Process for making bamboo fiberfill and articles thereof

Abstract

A process for producing bamboo fiberfill from raw bamboo fiber includes, obtaining a bale of the raw bamboo fiber, picking up and separating the raw bamboo bale fiber into tufts of bamboo fiber with a bale opener, feeding the bamboo fiber tufts into a blending hopper configured to blend the bamboo fiber tufts, feeding the blended bamboo fiber tufts into a beater configured to open the bamboo fiber tufts, and feeding the opened bamboo fiber tufts into a fine opener configured to reduce the size of the opened bamboo fiber tufts and refine the opened bamboo fiber tufts into the bamboo fiberfill, wherein the bamboo fiberfill has a fiber length of about 30 millimeters to about 60 millimeters and a linear density of about 0.5 denier to about 5.0 denier.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 981,904, filed 23 Oct. 2007, which is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND[0002]This disclosure relates to processes for making bamboo fiberfill, and to articles comprising the bamboo fiberfill.[0003]A number of household textile articles are generally characterized as nonwoven fiberfill household textile articles. Broadly speaking, a fiberfill household textile article is comprised of a ticking or other type of casing filled with manufactured fibers, most commonly, polyester fibers, specially engineered for use as filling material. Common fiberfill household textile articles include beddings such as pillows, comforters, quilts, bedspreads, pads and other fiber products used or intended to be used on or about a bed or other place or other place for reclining or sleeping. For such articles, it is often desirable to have fibers with not only good resilien...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]Disclosed herein is a process for producing bamboo fiberfill. In one embodiment, a process for producing bamboo fiberfill from raw bamboo fiber includes obtaining a bale of the raw bamboo fiber, picking up and separating the raw bamboo bale fiber into tufts of bamboo fiber with a bale opener, feeding the bamboo fiber tufts into a blending hopper configured to blend the bamboo fiber tufts, feeding the blended bam

Problems solved by technology

Moreover, synthetic fibers are produced from the hydrocarbons of fossil fuels, and they do not readily decompose after their disposal.

Many of these natural fibers, however, also do not possess the anti-bacterial and deodorizing properties desirable in household bedding articles, and therefore, are also coated with artificial compounds.

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