhered by sprAying an adhesive fluid onto them, which adhesive is of a nature to adhere said filaments to one another.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
69 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein a staple fiber or polymer powder having a melting point at least 30*C below the melting point of said discontinuous filaments is blended into said discontinuous filaments, and said discontinuous filaments thermally affixed in spherical form to each other at a temperature below the melting point of said discontinuous filaments and above the melting point of said added staple or powder.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
60 words
A method as recited in claim 7, wherein at least 30% of said filaments are conjugate filaments having a component which has a melting point at least 30* C below that of the remaining filaments, and the filaments of said spherical body are affixed at a temperature between the melting points of said remaining filaments and said low melting component.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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US3148101A
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US3595731A
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-12-01 | 1979-06-02 | 1979-12-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-12-01 | 1983-06-02 | 1983-12-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-12-01 | 1987-06-02 | 1987-12-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |