Configured depth capillary spinneret plate and filaments formed therefrom

Abstract

The present invention relates to a capillary design for a spinneret plate in which configuring capillary parts with different depths may be used to create shape, twist, and bulk properties of filaments, and unique properties of yam created from the filaments.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 491,744 filed on Mar. 23, 2023, and International Patent Application PCT / IB2024 / 052459 filed on Mar. 14, 2024; the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.BACKGROUND

[0002] The creation of filaments from polymer melt has prevalently been done by passing the polymer melt through capillaries in a spinneret plate. In most cases, the capillaries are formed continuously through the plate. That is that they allow the polymer melt to enter from the top of the capillary plate and exit from the bottom of the capillary plate, which is the extrusion side.

[0003] Pressure is applied to the polymer melt to force it through the capillaries so that it may extrude filaments. The spinneret plate must be strong enough to resist the pressure from the polymer melt so that the plate does not warp or fail during operation.

[0004] The polymer melt is hot as it enters the spinneret and heats the top of the spinneret plate. The extrusion side of the spinneret plate is usually kept at a consistent temperature, which is usually an ambient temperature of the manufacturing facility.

[0005] In some cases, the filaments may be treated with cooling or heating fluids with or without humidity as they are being drawn and texturized. Treatments such as these are usually deployed to produce a yarn with desirable qualities such as bulk.

[0006] Co-pending U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 63 / 352,139 discloses the production of bicomponent polymer fibers may be enhanced to provide greater bulk in bulk continuous filaments (BCF) by creating differential stresses in the extruded combined melt and using those differential stresses to increase crimps, twists, and rotations thereby providing greater bulk. In one of many possible embodiments, these differential stresses may be formed by combining polymer compositions having different properties, or during the extrusion of the combined polymer melt from the spinneret, or by environmentally treating the melt spun bicomponent filament. The inventions disclosed and taught herein may be applied to the production of all types of bicomponent polymer fibers including, and without limitation, side-by-side and core and sheath extrusions. The contents of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 63 / 352,139 are hereby incorporated by reference.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0007] The present invention relates to a capillary design in which configuring the filament depth may be used to create shape, twist, and bulk properties of filaments, and similar properties of yarn created from the filaments.

[0008] To this aim, the invention relates to a spinneret plate, a method, and filaments and yarns produced as defined in the appended independent claims, wherein preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0009] In a first independent aspect, the invention relates to a spinneret capillary pattern comprising:a spinneret plate comprising: a top surface, an extrusion surface distal from and opposite the top surface, and a thickness between the top surface and the extrusion surface; a mixing chamber defined by an opening and a floor, wherein: the opening is configured to allow the passage of a molten polymer from the top surface into the mixing chamber, and the floor is at a depth from the top surface within the thickness between the top surface and the extrusion surface; a first capillary part comprising a first aperture in the floor, a second capillary part comprising a second aperture in the floor, and a third capillary part comprising a third aperture in the floor, wherein: the first aperture is configured to allow the passage of a first portion of the molten polymer from an interior of the mixing chamber through the first capillary part to the extrusion surface, the second aperture is configured to allow the passage of a second portion of the molten polymer from the interior of the mixing chamber through the second capillary part to the extrusion surface, the third aperture is configured to allow the passage of a third portion of the molten polymer from the interior of the mixing chamber through the third capillary part to the extrusion surface; and wherein the first capillary part is not in fluid communication with the second capillary part between the depth and the extrusion surface.

[0010] In a second independent aspect, the invention relates to a spinneret capillary pattern comprising:a spinneret plate comprising: a top surface, an extrusion surface distal from and opposite the top surface, and a thickness between the top surface and the extrusion surface; a mixing chamber defined by an opening and a floor, wherein: the opening is configured to allow the passage of a molten polymer from the top surface into the mixing chamber, and the floor is at a depth from the top surface within the thickness between the top surface and the extrusion surface; a first capillary part comprising a first aperture in the floor, a second capillary part comprising a second aperture in the floor, and a third capillary part comprising a third aperture in the top surface of the spinneret plate, wherein: the first aperture is configured to allow the passage of a first portion of the molten polymer from an interior of the mixing chamber through the first capillary part to the extrusion surface, the second aperture is configured to allow the passage of a second portion of the molten polymer from the interior of the mixing chamber through the second capillary part to the extrusion surface, the third aperture is configured to allow the passage of a third portion of the molten polymer from the top surface of the spinneret plate through the third capillary part to the extrusion surface; and wherein the first capillary part is not in fluid communication with the second capillary part between the depth and the extrusion surface.

[0011] In a third independent aspect, the invention relates to a spinneret capillary pattern comprising: a spinneret plate comprising: a top surface, an extrusion surface distal from and opposite the top surface, and a thickness between the top surface and the extrusion surface; a mixing chamber defined by an opening in the top surface and a floor, wherein: the opening is configured to allow the passage of a molten polymer from the top surface into the mixing chamber, and the floor is at a floor depth from the top surface within the thickness between the top surface and the extrusion surface; a recess defined by an opening in the extrusion surface and a ceiling, wherein: the opening is configured to allow the passage of the molten polymer from an interior of the recess to exit the spinneret plate, and the ceiling is at a ceiling depth from the top surface within the thickness between the floor depth and the extrusion surface; a first capillary part comprising a first aperture in the floor, a second capillary part comprising a second aperture in the floor, and a third capillary part comprising a third aperture in the top surface of the spinneret plate, wherein: the first aperture is configured to allow the passage of a first portion of the molten polymer from an interior of the mixing chamber through the first capillary part to the extrusion surface, the second aperture is configured to allow the passage of a second portion of the molten polymer from the interior of the mixing chamber through the second capillary part to the recess, the third aperture is configured to allow the passage of a third portion of the molten polymer from the top surface of the spinneret plate through the third capillary part to the extrusion surface; and wherein: the first capillary part is not in fluid communication with the second capillary part between the floor depth and the ceiling depth, and the third capillary part is not in fluid communication with the first capillary part or the second capillary part between the top surface and the extrusion surface.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, herein after, as an example without any limitative character, some preferred embodiments are described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0013] FIG. 1 represents a prior art method of a pattern of capillaries through a spinneret plate.

[0014] FIG. 2 represents a pattern of capillary segments through a spinneret plate as disclosed and taught herein.

[0015] FIG. 3 represents a spinneret plate with patterns of capillaries as disclosed and taught herein.

[0016] FIG. 4 represents a pattern of capillary segments through a spinneret plate as disclosed and taught herein.

[0017] FIG. 5 represents a pattern of capillary segments through a spinneret plate as disclosed and taught herein.

[0018] FIG. 6 represents a pattern of capillary segments through a spinneret plate as disclosed and taught herein.

[0019] FIG. 7 represents a pattern of capillary segments through a spinneret plate as disclosed and taught herein.

[0020] FIG. 8 represents a pattern of capillary segments through a spinneret plate as disclosed and taught herein.

[0021] FIG. 9 represents a cross-section of a trilobal filament as it is being extruded through the apparatuses and methods disclosed and taught herein.

[0022] FIGS. 10A and 10B represent aspects of a capillary as disclosed and taught herein.

[0023] FIG. 11A represents an aspect of a capillary as disclosed and taught herein.

[0024] FIG. 11B represents a cross-section of a trilobal filament as it is being extruded through the capillary of FIG. 11A as disclosed and taught herein.

[0025] FIG. 12A represents an aspect of a capillary as disclosed and taught herein.

[0026] FIG. 12B represents a cross-section of a trilobal filament as it is being extruded through the capillary of FIG. 12A as disclosed and taught herein.DETAILED DESCRPTION

[0027] FIG. 1 represents a prior art design of a pattern of capillary parts 101A,B,C through a spinneret plate 100. This exemplary embodiment is of three capillary parts that collectively may be used to produce a trilobal filament. A circle is drawn around the pattern of capillary parts 101A,B,C to better illustrate the top surface 180 of the spinneret plate. Similarly, a circle is drawn around the pattern of capillaries at the extrusion side of the plate 100. These circles are not part of the actual spinneret plate but are drawn to represent that the capillary parts 101A,B,C within the areas defined by the circles extend through the spinneret plate 100 as illustrated from one surface to another.

[0028] Throughout this document, the term capillary pattern will be used to represent all parts of a group of conduits through which molten polymer flows to produce a filament. In FIG. 1, as an example, the three capillary parts 101A,B,C define the conduits through which polymer melt may flow to extrude a trilobal filament. In another example, a single round conduit from the top surface to the extrusion surface of a spinneret plate is a capillary pattern that may be used to extrude a spinneret having a circular cross-section.

[0029] The capillary parts 101A,B,C illustrated in prior art FIG. 1 have equal lengths and thus produce equal shear stress on the polymer melt as it is forced through each capillary part 101A,B,C and extruded from the extrusion side 190 of the spinneret plate 100. Similarly, the heat loss of each capillary part 101A,B,C is equal. That is to say that the top 180 of the spinneret plate 100 will have a temperature equal to that of the polymer melt as it comes from the hanger and the extruder. In many cases, the extrusion side 190 of the spinneret plate 100 will be exposed to ambient air in the processing facility, which may be a lower temperature than the polymer melt at the top surface 180. The polymer melt streams going through the capillary parts 101A,B,C of the spinneret plate 100 will each lose heat equally as they traverse the capillary parts 101A,B,C. The rheology characteristics of each leg of the extruded polymer will be the same.

[0030] As the three legs of polymer melt are extruded from the capillary parts 101A,B,C, they have equal properties of shear and temperature. Therefore, the result of having equal length capillary parts 101A,B,C through the spinneret plate 100 is to form a trilobal filament that must be further treated by quenching, drawing, and texturizing to produce desired crimps and twists.

[0031] Applicant has found ways of inducing differential stress in filaments as disclosed and taught herein through the configuration of capillary parts through spinneret plates having different lengths. The different depths of the capillary parts will create different shear forces on each leg such that one or more legs or extruded parts has different rheological characteristics than the other legs or parts.

[0032] Turning now to Applicant's methods and apparatuses, FIG. 2 illustrates that a mixing chamber 210 may be configured from the top surface 280 of the spinneret plate 200 to a depth 230 within the spinneret plate 200 connecting all three capillary parts 201A,B,C. This changes the temperature gradient through the spinneret plate and the shear stress as the polymer melt is extruded from the capillary parts 201A,B,C. That is to say that the temperature difference measured from the floor 220 of the mixing chamber 210 to the extrusion surface 290 of the spinneret plate 200 will be less than the temperature difference measured from the top 280 of the spinneret plate 200 to the extrusion surface 290. Also, the shear stress will be less by going through shorter capillary parts 201A,B,C than a capillary having a length from the top of a spinneret plate to the extrusion surface.

[0033] Having a spinneret plate 300 as illustrated in FIG. 3 (viewing the spinneret plate 300 from the top surface 380) with patterns of full-length capillary parts 340 with patterns of capillary parts having mixing chambers 350 will produce a bundle of filaments having different characteristics. That is to say that a spinneret plate having the same patterns of capillaries to produce trilobal filaments will produce a yarn with consistent filaments if all of the capillaries have the same length and each of the capillary parts are consistent. However, if some of the capillary patterns have capillary parts with shorter lengths by having a mixing chamber associated with them, then the resulting bundle of filaments will have a mixture of different types of filaments. This may be exacerbated by having different depths of mixing chambers across the spinneret plate 300. In one exemplary embodiment, the mixing chambers may be at one depth around the periphery of the spinneret plate, while the patterns of capillaries toward the center of the spinneret plate may be configured to have mixing chamber depths different from those around the periphery. In another exemplary embodiment, the mixing chamber depths may have a gradient from one side of the plate to another. In another exemplary embodiment, each of the patterns of capillaries may have a mixing chamber depth that is different from all other depths to promote a cross section of filaments that may have an appearance of having a random mixture of filaments. That is to say that the cross-sections of the filaments in a bundle will appear to be randomly mixed with different sized filaments even if the bundle is quenched, drawn, and crimped uniformly. To say this another way, the denier of each of the trilobal filaments of the bundle may be different even though the capillaries of each of the trilobal patterns is the same size and shape even if the bundle is quenched, drawn, and crimped uniformly.

[0034] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, and the other embodiments disclosed and taught herein, along with embodiments that may be envisioned by those in possession of this disclosure and its teachings, consideration must be given to the ability of the metal used in the spinneret plate to resist deforming or breaking. That is to say that a capillary pattern will have a section between them. The section between the capillary parts will be contiguously connected to the spinneret plate along the depth 230 of the spinneret plate along the capillary parts 201A,B,C. Configuring a mixing chamber 210 above the pattern of capillary parts 201A,B,C will reduce the contiguously connected length. The section between the capillaries may then have less support to prevent it from deforming or breaking away from the rest of the spinneret plate. Those of ordinary skill in the art will know how to configure a mixing chamber depth in a spinneret plate so that no part of the spinneret plate will deform or break.

[0035] FIG. 4 represents a capillary pattern through a spinneret plate 400 as disclosed and taught herein. In this embodiment, only two of the capillary parts 401B,C in a trilobal pattern are configured to have a common mixing area 410 above them. The two capillaries 401B,C in fluid communication with the mixing chamber 410 will extrude legs with the same characteristics while the characteristics of the leg extruded from the capillary part 401A that extends all the way through the plate 400 will be different. When these three legs join to become a trilobal filament, the differential stresses between the lobes will produce a stress that, when quenched, will produce crimps and twists throughout the filament.

[0036] Those in possession of this disclosure and teachings herein will understand that it may not be desirable to have square corners within the mixing chamber where polymer melt may not evenly flow. In some embodiments of the inventions disclosed herein, it may be preferable to ease the transition from the top surface of the spinneret plate to the mixing chamber with a smoothing, a chamfer, or a bevel. In some embodiments, it may be preferable to separate the mixing chamber into a portion with a frustoconical section with the larger opening at the top of the spinneret plate, narrowing and transitioning into a cylindrical section, which terminates into a smoothed basin at the bottom of the mixing chamber. Any capillaries in fluid communication with the mixing chamber may have apertures within the mixing chamber basin. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand how to configure mixing chambers with capillaries to promote consistent flow of the molten polymer stream without departing from the spirit of the inventions disclosed and taught herein.

[0037] Those in possession of this disclosure and teachings herein will understand that different polymers may be used with the inventions disclosed herein. In an embodiment where two different polymers are used, the polymers may enter the mixing chamber 410 together as in FIG. 4 and utilize laminar flow to prevent mixing. In this exemplary embodiment, the first polymer may enter one leg 401B and the second polymer may enter the second leg 401C.

[0038] In another exemplary embodiment, one polymer may be injected at lower volume than the other. In this exemplary embodiment, the lower-volume polymer may be introduced in a second contour bore hole that joins the mixing chamber just at the start of the inlet to the capillary part. This may allow all of the lower-volume polymer to mix with some of the higher-volume polymer so that the mixture of polymers may enter the capillary part together. The resulting leg of the filament will have the mixture of polymers.

[0039] Those of ordinary skill in the art and in possession of this disclosure and teachings will be able to envision other ways of utilizing multiple polymers without departing from the spirit of the inventions claimed herein.

[0040] In deploying an array of patterns of capillaries as illustrated in FIG. 4 across a spinneret plate, the patterns may or may not be consistently oriented. That is to say that if a single capillary pattern has the capillary part that is not associated with the mixing chamber oriented such that it radially extends away from the center section of the trilobal pattern towards a first direction, another pattern may have the analogous capillary oriented such that it radially extends away from the center section of the second trilobal pattern towards a second direction. An exemplary embodiment of this may be seen in FIG. 5, which is an exemplary embodiment of a spinneret plate 500 as seen from the top 580 surface. In this non-limiting embodiment, the orientations of a group of capillary patterns 550 may be seen to be oriented in different directions from each other. This diversity of orientation of capillary patterns 550 may be desirable to offset twists in the filaments as they are being extruded. In this way, twists may not uniformly curl together and form an intertwined helix, but will interfere with each other along the extruded direction thereby yielding more bulk when the filaments are drawn.

[0041] Similar improvements as disclosed and taught herein may be applied to the extrusion side 690 of the filament plate 600, FIG. 6 illustrates that the capillary parts 601A,B,C may have portions that extend all the way to the extrusion surface 690 of the plate 600, but that they may meet at a point above the extrusion surface 690. That is to say that a void section 670 of a trilobal pattern may be configured in a capillary pattern. In some embodiments, a void section 670 may be recessed into the body of the spinneret plate 600. This ensures that the legs of the extruded polymer will meet before leaving the capillary parts 601A,B,C. By adjusting a ceiling 672, the depth 660 of the void section 670, the shape and size of the resulting void section 670 of the capillary pattern may be configured. Having a shallow recess depth 660 of the void section 670 will maintain a better-defined void cross-section of a resulting trilobal filament.

[0042] That is to say that a center section that is flush with the extrusion surface of the spinneret plate may be configured to retain a triangular void space in the resulting trilobal filament with a high modification ratio, and that a minimal recess of the central area will reduce the modification ratio. From there, a greater depth of the recess away from the extrusion surface will further reduce the modification ratio to a point where the void in the trilobal filament will have a near circular shape—e.g., the modification ratio will be very close to 1. Having the three legs of the trilobal filament come together inside the plate will ensure that the quench will not interfere with the legs fusing together to form a well bonded trilobal filament.

[0043] Recesses may also be made to the extrusion portions of the individual capillary parts. In an exemplary, but non-limiting, embodiment, the length of one of the capillary parts 701C may be shortened by providing a recess 770 with a ceiling 772 in the extrusion surface 790 of the spinneret plate 700 as may be illustrated in FIG. 7. In this exemplary embodiment, the polymer melt extruded from the shortened capillary part 701C will be extruded at the ceiling 772, which is at a point higher than the melt being extruded from the other two capillary parts 701A,B. As the polymer melt is extruded, the pressure drop combined with the flow through the capillary produces an initial bulging of the polymer melt. This bulge will occur first in the recessed capillary part 701C. The already-bulged leg of polymer melt will then contact the other legs to form the trilobal filament. The state of the bulge and the crystallization of the polymers in the already-bulged leg will be different from the other legs as they are quenched, thereby producing exploitable stresses to create desired crimps, twists, and rotations thereby providing greater bulk.

[0044] The features of the mixing chambers and the recesses may be combined. One exemplary embodiment may be illustrated in FIG. 8. In this exemplary embodiment, a mixing chamber 810 connects two capillary parts 801B,C while the third capillary part 801A runs the full height through the spinneret plate 800. Of the two capillary parts 801B,C that are linked by the mixing chamber 810, one of them 801C exits the extrusion surface 890 of the plate 800 through a recessed opening 870. Combining these features will provide desirable and exploitable stresses in the produced filaments to create desired crimps, twists, and rotations thereby providing greater bulk.

[0045] An illustrative view of this may be seen in FIG. 9. This view is only illustrative of the relative lengths, mixing chambers, and recesses through a spinneret plate; this is not a cross-sectional view. In this view, a mixing chamber 910 connects two capillary parts 901B,C while the third capillary part 901A runs through the full height of the spinneret plate 900. Of the two capillary parts 901B,C that are linked by the mixing chamber 910, one of them 901C exits the plate 900 through a recessed opening 970, while the other 901B runs from the mixing chamber 910 to the surface 990 of the plate 900. This allows the polymer melt 999 to be extruded at different depths to form a trilobal filament where each leg has different rheological properties.

[0046] Similar to orienting mixing chambers and capillaries as disclosed above, the orientations of patterns of the capillaries with their associated mixing chambers and recesses may or may not be uniform across a spinneret plate. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to have them all have a uniform set of features (mixing chambers with associated capillaries and recesses with associated capillaries) with all of the patterns being oriented similarly. That is to say that in one embodiment, a set of features for a pattern of capillaries may be similar to those shown in FIG. 8 and all of the patterns across spinneret plate may be oriented the same way. However, in another embodiment, a mixing chamber may only be associated with a single capillary and a recess may be associated with two capillaries and the patterns across the plate may not be oriented similarly.

[0047] Also, the sets of features across a spinneret plate may or may not be the same. That is to say that on a single spinneret plate, some of the patterns may have features that are similar to that illustrated in FIG. 4, while other patterns may have features that are different. And, the orientations of these patterns and feature sets may be uniform or nonuniform.

[0048] The inventions disclosed and taught herein are not limited to trilobal filaments. Those in possession of this disclosure and its teachings will understand that the inventions disclosed herein may be applied to all other types of extruded filaments without departing from the spirit of the inventions disclosed and taught herein.

[0049] FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate that a ribbon filament may be made with a sloping recess 1070A,B,C. One segment of the capillary 1001 on the extrusion side 1090 of the plate 1000 is flush with the surface 1090 of the plate 1000 so that the polymer melt extruded from that side will exit the capillary 1001 at the surface 1090 of the plate 1000. On the other side, the polymer melt will exit the capillary part 1001 at a higher point 1070A. This exposes one side of the ribbon to the quench sooner than the other side resulting in exploitable stresses in the produced filaments to create desired crimps, twists, and rotations thereby providing greater bulk.

[0050] Saying this another way, the entire perimeter of the capillary part 1001 intersects the top surface 1080 of the spinneret plate 1000. At the other end of the capillary part 1001, only a portion of the perimeter of the capillary part 1001 intersects the extrusion surface 1090. The capillary part 1001 intersects the recess 1070A,B,C.

[0051] In this exemplary embodiment, the sides of the recess 1070A,B,C may angle away from the capillary part 1001, which may be better envisioned in FIG. 10B, which is a plane view across the capillary part 1001 as seen by looking at the extrusion surface 1090 of the plate 1000. In one embodiment it may be preferred that the initial post-extrusion bulge does not touch the angled sides. In another embodiment, it may be preferred that the post-extrusion bulge is guided by the sides.

[0052] FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate a circular capillary part 1101 that may be made to make a filament with a round cross-section. FIG. 11A shows that a recess 1170 has been configured on the extrusion side 1190 of the spinneret plate 1100. The recess 1170 has a ceiling1172. FIG. 11B, which is a cross-section of FIG. 11A through the line XIB-XIB, shows that the extruded polymer 1199 will bulge first on the side of the recess 1170 and will bulge lower (past the depth of the ceiling 1172) on the portions where the polymer melt 1199 is still in contact with the plate 1100.

[0053] Saying this another way, the entire perimeter of the capillary part 1101 intersects the top surface 1180 of the spinneret plate 1100. At the other end of the capillary part 1101, only a portion of the perimeter of the capillary part 1101 intersects the extrusion surface 1190. That is to say that a portion of capillary part 1101 intersects the recess 1170 at the recess ceiling 1172.

[0054] FIGS. 12A and 12B also illustrate a circular capillary part 1201 that may be made to make a filament with a round cross-section. FIG. 12A shows that recess 1270 has three ceilings 1172A,B,C, which have been configured on the extrusion side 1290 of the spinneret plate 1200. FIG. 12B shows that the extruded polymer 1299 will bulge first on the portion that has the highest ceiling 1272A, then the portion that has the next highest ceiling 1272B will bulge, then finally the portion that has the lowest ceiling 1272C will produce a post-extrusion bulge in the extruded filament. In this exemplary embodiment, a portion of the polymer melt will still be in contact with the capillary part 1201 until it passes the extrusion surface 1290 of the plate 1200. This is not seen in FIG. 12B since that portion of the cross-section of FIG. 12A (as seen through line XIIB-XIIB) is not visible in this view. The stresses induced from this stepwise incremental exposure to quenching fluids will provide desirable and exploitable stresses in the produced filaments to create desired crimps, twists, and rotations thereby providing greater bulk.

