US4783364A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Polyester fiberfill and process
Assignee: Invista North America LLC
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Filing: 1986-10-21
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Granted: 1988-11-08
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Expires: 2006-10-21
Abstract
Abstract Polyester fiberfill having spiral-crimp, especially in the form of an omega (Ω), that is randomly-arranged and entangled in the form of fiberballs with a minimum of hairs extending from their surface, and having a refluffable characteristic similar to that of down on account of the low cohesion between the balls. A process for making such fiberballs by repeatedly air-tumbling small tufts of such fiberfill against the wall of a vessel.
Inventors
- 👤 Marcus Ilan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 23:09
CPC Classifications
D; D04; D04H; D04H1/00; D04H1/02; A; A47; A47G; A47G9/00; B; B68; B68G; B68G1/00; D04H1/40; D04H1/42; D04H1/4326; D04H1/435; D04H1/4391; D04H1/43918; D04H1/54; D06; D06M; D06M15/00; D06M15/19; D06M15/37; D06M15/507; B68G2001/005; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/29; Y10T428/2904; Y10T428/2907; Y10T428/2909; Y10T428/2913; Y10T428/2922; Y10T428/2924; Y10T428/2929; Y10T428/2931; Y10T428/2933; Y10T428/2962; Y10T428/2964; Y10T428/2967; Y10T428/2969; Y10T428/2982; Y10T428/31504; Y10T428/31652; Y10T428/31663
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
41 words
Refluffable fiberballs of average dimension 1 to 15 mm, consisting essentially of randomly-arranged, entangled, Ω-crimped polyester fiberfill having a cut length of about 10 to about 60 mm, and having a cohesion measurement as defined of less than 6 Newtons (N).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
41 words
Refluffable fiberballs of average dimension 1 to 15 mm, consisting essentially of randomly-arranged, entangled, Ω-crimped polyester fiberfill having a cut length of about 10 to about 60 mm, and having a cohesion measurement as defined of less than 6 Newtons (N).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
Fiberballs according to claim 1, wherein the cohesion measurement is about 4.5 N or less.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
Fiberballs according to claim 2, wherein at least 50% by weight of the balls have a cross-section such that its maximum dimension is not more than twice its minimum dimension.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
Fiberballs according to claim 1, wherein the fiberfill is of denier 1 to 10.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
Blends of fiberballs according to claim 4, intimately blended with staple fibers of denier significantly higher than 10.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
Blends of fiberballs according to claim 1, intimately blended with pieces of light-weight non-woven fabrics in amount 5 to 30% by weight of the blend.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
Blends of fiberballs according to claim 1, intimately blended with down and/or feathers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
Fiberballs according to claim 1, packed into bags like down, so that the fiberballs may be removed and transported by suction.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
Fiberballs according to claim 1, compressed into packages of density up to about 100 Kg/m 3 , and such that the fiberballs may be removed and transported by suction.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
59 words
Refluffable fiberballs of average dimension 1 to 15 mm, consisting essentially of randomly-arranged, entangled, spirally-crimped polyester fiberfill having a cut length of about 10 to about 60 mm, and having a cohesion measurement as defined of less than 6 Newtons (N), wherein the fiberfill is lubricated with a coating of a slickener consisting essentially of chains of poly(alkylene oxide).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
59 words
Refluffable fiberballs of average dimension 1 to 15 mm, consisting essentially of randomly-arranged, entangled, spirally-crimped polyester fiberfill having a cut length of about 10 to about 60 mm, and having a cohesion measurement as defined of less than 6 Newtons (N), wherein the fiberfill is lubricated with a coating of a slickener consisting essentially of chains of poly(alkylene oxide).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
35 words
Fiberballs according to claim 10, wherein the fiberfill is coated with a segmented copolymer of poly(ethylene terephthalate) and poly(ethylene oxide) in amount from about 0.1 to about 1% by weight of the polyester staple fiber.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
A blend according to claim 1, wherein the fiberfill is coated with a modified poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(propylene oxide) grafted with functional groups to permit crosslinking, in amount from about 0.1 to about 1% by weight of the polyester staple fiber.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
44 words
Process for making polyester fiberfill having refluffable characteristics, wherein small tufts of polyester fiberfill having Ω-crimp are repeatedly tumbled by air against the wall of a vessel to provide an assembly of fiberballs having a cohesion value as defined of less than 6 N.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
44 words
Process for making polyester fiberfill having refluffable characteristics, wherein small tufts of polyester fiberfill having Ω-crimp are repeatedly tumbled by air against the wall of a vessel to provide an assembly of fiberballs having a cohesion value as defined of less than 6 N.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
Process according to claim 13, wherein the tufts are tumbled against a cylindrical wall of a vessel by air stirred by blades attached to a shaft rotating axially in the vessel.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
Process according to claim 14, wherein the small tufts and the air are recirculated through the vessel.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
36 words
Process according to claim 13, wherein the tufts are formed by feeding loose fiberfill into the vessel, and rotating the shaft and blades at a speed such that the fiberfill is separated into the small tufts.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
Process according to claim 13, wherein small tufts that are not elongated are formed before feeding them into the vessel for rounding and condensing by air-tumbling.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
Process according to claim 13, wherein the tufts formed in the vessel are treated with a lubricating slickener, and the cohesion value is reduced to about 3 N or less.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
Process according to claim 13, wherein the cohesion value of the assembly is about 4.5 N or less.
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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) | 1991-11-08 | 1992-05-09 | 1992-11-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-11-08 | 1996-05-09 | 1996-11-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-11-08 | 2000-05-09 | 2000-11-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |