Patent Application
20100297442
The invention relates to a method for the production of a multi-color composite thread according to the generic part of claim 1, and a device for carrying out the method according to the generic part of claim 10.
A method according to the generic part, and a device according to the generic part are known from EP 1 035 238 A1.
In the known method and the known device initially multiple dyed polymer melts are produced parallel next to each other for the production of a multi-color composite thread, and extruded through a plurality of separate spinnerets to form a colored filament bundle. The filament bundles are comprised of a plurality of individual filament strands that are extruded to form continuous strands. Subsequent to multiple treatment steps of cooling and stretching the colored filament bundles are brought together to form a composite thread. The composite thread is therefore imparted a mixed color, which is achieved by bringing together the colored filaments of the individual filament bundles.
Such multi-color composite threads are utilized in particular with the production of BCF threads, wherein particularly the mixed color of the composite thread determines the visual appearance of the carpet. Depending on the mixed color of the composite thread, different color patterns in the carpet fiber. Therefore, in practice it is desirable to combine the colored filament bundles to a desired mixed color of the composite thread in a manner as flexible as possible.
For this purpose the number of filament bundles that are combined to a composite thread may be modified in the known methods and the known device. For example, two or three-color filament bundles may be combined to a composite thread that has one mixed color.
In this manner, however, variations of the composite thread are created, which differ in the amount of filament bundles.
In order to form a composite thread from multiple colored filament bundles at the same amount of filament bundles, further devices and method are known according to prior art. For example, EP 0485 871 A1 discloses a variation, wherein the filament bundles are twisted separately from each other by additional means before combining the same to composite threads.
A further method is known from DE 42 02 896 A1, wherein a false twist is created in the filament bundles before combining them to the composite thread.
In the device and method known from EP 0 133 198 the filament bundles are continuously changed in their relative position to each other in order to therefore receive another mixing of the filaments to a composite thread before feeding the same to a texturizing agent. For this purpose some of the filament bundles are disposed back and forth at small strokes.
All methods and devices for producing a multi-color composite thread according to prior art have in common that a certain appearance and look of the composite thread, particularly of the mixed color of the composite thread, is to be achieved solely by means of the type of bringing together the filament bundles. However, such methods represent an increasing stress on the filament strands within the filament bundles, which may also have a negative effect on the crimping previously incorporated in the filaments. The changes of the mixed color achieved by means of the mixing of the individual filaments of the filament bundles are also possible to a limited degree as the total amount of the colored filaments remains constant within the composite thread.
A method, wherein the mixed color of the composite thread can be changed by means of changing the amount of the colored filament strands is already known from DE 1 805 954. Accordingly, combinations of colored filament strands may be combined with an individual number of individual filaments. However, this method is extremely elaborate for practical use, as a change in the amount of filament strands within a filament bundle goes along with a change of the spinneret.
The object of the invention is therefore to further improve a method and a device for producing a multi-color composite thread of the generic type such that a mixed color of the composite thread may be adjusted and changed.
Another aim of the invention is to provide a method and a device for producing a multi-color composite thread, wherein the composite thread may be produced having predetermined color effects in the mixed color.
The problem is solved by means of a method having the characteristics according to claim 1 and by means of a device having the characteristics according to claim 10.
Advantageous further improvements of the invention are defined by the characteristics and characteristics combinations of the respective sub-claims.
The invention provides the particular advantage that no additional intervention is necessary for mixing the filaments of the colored filament bundles in order to change the mixed color of the composite thread. In order to change or adjust the mixed color of the composite thread the production of dyed polymer melts is changed according to the invention during the extrusion process of the filament bundles. In this manner it is possible to influence the extrusion of the filament bundles in such a way that the filaments forming the filament bundles are already created having a desired visual appearance in order to achieve the desired mixed color of the composite thread when the remaining filament bundles are brought together.
In order to obtain a composite thread having the same physical properties as much as possible despite of the changed production of the dyed polymer melts and the inherent changes of the extrusion of the filament bundles, the method variation is preferably carried out, wherein the composite thread is determined by means of a total yarn count that is of equal count before and after the changing of the mixed color of the composite thread. This method variation therefore enables an intervention into the melt spinning process for producing the composite thread in order to change only the mixed color, and thus the appearance of the composite thread.