[0055] To put this another way, the entire perimeter of the capillary part 1201 intersects the top surface 1280 of the spinneret plate 1200. At the other end of the capillary part 1101, only a portion of the perimeter of the capillary part 1101 intersects the extrusion surface 1190. That is to say that a portion of capillary part 1101 intersects the recess 1170 at the recess ceiling 1172A. Another portion of capillary part 1101 intersects the recess 1170 at the recess ceiling 1172B, and another portion of capillary part 1101 intersects the recess 1170 at the recess ceiling 1172C.

[0056] Those of ordinary skill in the art and in possession of this disclosure and its teachings will understand that stepwise recesses may be applied to any shape of capillary or to portions of capillaries of any shape without departing from the spirit of the inventions disclosed herein.

[0057] Those in possession of this disclosure and teaching will understand that configuring the orientation of the patterns may be combined with configuring the patterns to have different mixing chamber depths and different extrusion recesses. These may be configured together to provide trilobal filaments with different deniers having twists of different turn lengths around their respective helixes.

[0058] In one embodiment, a spinneret plate configured with ribbon filament capillaries having sloping recesses may or may not have the sloping recesses aligned the same way across the plate. If the plate were to be given cardinal points such as North, South, East, and West, then some of the slopes of the capillaries may be oriented North-South while others may be oriented South-North, while others may be oriented East-West and others West-East. This is exemplary only and the alignments need not be along the cardinal directions. Also, the slope does not need to be along the major axis of the capillary; it may be along the minor axis, or a slope may be configured to not align with any axes of the capillary.

[0059] In another embodiment, the stepwise arrangement of recesses around a capillary (circular or of any other shape) need not be in the same progression or orientation in a spinneret plate. That is to say that some stepwise recesses may have a left-hand progression while others have a right-hand progression. Similarly, the first step on some of the recesses may be aligned with a North cardinal point on the face of the spinneret plate, while the first step of other capillaries may be aligned towards the South, East, or West, or points in between. Having a mixture of orientations and progressions will produce filaments that are intrinsically misaligned as they are quenched and drawn so that they produce more bulk in a bundle of filaments or a yarn.CONCLUSION

[0060] The present invention is in no way limited to the herein above-described embodiments, on the contrary many such capillary patterns, mixing chambers, and methods of extruding filaments may be realized according to various variants, without leaving the scope of the present invention.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0027]FIG. 1 represents a prior art design of a pattern of capillary parts 101A,B,C through a spinneret plate 100. This exemplary embodiment is of three capillary parts that collectively may be used to produce a trilobal filament. A circle is drawn around the pattern of capillary parts 101A,B,C to better illustrate the top surface 180 of the spinneret plate. Similarly, a circle is drawn around the pattern of capillaries at the extrusion side of the plate 100. These circles are not part of the actual spinneret plate but are drawn to represent that the capillary parts 101A,B,C within the areas defined by the circles extend through the spinneret plate 100 as illustrated from one surface to another.

[0028]Throughout this document, the term capillary pattern will be used to represent all parts of a group of conduits through which molten polymer flows to produce a filament. In FIG. 1, as an example, the three capillary parts 101A,B,C define the conduits through which polymer melt may flow ...

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 491,744 filed on Mar. 23, 2023, and International Patent Application PCT / IB2024 / 052459 filed on Mar. 14, 2024; the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.BACKGROUND

[0002] The creation of filaments from polymer melt has prevalently been done by passing the polymer melt through capillaries in a spinneret plate. In most cases, the capillaries are formed continuously through the plate. That is that they allow the polymer melt to enter from the top of the capillary plate and exit from the bottom of the capillary plate, which is the extrusion side.

[0003] Pressure is applied to the polymer melt to force it through the capillaries so that it may extrude filaments. The spinneret plate must be strong enough to resist the pressure from the polymer melt so that the plate does not warp or fail during operation.

[0004] The polymer melt is hot as it enters the spinneret and heats the top of the spinneret plate. The extrusion side of the spinneret plate is usually kept at a consistent temperature, which is usually an ambient temperature of the manufacturing facility.

[0005] In some cases, the filaments may be treated with cooling or heating fluids with or without humidity as they are being drawn and texturized. Treatments such as these are usually deployed to produce a yarn with desirable qualities such as bulk.

[0006] Co-pending U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 63 / 352,139 discloses the production of bicomponent polymer fibers may be enhanced to provide greater bulk in bulk continuous filaments (BCF) by creating differential stresses in the extruded combined melt and using those differential stresses to increase crimps, twists, and rotations thereby providing greater bulk. In one of many possible embodiments, these differential stresses may be formed by combining polymer compositions having different properties, or during the extrusion of the combined polymer melt from the spinneret, or by environmentally treating the melt spun bicomponent filament. The inventions disclosed and taught herein may be applied to the production of all types of bicomponent polymer fibers including, and without limitation, side-by-side and core and sheath extrusions. The contents of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 63 / 352,139 are hereby incorporated by reference.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0007] The present invention relates to a capillary design in which configuring the filament depth may be used to create shape, twist, and bulk properties of filaments, and similar properties of yarn created from the filaments.

[0008] To this aim, the invention relates to a spinneret plate, a method, and filaments and yarns produced as defined in the appended independent claims, wherein preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0009] In a first independent aspect, the invention relates to a spinneret capillary pattern comprising:a spinneret plate comprising: a top surface, an extrusion surface distal from and opposite the top surface, and a thickness between the top surface and the extrusion surface; a mixing chamber defined by an opening and a floor, wherein: the opening is configured to allow the passage of a molten polymer from the top surface into the mixing chamber, and the floor is at a depth from the top surface within the thickness between the top surface and the extrusion surface; a first capillary part comprising a first aperture in the floor, a second capillary part comprising a second aperture in the floor, and a third capillary part comprising a third aperture in the floor, wherein: the first aperture is configured to allow the passage of a first portion of the molten polymer from an interior of the mixing chamber through the first capillary part to the extrusion surface, the second aperture is configured to allow the passage of a second portion of the molten polymer from the interior of the mixing chamber through the second capillary part to the extrusion surface, the third aperture is configured to allow the passage of a third portion of the molten polymer from the interior of the mixing chamber through the third capillary part to the extrusion surface; and wherein the first capillary part is not in fluid communication with the second capillary part between the depth and the extrusion surface.

[0010] In a second independent aspect, the invention relates to a spinneret capillary pattern comprising:a spinneret plate comprising: a top surface, an extrusion surface distal from and opposite the top surface, and a thickness between the top surface and the extrusion surface; a mixing chamber defined by an opening and a floor, wherein: the opening is configured to allow the passage of a molten polymer from the top surface into the mixing chamber, and the floor is at a depth from the top surface within the thickness between the top surface and the extrusion surface; a first capillary part comprising a first aperture in the floor, a second capillary part comprising a second aperture in the floor, and a third capillary part comprising a third aperture in the top surface of the spinneret plate, wherein: the first aperture is configured to allow the passage of a first portion of the molten polymer from an interior of the mixing chamber through the first capillary part to the extrusion surface, the second aperture is configured to allow the passage of a second portion of the molten polymer from the interior of the mixing chamber through the second capillary part to the extrusion surface, the third aperture is configured to allow the passage of a third portion of the molten polymer from the top surface of the spinneret plate through the third capillary part to the extrusion surface; and wherein the first capillary part is not in fluid communication with the second capillary part between the depth and the extrusion surface.

[0011] In a third independent aspect, the invention relates to a spinneret capillary pattern comprising: a spinneret plate comprising: a top surface, an extrusion surface distal from and opposite the top surface, and a thickness between the top surface and the extrusion surface; a mixing chamber defined by an opening in the top surface and a floor, wherein: the opening is configured to allow the passage of a molten polymer from the top surface into the mixing chamber, and the floor is at a floor depth from the top surface within the thickness between the top surface and the extrusion surface; a recess defined by an opening in the extrusion surface and a ceiling, wherein: the opening is configured to allow the passage of the molten polymer from an interior of the recess to exit the spinneret plate, and the ceiling is at a ceiling depth from the top surface within the thickness between the floor depth and the extrusion surface; a first capillary part comprising a first aperture in the floor, a second capillary part comprising a second aperture in the floor, and a third capillary part comprising a third aperture in the top surface of the spinneret plate, wherein: the first aperture is configured to allow the passage of a first portion of the molten polymer from an interior of the mixing chamber through the first capillary part to the extrusion surface, the second aperture is configured to allow the passage of a second portion of the molten polymer from the interior of the mixing chamber through the second capillary part to the recess, the third aperture is configured to allow the passage of a third portion of the molten polymer from the top surface of the spinneret plate through the third capillary part to the extrusion surface; and wherein: the first capillary part is not in fluid communication with the second capillary part between the floor depth and the ceiling depth, and the third capillary part is not in fluid communication with the first capillary part or the second capillary part between the top surface and the extrusion surface.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, herein after, as an example without any limitative character, some preferred embodiments are described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0013] FIG. 1 represents a prior art method of a pattern of capillaries through a spinneret plate.

[0014] FIG. 2 represents a pattern of capillary segments through a spinneret plate as disclosed and taught herein.

[0015] FIG. 3 represents a spinneret plate with patterns of capillaries as disclosed and taught herein.

[0016] FIG. 4 represents a pattern of capillary segments through a spinneret plate as disclosed and taught herein.

[0017] FIG. 5 represents a pattern of capillary segments through a spinneret plate as disclosed and taught herein.

[0018] FIG. 6 represents a pattern of capillary segments through a spinneret plate as disclosed and taught herein.

[0019] FIG. 7 represents a pattern of capillary segments through a spinneret plate as disclosed and taught herein.

[0020] FIG. 8 represents a pattern of capillary segments through a spinneret plate as disclosed and taught herein.

[0021] FIG. 9 represents a cross-section of a trilobal filament as it is being extruded through the apparatuses and methods disclosed and taught herein.

[0022] FIGS. 10A and 10B represent aspects of a capillary as disclosed and taught herein.

[0023] FIG. 11A represents an aspect of a capillary as disclosed and taught herein.

[0024] FIG. 11B represents a cross-section of a trilobal filament as it is being extruded through the capillary of FIG. 11A as disclosed and taught herein.

[0025] FIG. 12A represents an aspect of a capillary as disclosed and taught herein.

[0026] FIG. 12B represents a cross-section of a trilobal filament as it is being extruded through the capillary of FIG. 12A as disclosed and taught herein.DETAILED DESCRPTION

[0027] FIG. 1 represents a prior art design of a pattern of capillary parts 101A,B,C through a spinneret plate 100. This exemplary embodiment is of three capillary parts that collectively may be used to produce a trilobal filament. A circle is drawn around the pattern of capillary parts 101A,B,C to better illustrate the top surface 180 of the spinneret plate. Similarly, a circle is drawn around the pattern of capillaries at the extrusion side of the plate 100. These circles are not part of the actual spinneret plate but are drawn to represent that the capillary parts 101A,B,C within the areas defined by the circles extend through the spinneret plate 100 as illustrated from one surface to another.

[0028] Throughout this document, the term capillary pattern will be used to represent all parts of a group of conduits through which molten polymer flows to produce a filament. In FIG. 1, as an example, the three capillary parts 101A,B,C define the conduits through which polymer melt may flow to extrude a trilobal filament. In another example, a single round conduit from the top surface to the extrusion surface of a spinneret plate is a capillary pattern that may be used to extrude a spinneret having a circular cross-section.

[0029] The capillary parts 101A,B,C illustrated in prior art FIG. 1 have equal lengths and thus produce equal shear stress on the polymer melt as it is forced through each capillary part 101A,B,C and extruded from the extrusion side 190 of the spinneret plate 100. Similarly, the heat loss of each capillary part 101A,B,C is equal. That is to say that the top 180 of the spinneret plate 100 will have a temperature equal to that of the polymer melt as it comes from the hanger and the extruder. In many cases, the extrusion side 190 of the spinneret plate 100 will be exposed to ambient air in the processing facility, which may be a lower temperature than the polymer melt at the top surface 180. The polymer melt streams going through the capillary parts 101A,B,C of the spinneret plate 100 will each lose heat equally as they traverse the capillary parts 101A,B,C. The rheology characteristics of each leg of the extruded polymer will be the same.

[0030] As the three legs of polymer melt are extruded from the capillary parts 101A,B,C, they have equal properties of shear and temperature. Therefore, the result of having equal length capillary parts 101A,B,C through the spinneret plate 100 is to form a trilobal filament that must be further treated by quenching, drawing, and texturizing to produce desired crimps and twists.

[0031] Applicant has found ways of inducing differential stress in filaments as disclosed and taught herein through the configuration of capillary parts through spinneret plates having different lengths. The different depths of the capillary parts will create different shear forces on each leg such that one or more legs or extruded parts has different rheological characteristics than the other legs or parts.

[0032] Turning now to Applicant's methods and apparatuses, FIG. 2 illustrates that a mixing chamber 210 may be configured from the top surface 280 of the spinneret plate 200 to a depth 230 within the spinneret plate 200 connecting all three capillary parts 201A,B,C. This changes the temperature gradient through the spinneret plate and the shear stress as the polymer melt is extruded from the capillary parts 201A,B,C. That is to say that the temperature difference measured from the floor 220 of the mixing chamber 210 to the extrusion surface 290 of the spinneret plate 200 will be less than the temperature difference measured from the top 280 of the spinneret plate 200 to the extrusion surface 290. Also, the shear stress will be less by going through shorter capillary parts 201A,B,C than a capillary having a length from the top of a spinneret plate to the extrusion surface.

[0033] Having a spinneret plate 300 as illustrated in FIG. 3 (viewing the spinneret plate 300 from the top surface 380) with patterns of full-length capillary parts 340 with patterns of capillary parts having mixing chambers 350 will produce a bundle of filaments having different characteristics. That is to say that a spinneret plate having the same patterns of capillaries to produce trilobal filaments will produce a yarn with consistent filaments if all of the capillaries have the same length and each of the capillary parts are consistent. However, if some of the capillary patterns have capillary parts with shorter lengths by having a mixing chamber associated with them, then the resulting bundle of filaments will have a mixture of different types of filaments. This may be exacerbated by having different depths of mixing chambers across the spinneret plate 300. In one exemplary embodiment, the mixing chambers may be at one depth around the periphery of the spinneret plate, while the patterns of capillaries toward the center of the spinneret plate may be configured to have mixing chamber depths different from those around the periphery. In another exemplary embodiment, the mixing chamber depths may have a gradient from one side of the plate to another. In another exemplary embodiment, each of the patterns of capillaries may have a mixing chamber depth that is different from all other depths to promote a cross section of filaments that may have an appearance of having a random mixture of filaments. That is to say that the cross-sections of the filaments in a bundle will appear to be randomly mixed with different sized filaments even if the bundle is quenched, drawn, and crimped uniformly. To say this another way, the denier of each of the trilobal filaments of the bundle may be different even though the capillaries of each of the trilobal patterns is the same size and shape even if the bundle is quenched, drawn, and crimped uniformly.

[0034] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, and the other embodiments disclosed and taught herein, along with embodiments that may be envisioned by those in possession of this disclosure and its teachings, consideration must be given to the ability of the metal used in the spinneret plate to resist deforming or breaking. That is to say that a capillary pattern will have a section between them. The section between the capillary parts will be contiguously connected to the spinneret plate along the depth 230 of the spinneret plate along the capillary parts 201A,B,C. Configuring a mixing chamber 210 above the pattern of capillary parts 201A,B,C will reduce the contiguously connected length. The section between the capillaries may then have less support to prevent it from deforming or breaking away from the rest of the spinneret plate. Those of ordinary skill in the art will know how to configure a mixing chamber depth in a spinneret plate so that no part of the spinneret plate will deform or break.

[0035] FIG. 4 represents a capillary pattern through a spinneret plate 400 as disclosed and taught herein. In this embodiment, only two of the capillary parts 401B,C in a trilobal pattern are configured to have a common mixing area 410 above them. The two capillaries 401B,C in fluid communication with the mixing chamber 410 will extrude legs with the same characteristics while the characteristics of the leg extruded from the capillary part 401A that extends all the way through the plate 400 will be different. When these three legs join to become a trilobal filament, the differential stresses between the lobes will produce a stress that, when quenched, will produce crimps and twists throughout the filament.

[0036] Those in possession of this disclosure and teachings herein will understand that it may not be desirable to have square corners within the mixing chamber where polymer melt may not evenly flow. In some embodiments of the inventions disclosed herein, it may be preferable to ease the transition from the top surface of the spinneret plate to the mixing chamber with a smoothing, a chamfer, or a bevel. In some embodiments, it may be preferable to separate the mixing chamber into a portion with a frustoconical section with the larger opening at the top of the spinneret plate, narrowing and transitioning into a cylindrical section, which terminates into a smoothed basin at the bottom of the mixing chamber. Any capillaries in fluid communication with the mixing chamber may have apertures within the mixing chamber basin. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand how to configure mixing chambers with capillaries to promote consistent flow of the molten polymer stream without departing from the spirit of the inventions disclosed and taught herein.

[0037] Those in possession of this disclosure and teachings herein will understand that different polymers may be used with the inventions disclosed herein. In an embodiment where two different polymers are used, the polymers may enter the mixing chamber 410 together as in FIG. 4 and utilize laminar flow to prevent mixing. In this exemplary embodiment, the first polymer may enter one leg 401B and the second polymer may enter the second leg 401C.

[0038] In another exemplary embodiment, one polymer may be injected at lower volume than the other. In this exemplary embodiment, the lower-volume polymer may be introduced in a second contour bore hole that joins the mixing chamber just at the start of the inlet to the capillary part. This may allow all of the lower-volume polymer to mix with some of the higher-volume polymer so that the mixture of polymers may enter the capillary part together. The resulting leg of the filament will have the mixture of polymers.

[0039] Those of ordinary skill in the art and in possession of this disclosure and teachings will be able to envision other ways of utilizing multiple polymers without departing from the spirit of the inventions claimed herein.

[0040] In deploying an array of patterns of capillaries as illustrated in FIG. 4 across a spinneret plate, the patterns may or may not be consistently oriented. That is to say that if a single capillary pattern has the capillary part that is not associated with the mixing chamber oriented such that it radially extends away from the center section of the trilobal pattern towards a first direction, another pattern may have the analogous capillary oriented such that it radially extends away from the center section of the second trilobal pattern towards a second direction. An exemplary embodiment of this may be seen in FIG. 5, which is an exemplary embodiment of a spinneret plate 500 as seen from the top 580 surface. In this non-limiting embodiment, the orientations of a group of capillary patterns 550 may be seen to be oriented in different directions from each other. This diversity of orientation of capillary patterns 550 may be desirable to offset twists in the filaments as they are being extruded. In this way, twists may not uniformly curl together and form an intertwined helix, but will interfere with each other along the extruded direction thereby yielding more bulk when the filaments are drawn.

[0041] Similar improvements as disclosed and taught herein may be applied to the extrusion side 690 of the filament plate 600, FIG. 6 illustrates that the capillary parts 601A,B,C may have portions that extend all the way to the extrusion surface 690 of the plate 600, but that they may meet at a point above the extrusion surface 690. That is to say that a void section 670 of a trilobal pattern may be configured in a capillary pattern. In some embodiments, a void section 670 may be recessed into the body of the spinneret plate 600. This ensures that the legs of the extruded polymer will meet before leaving the capillary parts 601A,B,C. By adjusting a ceiling 672, the depth 660 of the void section 670, the shape and size of the resulting void section 670 of the capillary pattern may be configured. Having a shallow recess depth 660 of the void section 670 will maintain a better-defined void cross-section of a resulting trilobal filament.

[0042] That is to say that a center section that is flush with the extrusion surface of the spinneret plate may be configured to retain a triangular void space in the resulting trilobal filament with a high modification ratio, and that a minimal recess of the central area will reduce the modification ratio. From there, a greater depth of the recess away from the extrusion surface will further reduce the modification ratio to a point where the void in the trilobal filament will have a near circular shape—e.g., the modification ratio will be very close to 1. Having the three legs of the trilobal filament come together inside the plate will ensure that the quench will not interfere with the legs fusing together to form a well bonded trilobal filament.

[0043] Recesses may also be made to the extrusion portions of the individual capillary parts. In an exemplary, but non-limiting, embodiment, the length of one of the capillary parts 701C may be shortened by providing a recess 770 with a ceiling 772 in the extrusion surface 790 of the spinneret plate 700 as may be illustrated in FIG. 7. In this exemplary embodiment, the polymer melt extruded from the shortened capillary part 701C will be extruded at the ceiling 772, which is at a point higher than the melt being extruded from the other two capillary parts 701A,B. As the polymer melt is extruded, the pressure drop combined with the flow through the capillary produces an initial bulging of the polymer melt. This bulge will occur first in the recessed capillary part 701C. The already-bulged leg of polymer melt will then contact the other legs to form the trilobal filament. The state of the bulge and the crystallization of the polymers in the already-bulged leg will be different from the other legs as they are quenched, thereby producing exploitable stresses to create desired crimps, twists, and rotations thereby providing greater bulk.

[0044] The features of the mixing chambers and the recesses may be combined. One exemplary embodiment may be illustrated in FIG. 8. In this exemplary embodiment, a mixing chamber 810 connects two capillary parts 801B,C while the third capillary part 801A runs the full height through the spinneret plate 800. Of the two capillary parts 801B,C that are linked by the mixing chamber 810, one of them 801C exits the extrusion surface 890 of the plate 800 through a recessed opening 870. Combining these features will provide desirable and exploitable stresses in the produced filaments to create desired crimps, twists, and rotations thereby providing greater bulk.

[0045] An illustrative view of this may be seen in FIG. 9. This view is only illustrative of the relative lengths, mixing chambers, and recesses through a spinneret plate; this is not a cross-sectional view. In this view, a mixing chamber 910 connects two capillary parts 901B,C while the third capillary part 901A runs through the full height of the spinneret plate 900. Of the two capillary parts 901B,C that are linked by the mixing chamber 910, one of them 901C exits the plate 900 through a recessed opening 970, while the other 901B runs from the mixing chamber 910 to the surface 990 of the plate 900. This allows the polymer melt 999 to be extruded at different depths to form a trilobal filament where each leg has different rheological properties.

[0046] Similar to orienting mixing chambers and capillaries as disclosed above, the orientations of patterns of the capillaries with their associated mixing chambers and recesses may or may not be uniform across a spinneret plate. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to have them all have a uniform set of features (mixing chambers with associated capillaries and recesses with associated capillaries) with all of the patterns being oriented similarly. That is to say that in one embodiment, a set of features for a pattern of capillaries may be similar to those shown in FIG. 8 and all of the patterns across spinneret plate may be oriented the same way. However, in another embodiment, a mixing chamber may only be associated with a single capillary and a recess may be associated with two capillaries and the patterns across the plate may not be oriented similarly.

[0047] Also, the sets of features across a spinneret plate may or may not be the same. That is to say that on a single spinneret plate, some of the patterns may have features that are similar to that illustrated in FIG. 4, while other patterns may have features that are different. And, the orientations of these patterns and feature sets may be uniform or nonuniform.

[0048] The inventions disclosed and taught herein are not limited to trilobal filaments. Those in possession of this disclosure and its teachings will understand that the inventions disclosed herein may be applied to all other types of extruded filaments without departing from the spirit of the inventions disclosed and taught herein.

[0049] FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate that a ribbon filament may be made with a sloping recess 1070A,B,C. One segment of the capillary 1001 on the extrusion side 1090 of the plate 1000 is flush with the surface 1090 of the plate 1000 so that the polymer melt extruded from that side will exit the capillary 1001 at the surface 1090 of the plate 1000. On the other side, the polymer melt will exit the capillary part 1001 at a higher point 1070A. This exposes one side of the ribbon to the quench sooner than the other side resulting in exploitable stresses in the produced filaments to create desired crimps, twists, and rotations thereby providing greater bulk.

