NONWOVEN MATERIAL AND DRYER WITH NONWOVEN MATERIAL

• US 20130337205A1
• Filed: 05/27/2013
• Published: 12/19/2013
• 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., Seward, Jason, Bragg, Jason C., Miller, Paula, Kunkler, William, Johnson, Phillip J., Tilton, Jeffrey A.
• Application Number:
  US13/902,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20130337205A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/36.1
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 2/065 having as the main closure device materials, whose characteristics undergo an irreversible change under high temperatures, e.g. intumescent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 1/00 Layered products having a non-planar shape
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/266 characterised by an apertured layer, the apertures going through the whole thickness of the layer, e.g. expanded metal, perforated layer, slit layer regular cells B32B3/12
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/5418 Mixed fibres, e.g. at least two chemically different fibres or fibre blends
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/548 Acrylonitrile series
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/55 Polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/04 Details controlling or regulating devices D06F34/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/20 General details of domestic laundry dryers D06F59/00 takes precedence
• 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: Y10T 428/1362 Textile, fabric, cloth, or pile containing [e.g., web, net, woven, knitted, mesh, nonwoven, matted, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24273 including aperture

Abstract

A non-woven fabric includes flame retardant fibers and binding material mixed with the flame retardant fibers. The binding material sets a thickness of the fabric. Application of a flame to the fabric causes the binding material to degrade and the flame retardant fibers to expand to prevent a flame from passing through a hole in a wall of an appliance, a building, or an appliance and/or to protect wiring of an appliance, a building, or an appliance.

Claims

1. A wall assembly comprising:

a wall;

at least one of a wire and a conduit extending through a hole in the wall;

a flame retardant fabric disposed around one or more of said at least one of a wire and a conduit;

wherein the flame retardant fabric comprises;

flame retardant fibers;

binding material mixed with the flame retardant fibers;

wherein the binding material sets a thickness of the fabric;

wherein application of a 1000°

F. flame to the fabric causes the binding material to degrade and the flame retardant fibers to expand such that the flame retardant fabric prevents a flame on one side of the wall from passing to the other side of the wall.

2. The wall assembly of claim 1 wherein the wall is an appliance wall.

3. The wall assembly of claim 2 wherein the appliance wall is a clothes dryer wall.

4. The wall assembly of claim 1 wherein the wall is a building wall.

5. The wall assembly of claim 4 wherein the building wall is a wall between two apartments of a building.

6. The wall assembly of claim 1 wherein the fabric is wrapped or sleeved around said one or more of said at least one of a wire and a conduit.

7. The wall assembly of claim 1 wherein the fabric is a pad with hole disposed around said one or more of said at least one of a wire and a conduit.

8. The wall assembly of claim 1 wherein application of a 1000°

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

9. The wall assembly of claim 1 wherein the binding material comprises self-extinguishing fibers.

10. The wall assembly of claim 1 wherein the binding material comprises polyester fibers.

11. The wall assembly of claim 1 wherein the binding material comprises polyester bi-component fibers.

12. The wall assembly of claim 1 wherein the flame retardant fibers do not burn when the 1000°

F. flame is applied to the fabric.

13. The wall assembly of claim 1 wherein the flame retardant fibers comprise oxidized Polyacrylonitrile fibers.

14. The wall assembly of claim 1 wherein said thickness is less than ½

″

.

23. The wall assembly of claim 1 wherein application of a 1000°

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

24. The wall assembly of claim 1 wherein the binding material comprises self-extinguishing fibers.

25. The wall assembly of claim 1 wherein the flame retardant fibers comprise oxidized Polyacrylonitrile fibers.

15. A clothes dryer comprising:

a cabinet that houses a front bulkhead, a rear bulkhead, and a drum positioned between the front bulkhead and the rear bulkhead;

a wiring harness secured to one or more of the cabinet, front bulkhead, and rear bulkhead;

wherein a flame is provided in the drum during a fire test;

a heat shield positioned to prevent burning of the wiring harness during the fire test;

wherein the heat shield comprises;

flame retardant fibers;

binding material mixed with the flame retardant fibers;

wherein the binding material sets a thickness of the fabric;

wherein application of a 1000°

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

16. The wall assembly of claim 15 wherein the binding material comprises self-extinguishing fibers.

17. The wall assembly of claim 15 wherein the binding material comprises polyester fibers.

18. The wall assembly of claim 15 wherein the binding material comprises polyester bi-component fibers.

19. The wall assembly of claim 15 wherein the flame retardant fibers do not burn when the 1000°

F. flame is applied to the fabric.

20. The wall assembly of claim 15 wherein the flame retardant fibers comprise oxidized Polyacrylonitrile fibers.

21. The wall assembly of claim 15 wherein said thickness is less than ½

″

.

22. An electrical assembly comprising:

an electrical box having walls and at least one knockout for forming a wiring opening;

a flame retardant pad disposed in the electrical box;

at least one wire that extends through the wiring opening and through the flame retardant pad;

wherein the flame retardant pad comprises;

flame retardant fibers;

binding material mixed with the flame retardant fibers;

wherein the binding material sets a thickness of the fabric;

wherein application of a 1000°

F. flame to the fabric causes the binding material to degrade and the flame retardant fibers to expand such that the flame retardant fabric prevents a flame inside the electrical box from passing through the wiring opening.