The producing of the dyed polymer melt provided for the extrusion of one of the filament bundles may be carried out according to an advantageous method variation such that the conveying amount of the polymer melt to be extruded is increased or reduced. For example, an increase in the conveying amount of the polymer melt would result in the spinneret having a higher melt output during the extrusion of the filament bundle, thus achieving a higher spinning yarn count of the filament bundle. In this manner the color content determined by the filament bundle is increased overall within the composite thread as opposed to the remaining filament bundles due to the great mass. The color of the filament bundle is therefore more prominent. Despite of the same color concentration within the filaments different color effects may be created in the composite thread by means of changing the melt output and thus the changing of the spinning yarn count of the filaments. Thick and thin filaments generally have a different light reflection. The appearance becomes darker with an increased filament yarn count.
In order to reinforce such coloring effects the method variation is particularly advantageous, wherein a plurality of conveyor amounts of the polymer melts are simultaneously changed in relation to a total conveyor amount of all polymer melt for the extrusion of all filament bundles. In this manner, for example, a polymer melt of a first color can be combined with a greater conveying amount, and a second polymer melt of a second color can be combined with a smaller conveying amount such that the color dominance of the filament bundle being extruded at a larger conveying amount is even greater in the composite thread.
In order to maintain a total yarn count of the composite thread that is as constant as possible with a plurality of filament bundles, the conveying amounts of the polymer melts are changed such that the sum of all conveying amounts equals the total conveying amount. In this manner the filament bundles may be extruded in different spinning yarn counts without falling below or exceeding the total yarn count of the composite thread after bring the same together.
In case the dyeing of the polymer melts is carried out by means of a liquid dye, the method variation is preferably utilized, wherein a feeding in of a liquid dye into at least one of the polymer melts is changed by means of increasing or reducing an amount of the dye. In this manner the degree of dyeing of the polymer melt may be influenced before and during the extrusion in an advantageous manner such that the filament bundle may be directly extruded from a polymer melt having a more prominent dye, or from a polymer melt having less dye.
In this case the mixed color effects may also be improved particularly in that the feeding of a plurality of liquid dyes into a plurality of polymer melts is simultaneously changed by means of increasing or reducing the amount of the dyes.
The method according to the invention is therefore particularly suitable to bring about a mixed color in the composite thread at a process start without having to interrupt the process.
In order to produce carpet fiber the method variation is preferably used, wherein the creation of the polymer melts is repeated changed at a predetermined time interval. In this manner the uniform color patterns can be created in the composite thread, which in turn can be utilized for creating visual special effects in a carpet pattern of a carpet canvas.
As an alternative the method may be operated such that the creation of the polymer melt is determined by a machine setting, wherein the extrusion of the filament bundles is carried out by means of alternating machine settings. For this purpose machine settings may be defined, for example, by means of empiric trials, which lead to certain mixed colors of the composite thread. For example, the pattern of the mixed colors in the composite thread may be predetermined by means of periodically changing the machine settings.
In order to carry out the method according to the invention the device according to the invention has a controller, which is connected to at least one of the means for creating the polymer melt, and which controls the created product for changing the color mixture of the composite thread during the extrusion of the filament bundles.
In order to maintain a total yarn count of the composite thread a further improvement of the device according to the invention provides that the controller has a microprocessor, by means of which at least computer operations may be executed for determining a control signal fed to the created product while maintaining the total yarn count of the composite thread. In this manner the producing of the polymer melt may be changed in a controlled manner and in coordination with the remaining polymer melts.
In order to influence the conveying amount the means for producing the polymer melts include a plurality of spinning pumps that can be driven independently of each other via a plurality of pump drives. For this purpose at least one of the pump drives is coupled to the controller for changing the drive speed of the associated spinning pump. In this manner the conveying amount of the spinning pump may be changed by means of increasing or reducing the drive speed of the spinning pump.
In order to maintain a total conveying amount preferably all pump drives of the spinning pump are mutually connected to the controller such that the increasing of the drive speed of one of the pump drives may be compensated using a respective reducing of the drive speed of one of the other pump drives, or a reducing the drive speed of a plurality of pump drives. The sum of the conveying amounts therefore corresponds to a total conveying amount that remains constant during the extrusion of the filament bundles.
