Claims
- 1. A process for making crimped fibers, comprising the steps of:extruding a liquid polymer from a first capillary having a first capillary inside border and a first capillary outside border, the first capillary outside border being curved; extruding the liquid polymer from a second capillary having a second capillary inside border proximal to the first capillary inside border and a second capillary outside border distal from the first capillary inside border, the first capillary inside border and the second capillary inside border being parallel in a direction transverse to a flow of the liquid polymer; and forming a single filament from concurrent liquid polymer extrusions from the first and second capillaries, the filament having conjoined sections from each of the first capillary and the second capillary; each conjoined section having a different induced shear thereby causing the filament to crimp.
- 2. The process for making crimped fibers of claim 1, wherein the liquid polymer is polypropylene.
- 3. The process for making crimped fibers according to claim 1, further comprising the step of directing quenching fluid at both sides of the filament.
- 4. The process for making crimped fibers according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: drawing the filament while in its plastic state to produce a filament with a substantially round cross section.
- 5. The process for making crimped fibers according to claim 3, further comprising the step of: drawing the filament while in its plastic state to produce a filament with a substantially round cross section.
- 6. The process according to claim 1, further including the step of supplying the second capillary in a shape with both inside and outside borders being substantially arcuate.
- 7. The process according to claim 1, further including the step of supplying the first capillary in a shape that is substantially circular or substantially elliptical.
- 8. The process according to claim 6, further including the step of supplying the first capillary in a shape that is substantially circular or substantially elliptical.
- 9. The process according to claim 1, further including the step of supplying the first capillary in a shape that provides a substantially arcuate outside border and a flat inside border.
- 10. The process according to claim 1, further including the step of supplying the second capillary in a shape that is substantially arch-shaped.
- 11. The process according to claim 9, further including the step of supplying the second capillary in a shape that is substantially arch-shaped.
- 12. The process according to claim 2, further including the step of supplying the second capillary in a shape with both inside and outside borders being substantially arcuate.
- 13. The process according to claim 2, further including the step of supplying the first capillary in a shape that is substantially circular or substantially elliptical.
- 14. The process according to claim 12, further including the step of supplying the first capillary in a shape that is substantially circular or substantially elliptical.
- 15. The process according to claim 2, further including the step of supplying the first capillary in a shape that provides a substantially arcuate outside border and a flat inside border.
- 16. The process according to claim 2, further including the step of supplying the second capillary in a shape that is substantially arch-shaped.
- 17. The process according to claim 15, further including the step of supplying the second capillary in a shape that is substantially arch-shaped.
- 18. The process according to claim 3, further including the step of supplying the second capillary in a shape with both inside and outside borders being substantially arcuate.
- 19. The process according to claim 3, further including the step of supplying the first capillary in a shape that is substantially circular or substantially elliptical.
- 20. The process according to claim 18, further including the step of supplying the first capillary in a shape that is substantially circular or substantially elliptical.
- 21. The process according to claim 3, further including the step of supplying the first capillary in a shape that provides a substantially arcuate outside border and a flat inside border.
- 22. The process according to claim 3, further including the step of supplying the second capillary in a shape that is substantially arch-shaped.
- 23. The process according to claim 21, further including the step of supplying the second capillary in a shape that is substantially arch-shaped.
- 24. The process according to claim 4, further including the step of supplying the second capillary in a shape with both inside and outside borders being substantially arcuate.
- 25. The process according to claim 4, further including the step of supplying the first capillary in a shape that is substantially circular or substantially elliptical.
- 26. The process according to claim 24, further including the step of supplying the first capillary in a shape that is substantially circular or substantially elliptical.
- 27. The process according to claim 4, further including the step of supplying the first capillary in a shape that provides a substantially arcuate outside border and a flat inside border.
- 28. The process according to claim 4, further including the step of supplying the second capillary in a shape that is substantially arch-shaped.
- 29. The process according to claim 27, further including the step of supplying the second capillary in a shape that is substantially arch-shaped.
- 30. The process for making crimped fibers according to claim 1, further comprising the step of producing a plurality of single filaments and collecting the plurality of the single filaments into a nonwoven web.
- 31. The process for making crimped fibers according to claim 2, further comprising the step of producing a plurality of single filaments and collecting the plurality of the single filaments into a nonwoven web.
- 32. The process for making crimped fibers according to claim 3, further comprising the step of producing a plurality of single filaments and collecting the plurality of the single filaments into a nonwoven web.
- 33. The process for making crimped fibers according to claim 4, further comprising the step of producing a plurality of single filaments and collecting the plurality of the single filaments into a nonwoven web.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 09/747,278, filed on 21 Dec. 2000 U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,691.
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Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/747278 |
Dec 2000 |
US |
Child |
10/238487 |
|
US |