US4320167A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Nonwoven fabric and method of production thereof
Assignee: BP Corp North America Inc
•
Filing: 1979-11-19
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Granted: 1982-03-16
•
Expires: 1999-11-19
Abstract
Abstract A nonwoven textile fabric comprising a needled and drawn batt comprising intermixed acrylic fibers and additional fibers selected from the group consisting of polyester fibers, nylon fibers and mixtures of polyester fibers and nylon fibers, with at least a portion of said additional fibers being fused and the acrylic fibers being essentially unfused. The nonwoven textile fabric is produced by forming a batt comprising the acrylic fibers and the additional fibers, drafting and needling the batt and fusing at least a portion of the additional fibers of the needled and drafted batt while allowing the acrylic fibers to remain substantially unfused. Fusing the additional fibers is preferably accomplished by means of infrared radiation.
Inventors
- 👤 Marvin Wishman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 05:00
CPC Classifications
D; D04; D04H; D04H1/00; D04H1/40; D04H1/54; D04H1/44; D04H1/46; D04H1/48; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/23907; Y10T428/23979; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24058; Y10T428/24124; Y10T442/00; Y10T442/60; Y10T442/682; Y10T442/684; Y10T442/69; Y10T442/692
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 63
Claim 1
Independent Claim
70 words
A method of producing a nonwoven fabric comprising the steps of: forming a batt comprising acrylic fibers and additional fibers selected from the group consisting of polyester fibers, nylon fibers and mixtures of polyester and nylon fibers; drafting said batt; needling said batt; and selectively fusing at least a portion of said additional fibers of said thus drafted and needled batt while allowing said acrylic fibers to remain substantially unfused.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
70 words
A method of producing a nonwoven fabric comprising the steps of: forming a batt comprising acrylic fibers and additional fibers selected from the group consisting of polyester fibers, nylon fibers and mixtures of polyester and nylon fibers; drafting said batt; needling said batt; and selectively fusing at least a portion of said additional fibers of said thus drafted and needled batt while allowing said acrylic fibers to remain substantially unfused.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 1.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said additional fibers of said batt are fused by infrared radiation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 3.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 or claim 3 wherein said batt is heat stabilized subsequent to said fusing step.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein said batt is heat stabilized and dyed with a cationic dye in a liquid bath at about 100° C.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein said batt is heat stabilized in a liquid at about 100° C.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
8 words
A nonwoven fabric in accordance with claim 7.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 or claim 3 wherein said batt is simultaneously heat stabilized and dyed in a liquid bath at about 100° C. subsequent to said fusing step.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said additional fibers are polyester fibers.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
117 words
A method of producing a nonwoven fabric comprising the steps of: forming a batt comprising acrylic fibers and additional fibers selected from the group consisting of polyester fibers, nylon fibers and mixtures of polyester and nylon fibers, wherein said acrylic fibers and said additional fibers are positioned generally in a first direction; drafting said thus formed batt in a second direction, said second direction being generally normal to said first direction; needling said thus drafted batt; drafting said thus needled batt in said first direction; and selectively fusing at least a portion of said additional fibers of said batt subsequent to drafting said batt in the first direction while allowing said acrylic fibers to remain substantially unfused.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
117 words
A method of producing a nonwoven fabric comprising the steps of: forming a batt comprising acrylic fibers and additional fibers selected from the group consisting of polyester fibers, nylon fibers and mixtures of polyester and nylon fibers, wherein said acrylic fibers and said additional fibers are positioned generally in a first direction; drafting said thus formed batt in a second direction, said second direction being generally normal to said first direction; needling said thus drafted batt; drafting said thus needled batt in said first direction; and selectively fusing at least a portion of said additional fibers of said batt subsequent to drafting said batt in the first direction while allowing said acrylic fibers to remain substantially unfused.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 11.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein at least a portion of said additional fibers of said batt are fused by infrared fusion subsequent to drafting said batt in the first direction.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 13.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein said batt is heat stabilized subsequent to said infrared fusing step.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 15.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein said batt is heat stabilized in boiling water subsequent to said infrared fusing step.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 17.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein said batt is simultaneously heat stabilized and dyed with a cationic dye in a liquid bath at about 100° C. subsequent to said infrared fusing step.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 19.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method in accordance with claim 11 or claim 13 wherein said additional fibers are polyester fibers.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein at least a portion of said additional fibers of said batt are fused by infrared fusion subsequent to drafting said batt in the first direction but while said batt is still subjected to drafting tension in at least the first direction.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 22.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein said batt is heat stabilized subsequent to said infrared fusing step.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 24.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein said batt is heat stabilized in boiling water subsequent to said infrared fusing step.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 26.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method in accordance with claim 26 wherein said acrylic fibers are present in said batt in an amount at least about 80 percent by weight and said additional fibers are polyester fibers and are present in said batt in an amount at most about 20 percent by weight based on the weight of said batt.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 28.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein said batt is simultaneously heat stabilized and dyed with a cationic dye in a liquid bath at about 100° C. subsequent to said infrared fusing step.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 30.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
55 words
A method in accordance with claim 30 wherein said acrylic fibers are present in said batt in an amount at least 80 percent by weight and said additional fibers are polyester fibers and are present in said batt in an amount at most about 20 percent by weight based on the weight of said batt.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 32.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
62 words
A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein said additional fibers are present in said batt in an amount in the range from about 5 to about 50 percent by weight and said acrylic fibers are present in said batt in an amount in the range from about 50 to about 95 percent by weight based on the weight of said batt.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 34.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method in accordance with claim 22 or claim 34 wherein said additional fibers are polyester fibers.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein said additional fibers are present in said batt in an amount at most about 20 weight percent and said acrylic fibers are present in said batt in an amount at least about 80 percent by weight based on the weight of said batt.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
61 words
A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein said acrylic fibers are staple fibers and are present in said batt in an amount at least about 80 percent by weight and said additional fibers are polyester staple fibers and are present in said batt in an amount at most about 20 percent by weight based on the weight of said batt.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
12 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 37 or claim 20.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein said batt is heat stabilized subsequent to said fusing step.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 40.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
62 words
A method in accordance with claim 40 wherein said additional fibers are present in said batt in an amount in the range from about 5 to about 50 percent by weight and said acrylic fibers are present in said batt in an amount in the range from about 50 to about 95 percent by weight based on the weight of said batt.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 42.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein said batt is heat stabilized in boiling water subsequent to said fusing step.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 44.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method in accordance with claim 44 wherein said additional fibers are present in said batt in an amount in the range from about 5 to about 50 percent by weight and said acrylic fibers are present in the range from about 50 to about 95 percent by weight based on the weight of said batt.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 46.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein said batt is simultaneously heat stabilized and dyed with a cationic dye in a liquid bath at about 100° C. subsequent to said fusing step.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 48.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method in accordance with claim 48 wherein said additional fibers are present in said batt in an amount in the range from about 5 to about 50 percent by weight and said acrylic fibers are present in the range from about 50 to about 95 percent by weight based on the weight of said batt.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
9 words
A nonwoven fabric produced in accordance with claim 50.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein said acrylic fiber and said additional fibers are staple fibers.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
54 words
A nonwoven textile fabric comprising: a needled and drawn batt comprising intermixed acrylic fibers and additional fibers selected from the group consisting of polyester fibers, nylon fibers and mixtures of polyester fibers and nylon fibers; and at least a portion of said additional fibers being selectively fused and said acrylic fibers being essentially unfused.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
54 words
A nonwoven textile fabric comprising: a needled and drawn batt comprising intermixed acrylic fibers and additional fibers selected from the group consisting of polyester fibers, nylon fibers and mixtures of polyester fibers and nylon fibers; and at least a portion of said additional fibers being selectively fused and said acrylic fibers being essentially unfused.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
64 words
A nonwoven textile fabric in accordance with claim 53 wherein said additional fibers are present in said batt in an amount in the range from about 5 to about 50 percent by weight and said acrylic fibers are present in said batt in an amount in the range from about 50 to about 95 percent by weight based on the weight of the batt.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
62 words
A nonwoven fabric in accordance with claim 53 wherein said additional fibers are present in said batt in an amount in the range from about 5 to about 20 weight percent and said acrylic fibers are present in said batt in an amount in the range from about 80 to about 95 percent by weight based on the weight of said batt.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
54 words
A nonwoven textile fabric in accordance with claim 53 wherein said acrylic fibers are present in said batt in an amount at least about 80 percent by weight and said additional fibers are present in said batt in an amount at most about 20 percent by weight based on the weight of said batt.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
58 words
A nonwoven textile fabric in accordance with claim 53 wherein said acrylic fibers are present in said batt in an amount at least about 80 percent by weight and said additional fibers are polyester fibers and are present in said batt in an amount at most about 20 percent by weight based on the weight of said batt.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
19 words
A nonwoven textile fabric in accordance with claim 53 or claim 54 wherein said additional fibers are polyester fibers.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
19 words
A nonwoven fabric in accordance with claim 58 wherein said acrylic fibers and said polyester fibers are staple fibers.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
17 words
A nonwoven fabric in accordance with claim 53 wherein said needled and drawn batt is heat stabilized.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1985-03-15 | 1985-09-14 | 1986-03-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1989-03-15 | 1989-09-14 | 1990-03-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1993-03-15 | 1993-09-14 | 1994-03-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |