Flexible articles formed from fibrous liquid slurries having surface features and methods for making same

Abstract

A flexible article formed from a fibrous liquid slurry having surface features and a method for making the same is provided. The article is formed from a slurry comprised of an aqueous solution containing a plurality of fibers and a photoreactive agent. The slurry is formed into a three-dimensional solid fibrous molded part. The solid fibrous molded part is exposed to a light source such that the light reacts with the photoreactive agent to create at least one surface feature. The surface feature can be, for example, a texture or color change.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Priority claims This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 425,766, filed November 16, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The field of the invention is apparatus and methods for forming two- or three-dimensional articles, and more particularly, for forming two- or three-dimensional articles from an aqueous slurry containing a plurality of fibers. [Background technology]

[0003] Current processes for making flexible articles, such as clothing, footwear (e.g., shoe uppers), bags, furniture, medical supplies, cleaning tools and consumables, toys, automotive interior parts, cases and housings for home appliances, and other flexible articles, are often wasteful and involve multiple steps. Within each manufacturing step, there are separate, inefficient, labor-intensive processes that often require the transportation of materials between steps. Scrap material (e.g., fabric that has been cut but not used) is often simply discarded, adding to the waste in the process. Additionally, it is often difficult to create patterns or prints / images that appear on three-dimensional items during production, it is difficult to create customized or post-order on-demand patterns or prints / images on products, and it is often difficult to create patterns or prints / images on textured items. These and other shortcomings in the prior art are addressed by the present invention, as disclosed herein. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, a molded article having surface features created by a reactive component (e.g., a photoreactive agent that interacts with light from a light source) that causes a reaction to create the surface feature, and a method for making the same, are disclosed. The method for producing the molded article includes providing a slurry including at least an aqueous solution containing a quantity of water, a plurality of fibers, and a reactive component (e.g., a photoreactive agent); providing the slurry in a mold defining a three-dimensional cavity; draining at least a portion of the water from the slurry; applying at least one of heat and pressure to cause at least one of interfiber bonding and chemical crosslinking between the plurality of fibers so that the slurry is converted into a solid fibrous molded article; removing the solid fibrous molded article from the mold; and, in an exemplary embodiment using a photoreactive agent, exposing the solid fibrous molded article to a light source such that the light from the light source reacts with the photoreactive agent to create at least one surface feature. In other embodiments, the reactive component may be exposed to a different agent that reacts. The surface feature may be, for example, a texture or color change.

[0005] According to another aspect of the invention, the fibers may be selected from natural fibers, semi-synthetic fibers, and synthetic fibers.

[0006] According to a further aspect of the invention, the slurry may include a bio-based molecule or polymer.

[0007] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a screen may be positioned between the light source and the solid fibrous molded part to block the light from contacting at least a portion of the surface of the solid fibrous molded part.

[0008] In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, the screen may include cutouts that allow light to pass through portions of the screen.

[0009] One advantage of the present invention includes the ability to make patterns or prints / images appear on a three-dimensional item during creation.

[0010] Another advantage of the present invention includes the ability to create customized or custom on-demand patterns or prints / images on products.

[0011] A further advantage of the present invention includes the ability to create patterns or prints / images on textured items.

[0012] These and other advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of this disclosure and drawings.

[0013] These and other features of the present disclosure will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the various aspects of the disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating various embodiments of the disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 shows a schematic setup for adding at least a portion of the desired components of the slurry to a mixer. [Figure 2] 1 shows a schematic setup for mixing the slurry, delivering a quantity of the slurry to a mold, and removing a solid fibrous molded part from the mold. [Figure 3] 1 shows a first embodiment of applying an image onto an article using a light source. [Figure 4] 1 shows a second embodiment that utilizes a light source to provide an image on an article. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Referring now to Figures 1-4, the present invention is an article 10 including surface features 12, as well as an apparatus and method for making the article. The surface features 12 can include, for example, texture, pattern, and / or dimension created by interactive components and / or a molding process. Typical articles formed using the methods and apparatus disclosed herein include, but are not limited to, footwear, clothing and various other apparel, bags and various other accessories, automotive interiors and parts, consumer goods, furniture interiors, and soft medical products. Examples of footwear include, but are not limited to, shoe uppers. Examples of clothing articles include, but are not limited to, shirts, shorts, gowns and other medical garments, dresses, skirts, pants, socks, vests, sweaters, scarves, hats, gloves, mittens, and underwear. Examples of bags include, but are not limited to, handbags, wallets, backpacks, book bags, satchels, and clutches. Examples of automotive interior parts include, but are not limited to, interior panels, interior trim, seat covers, floor mats, dashboard covers, and steering wheel covers. Examples of consumer goods include, but are not limited to, laptop / computer housings, flexible circuit board covers, phone cases, flexible cleaning products, and feminine hygiene products. Examples of furniture interiors include, but are not limited to, chair and couch covers, and wall coverings or paneling. Examples of soft medical products include, but are not limited to, bandages and various other covers, slings, and various other stabilizing elements, including soft articles for use within the body.