[0050] Saying this another way, the entire perimeter of the capillary part 1001 intersects the top surface 1080 of the spinneret plate 1000. At the other end of the capillary part 1001, only a portion of the perimeter of the capillary part 1001 intersects the extrusion surface 1090. The capillary part 1001 intersects the recess 1070A,B,C.

[0051] In this exemplary embodiment, the sides of the recess 1070A,B,C may angle away from the capillary part 1001, which may be better envisioned in FIG. 10B, which is a plane view across the capillary part 1001 as seen by looking at the extrusion surface 1090 of the plate 1000. In one embodiment it may be preferred that the initial post-extrusion bulge does not touch the angled sides. In another embodiment, it may be preferred that the post-extrusion bulge is guided by the sides.

[0052] FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate a circular capillary part 1101 that may be made to make a filament with a round cross-section. FIG. 11A shows that a recess 1170 has been configured on the extrusion side 1190 of the spinneret plate 1100. The recess 1170 has a ceiling1172. FIG. 11B, which is a cross-section of FIG. 11A through the line XIB-XIB, shows that the extruded polymer 1199 will bulge first on the side of the recess 1170 and will bulge lower (past the depth of the ceiling 1172) on the portions where the polymer melt 1199 is still in contact with the plate 1100.

[0053] Saying this another way, the entire perimeter of the capillary part 1101 intersects the top surface 1180 of the spinneret plate 1100. At the other end of the capillary part 1101, only a portion of the perimeter of the capillary part 1101 intersects the extrusion surface 1190. That is to say that a portion of capillary part 1101 intersects the recess 1170 at the recess ceiling 1172.

[0054] FIGS. 12A and 12B also illustrate a circular capillary part 1201 that may be made to make a filament with a round cross-section. FIG. 12A shows that recess 1270 has three ceilings 1172A,B,C, which have been configured on the extrusion side 1290 of the spinneret plate 1200. FIG. 12B shows that the extruded polymer 1299 will bulge first on the portion that has the highest ceiling 1272A, then the portion that has the next highest ceiling 1272B will bulge, then finally the portion that has the lowest ceiling 1272C will produce a post-extrusion bulge in the extruded filament. In this exemplary embodiment, a portion of the polymer melt will still be in contact with the capillary part 1201 until it passes the extrusion surface 1290 of the plate 1200. This is not seen in FIG. 12B since that portion of the cross-section of FIG. 12A (as seen through line XIIB-XIIB) is not visible in this view. The stresses induced from this stepwise incremental exposure to quenching fluids will provide desirable and exploitable stresses in the produced filaments to create desired crimps, twists, and rotations thereby providing greater bulk.

[0055] To put this another way, the entire perimeter of the capillary part 1201 intersects the top surface 1280 of the spinneret plate 1200. At the other end of the capillary part 1101, only a portion of the perimeter of the capillary part 1101 intersects the extrusion surface 1190. That is to say that a portion of capillary part 1101 intersects the recess 1170 at the recess ceiling 1172A. Another portion of capillary part 1101 intersects the recess 1170 at the recess ceiling 1172B, and another portion of capillary part 1101 intersects the recess 1170 at the recess ceiling 1172C.

[0056] Those of ordinary skill in the art and in possession of this disclosure and its teachings will understand that stepwise recesses may be applied to any shape of capillary or to portions of capillaries of any shape without departing from the spirit of the inventions disclosed herein.

[0057] Those in possession of this disclosure and teaching will understand that configuring the orientation of the patterns may be combined with configuring the patterns to have different mixing chamber depths and different extrusion recesses. These may be configured together to provide trilobal filaments with different deniers having twists of different turn lengths around their respective helixes.

[0058] In one embodiment, a spinneret plate configured with ribbon filament capillaries having sloping recesses may or may not have the sloping recesses aligned the same way across the plate. If the plate were to be given cardinal points such as North, South, East, and West, then some of the slopes of the capillaries may be oriented North-South while others may be oriented South-North, while others may be oriented East-West and others West-East. This is exemplary only and the alignments need not be along the cardinal directions. Also, the slope does not need to be along the major axis of the capillary; it may be along the minor axis, or a slope may be configured to not align with any axes of the capillary.

[0059] In another embodiment, the stepwise arrangement of recesses around a capillary (circular or of any other shape) need not be in the same progression or orientation in a spinneret plate. That is to say that some stepwise recesses may have a left-hand progression while others have a right-hand progression. Similarly, the first step on some of the recesses may be aligned with a North cardinal point on the face of the spinneret plate, while the first step of other capillaries may be aligned towards the South, East, or West, or points in between. Having a mixture of orientations and progressions will produce filaments that are intrinsically misaligned as they are quenched and drawn so that they produce more bulk in a bundle of filaments or a yarn.CONCLUSION

[0060] The present invention is in no way limited to the herein above-described embodiments, on the contrary many such capillary patterns, mixing chambers, and methods of extruding filaments may be realized according to various variants, without leaving the scope of the present invention.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0027]FIG. 1 represents a prior art design of a pattern of capillary parts 101A,B,C through a spinneret plate 100. This exemplary embodiment is of three capillary parts that collectively may be used to produce a trilobal filament. A circle is drawn around the pattern of capillary parts 101A,B,C to better illustrate the top surface 180 of the spinneret plate. Similarly, a circle is drawn around the pattern of capillaries at the extrusion side of the plate 100. These circles are not part of the actual spinneret plate but are drawn to represent that the capillary parts 101A,B,C within the areas defined by the circles extend through the spinneret plate 100 as illustrated from one surface to another.

[0028]Throughout this document, the term capillary pattern will be used to represent all parts of a group of conduits through which molten polymer flows to produce a filament. In FIG. 1, as an example, the three capillary parts 101A,B,C define the conduits through which polymer melt may flow ...

Claims

1-45. (canceled)46. A spinneret capillary pattern comprising:a spinneret plate comprising:a top surface,an extrusion surface distal from and opposite the top surface, anda thickness between the top surface and the extrusion surface;a mixing chamber defined by an opening and a floor, wherein:the opening is configured to allow the passage of a molten polymer from the top surface into the mixing chamber, andthe floor is at a depth from the top surface within the thickness between the top surface and the extrusion surface;a first capillary part comprising a first aperture in the floor, a second capillary part comprising a second aperture in the floor, and a third capillary part comprising a third aperture in the floor, wherein:the first aperture is configured to allow the passage of a first portion of the molten polymer from an interior of the mixing chamber through the first capillary part to the extrusion surface,the second aperture is configured to allow the passage of a second portion of the molten polymer from the interior of the mixing chamber through the second capillary part to the extrusion surface,the third aperture is configured to allow the passage of a third portion of the molten polymer from the interior of the mixing chamber through the third capillary part to the extrusion surface; andwherein the first capillary part is not in fluid communication with the second capillary part between the depth and the extrusion surface.

47. The spinneret capillary pattern of claim 46, wherein:the first capillary part comprises a first extrusion outlet configured to extrude the first portion of the molten polymer;the second capillary part comprises a second extrusion outlet configured to extrude the second portion of the molten polymer; andthe third capillary part comprises a third extrusion outlet configured to extrude the third portion of the molten polymer.

48. The spinneret capillary pattern of claim 47, wherein the first capillary part comprises a recess such that the first extrusion outlet is at an elevation between the floor of the mixing chamber and the extrusion surface.

49. The spinneret capillary pattern of claim 47, wherein the first capillary part comprises a sloped recess such that a first segment of the first extrusion outlet is at an elevation between the floor of the mixing chamber and the extrusion surface and a second segment of the first extrusion outlet is at the same elevation as the extrusion surface.

50. The spinneret capillary pattern of claim 49, wherein the sloped recess comprises at least one side that is angled away from the first capillary part.

