NONWOVEN MATERIAL AND DRYER WITH NONWOVEN MATERIAL

• US 20130174435A1
• Filed: 11/23/2012
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC (Owens Corning)
• Original Assignee: Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC (Owens Corning)
• Inventors: Rockwell, Anthony L., Johnson, Phillip J., Seward, Jason, Bragg, Jason C., Miller, Paula, Tilton, Jeffrey S., Kunkler, William
• Application Number:
  US13/684,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20130174435A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/108
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/43 Acrylonitrile series
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/435 Polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/558 in combination with mechanical or physical treatments other than embossing
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/72 the fibres being randomly arranged
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/04 Details controlling or regulating devices D06F34/00
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 11/024 Arrangements for gas-sealing the drum
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 25/009 Alarm systems; Safety sytems, e.g. preventing fire and explosions using inert gases F26B21/14
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 25/16 mainly closed, e.g. drum
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/696 Including strand or fiber material which is stated to have specific attributes [e.g., heat or fire resistance, chemical or solvent resistance, high absorption for aqueous compositions, water solubility, heat shrinkability, etc.]

Abstract

A non-woven fabric includes flame retardant fibers and binding fibers mixed with the flame retardant fibers. The binding fibers set a thickness of the fabric. Application of a flame to the fabric causes the binding fibers to degrade and the flame retardant fibers to expand such that the thickness of the fabric increases, for example by a factor of two or more. The non-woven fabric can be used in a wide variety of different applications. For example, the non-woven fabric may be used to make seals of a drier, heat shields, fire barriers, and/or vents.

Claims

1-76. -76. (canceled)

77. A clothes dryer comprising:

a bulkhead having a drum mounting surface;

a drum rotatably mounted to the bulkhead;

a seal member positioned between the drum and the bulkhead, wherein the seal member comprises a non-woven fabric that includes;

flame retardant fibers;

binding fibers mixed with the flame retardant fibers;

wherein the binding fibers set a thickness of the fabric;

wherein application of a 1000°

F. flame to the fabric causes the binding fibers to degrade and the flame retardant fibers to expand such that said thickness increases by a factor of at least two.

78. The clothes dryer of claim 77 wherein said thickness increases by a factor of about two to about 6.

79. The clothes dryer of claim 77 wherein application of a 1000°

F. flame to the fabric causes the binding fibers to transition to a gas state.

80. The clothes dryer of claim 77 wherein the binding fibers are self-extinguishing fibers.

81. The clothes dryer of claim 77 wherein the binding fibers are polyester fibers.

83. The clothes dryer of claim 77 wherein the flame retardant fibers do not burn when the 1000°

F. flame is applied to the fabric.

85. The clothes dryer of claim 77 wherein the flame retardant fibers comprise oxidized Polyacrylonitrile fibers.

87. The clothes dryer of claim 77 wherein the weight percentage of the flame retardant fibers is between 55% and 75% and the weight percentage of binding fibers is between 25% and 45% of the weight of the blanket.

90. The clothes dryer of claim 77 wherein the flame retardant fibers are not needled together.

93. The clothes dryer of claim 77 wherein said thickness is less than 8 mm.

94. The clothes dryer of claim 77 wherein said thickness is between about 1 mm and about 6 mm.

96. The clothes dryer of claim 77 wherein said thickness is less than 8 mm and a weight of the fabric is greater than 200 grams per square meter.

97. The clothes dryer of claim 77 wherein said thickness is between about 1 mm and about 6 mm and a weight of the fabric is greater than 200 grams per square meter.

101. The clothes dryer of claim 77 wherein said thickness is between about 4 mm and about 6 mm and a weight of the fabric is between about 200 and about 800 grams per square meter.

102. The clothes dryer of claim 77 wherein said thickness is less than 8 mm and a weight of the fabric is about 250 grams per square meter.

108. The clothes dryer of claim 77 wherein the thermal resistance across the width of the blanket increases as a result of the application of the flame.

109. The clothes dryer of claim 108 wherein the thermal resistance increases as a result of the flame retardant fibers expanding such that said thickness increases.

110. The clothes dryer of claim 77 an airflow resistance of the fabric is reduced after the application of a 1000°

F. flame to the fabric to cause the binding fibers to degrade and the flame retardant fibers to expand.

112. The clothes dryer of claim 77 an airflow resistance of the fabric decreases after the application of a 1000°

F. and the flame retardant fibers expand.

82. (canceled)

84. (canceled)

86. (canceled)

88. (canceled)

89. (canceled)

91. (canceled)

92. (canceled)

95. (canceled)

98-100. -100. (canceled)

103-107. -107. (canceled)

111. (canceled)

113-161. -161. (canceled)

162. A clothes dryer comprising:

a bulkhead having a drum mounting surface;

a drum rotatably mounted to the bulkhead;

a seal member positioned between the drum and the bulkhead, wherein the seal member comprises;

a non-woven fabric layer that is fixed to one of the bulkhead and the drum; and

a low friction layer that is connected to the non-woven fabric layer and slidably engages another of the bulkhead and the drum;

wherein the non-woven fabric layer includes;

flame retardant fibers;

binding fibers mixed with the flame retardant fibers;

wherein the binding fibers set a thickness of the fabric;

wherein application of a 1000°

F. flame to the fabric causes the binding fibers and the low friction layer to degrade and the flame retardant fibers to expand such that said thickness increases by a factor of at least two.

163. The clothes dryer of claim 162 wherein said thickness increases by a factor of about two to about 6.

164. The clothes dryer of claim 162 wherein application of a 1000°

F. flame to the fabric causes the binding fibers to transition to a gas state.

165. The clothes dryer of claim 162 wherein application of a 1000°

F. flame to the fabric causes the low friction layer to transition to a gas state.

170. The clothes dryer of claim 162 wherein the flame retardant fibers do not burn when the 1000°

F. flame is applied to the fabric.

171. The clothes dryer of claim 162 wherein the flame retardant fibers do not burn when a 1500°

F. flame is applied to the fabric.

172. The clothes dryer of claim 162 wherein the flame retardant fibers comprise oxidized Polyacrylonitrile fibers.

176. The clothes dryer of claim 162 wherein the weight percentage of the flame retardant fibers is about 65% and the weight percentage of binding fibers is about 35% of the weight of the blanket.

177. The clothes dryer of claim 162 wherein the flame retardant fibers are not needled together.

180. The clothes dryer of claim 162 wherein said thickness is less than 8 mm.

166-169. -169. (canceled)

173-175. -175. (canceled)

178-179. -179. (canceled)

181-201. -201. (canceled)