[0016] While the present disclosure is directed to making shoe uppers in accordance with the present invention, those skilled in the art will understand that the teachings herein may be used to make any of the above articles without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. The above list of articles is intended to be exemplary and non-limiting.

[0017] The present invention includes a solid molded fibrous part 14 formed from an aqueous slurry (hereinafter "slurry 20") including a plurality of fibers 16 and at least one reactive component (e.g., photoreactant 18). Either during or after formation of the solid fibrous molded part 14, at least a portion of the solid fibrous molded part 14 is exposed to a light source 22 that reacts with the photoreactant 18 within the solid fibrous molded part 14, causing a change in the properties of the surface (e.g., surface features 12).

[0018] The slurry 20 can include natural fibers, semi-synthetic fibers, synthetic fibers, or combinations thereof. Natural fibers include wood fibers, plant fibers, and animal fibers. Wood fibers include, but are not limited to, bleached and / or unbleached and / or recycled hardwood and / or softwood fibers. Plant-based fibers can include, but are not limited to, cotton, flax, hemp, jute, ramie, bamboo, sisal, abaca, kapok, coir, and general agricultural waste. Animal fibers can include, but are not limited to, wool, silk, cashmere, alpaca, llama, mohair, yak, camel hair, quivito, vicuna, angora, and horsehair. Semi-synthetic fibers can include, but are not limited to, cellulosic fibers such as rayon, viscose, modal, Tencel, lyocell, and acetate. Synthetic fibers may include, but are not limited to, polyester, nylon, olefin, spandex / elastane, acrylic, PVC, aramid, and microfiber. Additionally, sustainable synthetic fibers such as polylactic acid (PLA) fibers and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) fibers may be used. One or more fiber types may be added, and any other components, such as, but not limited to, bio-based and / or synthetic molecules / polymers and additives, may be added to the materials used either before forming (while in a fluid state), after the material has dried, or after the item (or portion of an item) has been formed. Bio-based molecules / polymers may be added as binders and / or retention agents to enhance the wet and dry strength of the solid fibrous molded part 25. These bio-based molecules / polymers include, but are not limited to, chitosan, starch, ionic starch, cellulosic materials such as, but not limited to, carboxymethylcellulose, nanofibrillated cellulose, nanocellulose, natural rubber latex, collagen, gelatin, alginate, polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, and polyhydroxyalkanoates.Additionally, synthetic molecules / polymers and synthetic molecules / polymers with a certain amount of bio-based carbon can be used in the material to improve mechanical strength, such as, but not limited to, polyurethane emulsions, thermoplastic materials, and resins such as polyaminoamide-epichlorohydrin (PAE). One suitable slurry is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 466,792, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0019] Additionally, as an example of an interactive component, a photoreactor may be mixed into the slurry or added during the final stage (e.g., drying) while the solid fibrous molded part is curing, or after the molding process is complete.

[0020] During these times, at least a portion of the solid fibrous molded part 14 is exposed to the light source 22, which reacts with the photoreactive agent 18 in the solid fibrous molded part 14, causing a change in the properties of the surface (e.g., surface features 12). The change in properties may occur at or around the location of interaction of the light from the light source 22 with the reactive agent on the surface 23 of the solid fibrous molded part 14. After the desired effect is achieved, a washing step may be used to stop the reaction between the light from the light source 22 and the photoreactive agent in the solid fibrous molded part 14.

[0021] Examples of photoreactive agents 18 include, but are not limited to, "sun paint" that can function using infrared, heat, or drying mechanisms, "photosensitive" dyes such as SolarFast dyes that are sensitive to sunlight and / or ultraviolet light and can generate patterns based on exposure to sunlight and / or ultraviolet light, and "blue and silver printing" that utilizes certain chemicals that can develop patterns when exposed to light or certain regions of the EM spectrum.