Depending on the type of coloring of the polymer melt the device according to the invention may be further improved such that the means for producing the polymer melts have a plurality of feed units for feeding a plurality of liquid dyes, that the feed units have a plurality of dosing pumps that can be driven via separate dosing drives, and that at least one of the dosing drives is connected to the controller for changing a drive speed of the associated dosing pump. In this manner the coloring of the individual polymer melts may be individually influenced by means of increasing or reducing the addition of the colorant.
In order to obtain a mixed color effect on the composite thread the device according to the invention is preferably operated in the embodiment wherein the controller has at least one control program, by means of which a plurality of machine settings may be set in an alternating manner at the means for producing the polymer melt. In this manner, for example, the spinning pumps may be adjusted up or down between two operating speeds such that each adjustment results in a change of the mixed color of the composite thread.
The method according to the invention and the device according to the invention are generally suitable in order to produce multi-color composite threads from a polyamide material, such as a polyester, polypropylene, or polyamide, or combinations of such materials. In particular, the method and the device are suitable for producing so-called BCF yarns. For this purpose the further improvement of the device according to the invention is utilized, wherein the composite means has at least one crimping unit, by means of which the filament bundles are crimped and brought together to form the composite thread. Such crimped composite threads may be used directly for further processing of a carpet canvas.
As an alternative, however, it is also possible that the composite thread has at least one twisting spinneret by means of which the filament bundles are brought together to form the composite thread. In this case combinations may also be carried out such that both the filament bundles are crimped separately before twisting, and the composite thread is crimped after twisting in a crimping unit. Furthermore, additional treatments of the filament bundles and in the composite thread are also possible before or after bring the same together. Such treatments may be carried out as twisting, stretching, and relaxing.
The method according to the invention is described in further detail below, based on a few example embodiments of the device according to the invention with reference to the attached drawings.
They show:
For the extrusion of the filaments a colored polymer melt is fed to the spinnerets 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3. For this purpose a spinning pump 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 is associated with each of the spinnerets 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3, which feed the respective polymer melts to the spinnerets 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3 under pressure via the distribution lines 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3. The spinnerets 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 are disposed next to each other on a top of the spinning beam 3. A separate pump drive is associated with each of the spinnerets 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3. The spinning pump 2.1 is driven by the pump drive 7.1, the spinning pump 2.2 by the pump drive 7.2, and the spinning pump 2.3 by the pump drive 7.3. A controller 8 is provided for controlling the drives, which is coupled to the pump drives 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3. Each of the pump drives 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3 is actuated individually via the controller 8 such that the polymer melt flows created by the spinning pumps 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 may be fed to the spinnerets 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3 separately and uniformly.
On one inlet side the spinnerets 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 are each connected to an extruder via a melt line. In this example embodiment a first extruder 1.1 is coupled to the spinning pump 2.1 via the melt line 5.1. Accordingly, a second extruder 1.2 is connected to the spinning pump 2.2 via the melt line 5.2, and the extruder 1.3 is connected to the spinning pump 2.3 via the melt line 5.3. A colored polymer melt is produced in each of the extruders 1.1 to 1.3. For this purpose a granulate of a polymer material as well as additives and colorants may be added to the extruder.
For producing a composite thread the filament bundles 13.1, 13.2, and 13.3 are drawn from the spinnerets 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3 via one thread guide 10 by means of a treatment unit 11 after cooling and bringing the same together. The treatment unit 11 is illustrated symbolically only, since the process units are embodied and individually assembled within the treatment unit 11 depending on the respective type of thread to be produced. In this manner, for example, a stretching may be carried out both on the individual filament bundles and in the composite thread. The treatment unit 11 could therefore comprise the preparation device, stretching devices, twisting devices, relaxing devices, and/or crimping devices. What is essential for the producing of the composite thread 14 in this case, however, is a composite means that brings together the filament bundles 13.1, 13.2, and 13.3 inside of the treatment unit and forms a composite thread 14 having a mixed color from the multi-color filament strands of the filament bundles 13.1, 13.2, and 13.3.