51. The spinneret capillary pattern of claim 46, wherein:the spinneret capillary pattern is proximal a second spinneret capillary pattern on the spinneret plate, wherein the second spinneret capillary pattern comprises:a fourth capillary part comprising a fourth aperture in the top surface of the spinneret plate, a fifth capillary part comprising a fifth aperture in the top surface of the spinneret plate, and a sixth capillary part comprising a sixth aperture in the top surface of the spinneret plate,wherein:the fourth aperture is configured to allow the passage of a fourth portion of the molten polymer to flow from the top surface of the spinneret plate through the fourth capillary part to the extrusion surface,the fifth aperture is configured to allow the passage of a fifth portion of the molten polymer to flow from the top surface of the spinneret plate through the fifth capillary part to the extrusion surface,the sixth aperture is configured to allow the passage of a sixth portion of the molten polymer to flow from the top surface of the spinneret plate through the sixth capillary part to the extrusion surface; andwherein the first capillary part is not in fluid communication with the fourth, fifth, or sixth capillary parts between the depth and the extrusion surface.

52. A spinneret capillary pattern comprising:a spinneret plate comprising:a top surface,an extrusion surface distal from and opposite the top surface, anda thickness between the top surface and the extrusion surface;a mixing chamber defined by an opening and a floor, wherein:the opening is configured to allow the passage of a molten polymer from the top surface into the mixing chamber, andthe floor is at a depth from the top surface within the thickness between the top surface and the extrusion surface;a first capillary part comprising a first aperture in the floor, a second capillary part comprising a second aperture in the floor, and a third capillary part comprising a third aperture in the top surface of the spinneret plate, wherein:the first aperture is configured to allow the passage of a first portion of the molten polymer from an interior of the mixing chamber through the first capillary part to the extrusion surface,the second aperture is configured to allow the passage of a second portion of the molten polymer from the interior of the mixing chamber through the second capillary part to the extrusion surface,the third aperture is configured to allow the passage of a third portion of the molten polymer from the top surface of the spinneret plate through the third capillary part to the extrusion surface; andwherein the first capillary part is not in fluid communication with the second capillary part between the depth and the extrusion surface.

53. The spinneret capillary pattern of claim 52, wherein:the first capillary part comprises a first extrusion outlet configured to extrude the first portion of the molten polymer;the second capillary part comprises a second extrusion outlet configured to extrude the second portion of the molten polymer; andthe third capillary part comprises a third extrusion outlet configured to extrude the third portion of the molten polymer.

54. The spinneret capillary pattern of claim 53, wherein the first capillary part comprises a recess such that the first extrusion outlet is at an elevation between the floor of the mixing chamber and the extrusion surface.

55. The spinneret capillary pattern of claim 53, wherein the first capillary part comprises a sloped recess such that a first segment of the first extrusion outlet is at an elevation between the floor of the mixing chamber and the extrusion surface and a second segment of the first extrusion outlet is at the same elevation as the extrusion surface.

56. The spinneret capillary pattern of claim 55, wherein the sloped recess comprises at least one side that is angled away from the first capillary part.

57. The spinneret capillary pattern of claim 52, wherein:the spinneret capillary pattern is proximal a second spinneret capillary pattern on the spinneret plate, wherein the second spinneret capillary pattern comprises:a fourth capillary part comprising a fourth aperture in the top surface of the spinneret plate, a fifth capillary part comprising a fifth aperture in the top surface of the spinneret plate, and a sixth capillary part comprising a sixth aperture in the top surface of the spinneret plate, wherein:the fourth aperture is configured to allow the passage of a fourth portion of the molten polymer to flow from the top surface of the spinneret plate through the fourth capillary part to the extrusion surface,the fifth aperture is configured to allow the passage of a fifth portion of the molten polymer to flow from the top surface of the spinneret plate through the fifth capillary part to the extrusion surface,the sixth aperture is configured to allow the passage of a sixth portion of the molten polymer to flow from the top surface of the spinneret plate through the sixth capillary part to the extrusion surface; andwherein the first capillary part is not in fluid communication with the fourth, fifth, or sixth capillary parts between the depth and the extrusion surface.

58. A plurality of spinneret capillary patterns of claim 52, wherein each spinneret capillary pattern has an orientation as viewed on the top of the spinneret plate, such that a first spinneret capillary pattern has a different orientation than a second spinneret capillary pattern of the plurality of spinneret capillary patterns.

59. A spinneret capillary pattern comprising:a spinneret plate comprising:a top surface,an extrusion surface distal from and opposite the top surface, anda thickness between the top surface and the extrusion surface;a mixing chamber defined by an opening in the top surface and a floor, wherein:the opening is configured to allow the passage of a molten polymer from the top surface into the mixing chamber, andthe floor is at a floor depth from the top surface within the thickness between the top surface and the extrusion surface;a recess defined by an opening in the extrusion surface and a ceiling, wherein:the opening is configured to allow the passage of the molten polymer from an interior of the recess to exit the spinneret plate, andthe ceiling is at a ceiling depth from the top surface within the thickness between the floor depth and the extrusion surface;a first capillary part comprising a first aperture in the floor, a second capillary part comprising a second aperture in the floor, and a third capillary part comprising a third aperture in the top surface of the spinneret plate, wherein:the first aperture is configured to allow the passage of a first portion of the molten polymer from an interior of the mixing chamber through the first capillary part to the extrusion surface,the second aperture is configured to allow the passage of a second portion of the molten polymer from the interior of the mixing chamber through the second capillary part to the recess,the third aperture is configured to allow the passage of a third portion of the molten polymer from the top surface of the spinneret plate through the third capillary part to the extrusion surface; andwherein:the first capillary part is not in fluid communication with the second capillary part between the floor depth and the ceiling depth,and the third capillary part is not in fluid communication with the first capillary part or the second capillary part between the top surface and the extrusion surface.

60. The spinneret capillary pattern of claim 59, wherein:the first capillary part comprises a first extrusion outlet configured to extrude the first portion of the molten polymer;the second capillary part comprises a second extrusion outlet configured to extrude the second portion of the molten polymer; andthe third capillary part comprises a third extrusion outlet configured to extrude the third portion of the molten polymer.

61. The spinneret capillary pattern of claim 60, wherein:the spinneret capillary pattern is proximal a second spinneret capillary pattern on the spinneret plate, wherein the second spinneret capillary pattern comprises:a fourth capillary part comprising a fourth aperture in the top surface of the spinneret plate, a fifth capillary part comprising a fifth aperture in the top surface of the spinneret plate, and a sixth capillary part comprising a sixth aperture in the top surface of the spinneret plate, wherein:the fourth aperture is configured to allow the passage of a fourth portion of the molten polymer to flow from the top surface of the spinneret plate through the fourth capillary part to the extrusion surface,the fifth aperture is configured to allow the passage of a fifth portion of the molten polymer to flow from the top surface of the spinneret plate through the fifth capillary part to the extrusion surface,the sixth aperture is configured to allow the passage of a sixth portion of the molten polymer to flow from the top surface of the spinneret plate through the sixth capillary part to the extrusion surface; andwherein the first capillary part is not in fluid communication with the fourth, fifth, or sixth capillary parts between the depth and the extrusion surface.

62. A plurality of spinneret capillary patterns of claim 60, wherein each spinneret capillary pattern has an orientation as viewed on the top of the spinneret plate, such that a first spinneret capillary pattern has a different orientation than a second spinneret capillary pattern of the plurality of spinneret capillary patterns.

63. The spinneret capillary pattern of claim 60, wherein the third capillary part comprises a sloped recess such that a first segment of the third extrusion outlet is at an elevation between the floor of the mixing chamber and the extrusion surface and a second segment of the third extrusion outlet is at the same elevation as the extrusion surface.

64. The spinneret capillary pattern of claim 63, wherein the sloped recess comprises at least one side that is angled away from the third capillary part.

65. The spinneret capillary pattern of claim 60 comprising:a second recess defined by a second opening in the extrusion surface and a second ceiling,wherein:the second opening is configured to allow the passage of the molten polymer from an interior of the second recess to exit the spinneret plate, andthe second ceiling is at a second ceiling depth from the top surface within the thickness between the top surface and the extrusion surface;the third aperture is configured to allow the passage of the third portion of the molten polymer from the top surface of the spinneret plate through the third capillary part to the second recess;a perimeter of the third capillary part intersects the top surface of the spinneret plate;only a portion of the perimeter of the third capillary part intersects the second ceiling of the second recess at the third aperture.

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