[0022] The slurry 20 can be made by combining the fibers 16, water 26, interactive components such as the photoreactant 18, and any other desired components in a mixer 28. FIG. 1 shows an exemplary setup in which a series of raw material sources 30 are in communication with the mixer, allowing amounts of various raw materials to be provided (e.g., pumped or gravity-fed) into the mixer 28 as desired. In the illustrated example, up to six raw material sources 30 are provided. Additionally, a water source 32 and a fiber 16 source are also provided for adding the desired amount of fiber 16 to the mixer 28. Upon entering the mixer 28, the components are generally mixed until all components are thoroughly mixed and / or dispersed, and the slurry takes the form of a mixture, foam, or homogeneous fiber dispersion. An example of the above-described slurry may contain, but is not limited to, the following contents: water (20-99.99%), fiber (0.0075-60%), and other additives (0.0025-20%).

[0023] Referring now to FIG. 2 , once the desired ingredients are combined and mixed in mixer 28, the mixed slurry 20 can then be poured, pumped, or gravity-fed into a mold 34. In the illustrated embodiment, mold 34 has a first mold section 36 and a second mold section 38. First mold section 36 includes a screen 40 that retains the solid fibers while having openings 42 that generally allow water to drain therethrough. Second mold section 38 includes a desired two- or three-dimensional shape to be at least partially imparted onto the solid fibrous molded part 14. Optionally, screen 40 in the first mold section may also have the two- or three-dimensional shape to be at least partially imparted onto the solid fibrous molded part 14. As the water drains from slurry 20 through the screen, heat and / or pressure can be applied to achieve interfiber bonding, polymer-to-polymer bonding, and polymer-to-fiber bonding, as well as chemical crosslinking. In some embodiments, some or substantially all of the water is removed from slurry 20. In other embodiments, it may be desirable to retain some or all of the water depending on the intended final design. The solid fibrous molded part is removed from the mold 34 and, optionally, allowed to dry further.

[0024] In alternative embodiments, rather than adding additional additives, such as, but not limited to, thermoplastic elements, conductive and / or electronic elements, dyes, photoreactors 18, and coatings, during the mixing stage prior to forming, the additional additives can be added during a dewatering stage when water is being drained from the mold, during a drying stage after the solid fibrous molded part 14 is removed from the mold 34, and / or during a secondary operation in which the solid fibrous molded part 14 is pressed into a new shape after being removed from the mold 34. These interactive components, such as photoreactors 18, can impart or enable several desirable surface features 12 on the surface 23 of the solid fibrous molded part 14, including, but not limited to, a change in color, a change in texture, a change in emitted radiation, etc. In embodiments in which a photoreactor is added, the environment is preferably a dark, nearly dark, or radiation-controlled space.

[0025] 3 and 4, light from a light source 22, such as sunlight or ultraviolet light, can be applied to the solid fibrous molded part 14. In some embodiments (not shown), the light can be provided on all or substantially all of the solid fibrous molded part 14 so that substantially the entire surface 23 containing the photoreactant 18 exposed to the light achieves at least some reaction. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, a screen 44 that blocks light from reaching the solid fibrous molded part 14 can be positioned between the light source 22 and the solid fibrous molded part 14. The screen 44 can optionally include cutouts 46 in the shape of a desired pattern, such that light passing through the cutouts 46 contacts portions of the solid fibrous molded part 14 that generally correspond to the shape of the cutouts 46. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, a screen 44 in the shape of a desired image can be positioned between the light source 22 and the solid fibrous molded part 14 so that light contacts the solid fibrous molded part 14 in substantially all areas except where the screen 44 blocks the light. The duration for which the light is applied to the solid fibrous molded part 14 depends on many factors, including, but not limited to, the intensity of the light, the type of photoreactor 18 utilized, the concentration of the photoreactor 18 in the solid fibrous molded part 14, and the desired intensity of the final surface features 12. As shown in Figure 3, the light source may be stationary, for example, mounted on a frame. In other embodiments, the light may be movable, for example, to pass through the solid fibrous molded part 14 during operation, as shown in Figure 4.

[0026] Once the photoreactive agent 18 has been exposed to the desired type of light for the desired time and the desired reaction has been achieved, the material can be subjected to a washing step with water and detergent to stop further reaction and / or remove undeveloped photoreactive components when the solid fibrous molded part 14 comes into contact with, for example, ambient light.