Some example embodiments of the composite means that can be alternatively utilized in the treatment unit 11 are illustrated in
As an alternative the filament bundles 13.1, 13.2, and 13.3 may also be brought together with one of the composite means 12 illustrated in the example embodiment shown in
Depending on the desired type of thread, the treatment unit 11 illustrated in
In order to store the composite thread 14 produced, the same is usually wound to form a spool 16. In this manner a winding unit 15 is connected downstream of the treatment unit 11, which has two spool spindles 17.1 and 17.2 held on a spindle carrier 18 in this example embodiment such that the composite thread 14 may be continuously wound to form a spool 16. The winding of the spool 16 is carried out by means of a changing unit 19, which guides the composite thread back and forth along the spool surface such that a cross-wound spool is wound.
For carrying out the method according to the invention the device illustrated in
In case the mixed color does not yet represent the desired appearance of the composite thread 14, the production of the polymer melt is changed. For this purpose a change of at least one drive speed of one of the pump drives 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3 is initiated via the controller 8. For example, the conveying amount of the spinning pump 2.1 could be increased such that a larger amount of blue dyed polymer melt is fed for the extrusion of the spinneret 4.1. For this purpose a higher spinning yarn count is present during the extrusion of the filament bundle 13.1 such that the mass content of the blue dyed filaments is increased overall, and thus the mixed color in the composite thread 14 receives a respectively stronger shade of blue.
However, said method variation is preferably carried out such that with the change of the conveying amount of one of the spinning pumps 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 no change of the total yarn count of the composite thread 14 occurs, if possible. Therefore, a microprocessor 9 is provided within the controller 8, in which a total conveying amount is stored, which is achieved from the sum of the individual conveying amounts of the three spinning pumps 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 in order to obtain the total yarn count of the composite thread 14. In case a higher conveying amount needs to be achieved for changing the mixed color of one of the spinning pumps 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3, a respective compensation calculation is carried out via the microprocessor 9 such that a reduction of the conveying amount occurs at least in a different, or in both different spinning pumps. In this manner corresponding control signals may be generated and the pump drives 7.1, 7.2, and 7.2 may be adjusted in combination without a total conveying amount of the three spinning pumps being exceeded.
The method according to the invention and the device according to the invention are therefore particularly suitable to produce a mixed color of a composite thread 14 at a high flexibility based on base colors provided.
As an alternative the device illustrated in
For carrying out the method according to the invention a further example embodiment of the device according to the invention is illustrated in
In the example embodiment illustrated in
In this manner one of the feed units 27.1, 27.2, 27.3 and one of the mixing units 26.1, 26.2, and 26.3 is associated with each melt line 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3.
The dosing drives 29.1, 29.2, and 29.3 of the dosing pumps 28.1, 28.2, and 28.3 are mutually coupled to the controller 8 such that individual amounts of dyes may be fed for dying the polymer melts by means of setting the conveyor amounts on the dosing pumps 28.1, 28.2, and 28.3.
In the operating mode a mixed color of a composite thread 12 may therefore be changed easily in that at least one of the dosing drives 29.1 to 29.3 is actuated via the controller 8 for changing the feed amount of the dye. In this manner the drive speed of the dosing pump may be increased or reduced via the dosing drive such that a greater or lower amount of the liquid dye is fed for coloring the polymer melt. This method variation also has the advantage that the change of the production of the polymer melt set during the extrusion has no effect on the spinning yarn count of the filament bundles 13.1, 13.2, and 13.3. The spinning yarn count of the extruded filament strands remain essentially constant as essentially only the visual appearance of the filament strands is changed due to the liquid dye.
In the example embodiment illustrated in
In order to change the mixed color of the composite thread 14 formed by the filament bundles 13.1, 13.2, and 13.3 both the pump drives 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3 of the spinning pumps 2.1 to 2.3 and the dosing drives 29.1, 29.2, and 29.3 of the dosing pumps 28.1 to 28.3 may be changed in terms of their operating settings via the controller 8. The operating settings of the dosing pumps and the operating settings of the spinning pumps may be changed alternatively, or collectively. In this manner maximum flexibility of the visual appearance of a composite thread is achieved by means of color combinations of a plurality of filament bundles.
The method according to the invention and the device according to the invention are therefore particularly suitable to create spun-dyed composite threads and mixed colors. The number of filament bundles and device parts shown in the exemplary embodiments for the extrusion of the filament bundles is exemplary only. The composite thread may also be formed by two, four, or more filament bundles.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2007 050 551.7 | Oct 2007 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP08/63437 | 10/8/2008 | WO | 00 | 8/3/2010 |