[0027] After the undeveloped photoreactive agent(s) 18 have been washed away, it may be advantageous to apply a subsequent coating to the final solid fibrous molded part 25. Subsequent coatings include, but are not limited to, wax, latex, silicone, acrylic, rubber, and fluoropolymers, polyurethanes. Additionally, secondary operations may be performed before or after the photoreactive agent 18 is exposed to light. For example, the solid fibrous molded part 14 may be attached to another article (e.g., in the example of a shoe upper, the shoe upper may be attached to a sole).

[0028] During operation, ingredients to the slurry 20, including at least water 26, a single type of fiber or multiple fiber types 16, additives, and optionally interactive components such as thermoplastic, conductive, and / or electronic components, and / or photoreactant 1 18, are provided to a mixer 28. In some embodiments, the interactive components 18 may be added after the slurry 20 is added to a mold 34. The ingredients are mixed until the slurry 20 forms a mixture, foam, or homogeneous suspension. The slurry 20 is then added to the mold 34, where none, some, most, or all of the water from the slurry 20 (depending on the final product material) is drained, effectively dehydrating the material during the process of converting the slurry 20 into a solid fibrous molded part 14. During the molding process, heat and / or pressure can be applied to the mold to further remove water from the slurry 20 and achieve, for example, inter-fiber bonding, polymer-to-polymer bonding, and polymer-to-fiber bonding, and chemical crosslinking.

[0029] After removal from the mold 34, the solid fibrous molded part 14 may optionally continue to dry and / or undergo additional forming operations. If the interactive component is a photoreactive agent, the molding process is preferably carried out in the dark or under a type of light with which the reactive agent is not reactive.

[0030] Light from light source 22 is applied to solid fibrous molded part 14 such that photoreactive agent 18 reacts with the light and produces surface features 12, such as a change in color or texture. A screen 44 can be positioned between solid fibrous molded part 14 and light source 22 to allow the designer to impart desired surface features (or lack thereof) on surface 23 of solid fibrous molded part 14.

[0031] Once the desired surface characteristics 12 are achieved, a cleaning step can be applied to the solid fibrous molded part 14 to substantially stop further reactions to the surface 23 and / or remove any undeveloped photoreactive components of the solid fibrous molded part 14.

[0032] In the following claims, corresponding structure, material, acts, and equivalents of all means-plus-function or step-plus-function elements are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing that function in combination with other specifically claimed elements. The description of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosure in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles and practical applications of the disclosure and to enable others skilled in the art to understand the disclosure in various embodiments with various modifications suitable for the particular use contemplated.

Claims

1. 1. A method for producing a solid fibrous molded article, comprising: providing a slurry containing at least a quantity of water, a plurality of fibers, and an interactive component, the interactive component including a photoreactive agent; providing the slurry within a mold defining a three-dimensional cavity; draining at least a portion of the water from the slurry and applying at least one of heat and pressure to cause at least one of interfiber bonding and chemical crosslinking among the plurality of fibers so as to convert the slurry into the solid fibrous shaped article; removing the solid fibrous molded article from the mold; exposing one of the slurry or the solid fibrous shaped article to a light source such that light from the light source reacts with the photoreactive agent to create at least one surface feature; The method, wherein the at least one surface feature comprises at least one of a pattern, a texture, and a color variation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the slurry is in the form of a mixture, a foam, or a homogeneous suspension after mixing.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the slurry comprises at least one type of fiber selected from natural fibers, semi-synthetic fibers, and synthetic fibers.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the slurry comprises at least two types of fibers selected from natural fibers, synthetic fibers, semi-synthetic fibers, and synthetic fibers.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the slurry comprises a bio-based molecule or polymer.

6. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the bio-based molecule or polymer is one of chitosan, starch, ionic starch, cellulosic materials such as but not limited to carboxymethyl cellulose, nanofibrillated cellulose, nanocellulose, natural rubber latex, collagen, gelatin, alginate, polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, and / or polyhydroxyalkanoate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a screen is positioned between the light source and the solid fibrous molded article to block the light from contacting at least a portion of a surface of the solid fibrous molded article.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the screen includes cutouts that allow light to pass through the screen and contact at least a portion of the surface of the solid fibrous molded article.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a washing step is applied to the solid fibrous shaped article to substantially stop any continuing reaction between the photoreactive agent and light.

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