Absorbent articles

• US 5,839,448 A
• Filed: 12/20/1996
• Issued: 11/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Courtaulds Fibers, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Courtaulds Fibers, Inc.
• Inventors: Woodings, Calvin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDERSON, CHARLES WENDELL
• Application Number:
  US08/765,477
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 131/331, 131/334, 131/347, 131/358, 131/353, 131/369-375, 425/71, 8/116.4
• US Class Current: 131/331
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 3/10 of cellulose or cellulose derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 2/00 Monocomponent artificial filaments or the like of cellulose or cellulose derivatives; Manufacture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/492 by fluid jet D04H1/49 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/495 for formation of patterns, e.g. drilling or rearrangement
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/498 entanglement of layered webs
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/74 the fibres being orientated, e.g. in parallel (anisotropic fleeces)

Abstract

Cigarette filters are disclosed which comprise entangled continuous filaments of lyocell. The filaments may be entangled for example by hydroentangling a web which comprises one or more layers of lyocell filaments in spread tow form or by directing radial or circumferential water jets at a tow of lyocell filaments in rod form.

Claims

1. A cigarette filter comprising a filter body which comprises entangled continuous filaments of lyocell.

2. A cigarette filter according to claim 1, characterised in that the body of the filter comprises a hydroentangled web which comprises one or more layers of lyocell filaments in the form of spread tow.

3. The cigarette filter according to claim 1, wherein the filter body comprises an entangled tow of continuous lyocell filaments in rod form.

4. The cigarette filter according to claim 3, wherein the entangled tow is prepared by directing one or more high-pressure water jets radially or circumferentially against a tow of lyocell filaments.

5. A process for entangling a lyocell tow, comprising the step of impinging one or more jets of fluid laterally against a lyocell tow of compact cross-section.

6. The process according to claim 5, wherein the lyocell tow submitted to the entangling step is of circular cross-section.

7. The process according to claim 5, characterised in that the one or more jets of fluid impinge the tow perpendicularly.

8. The process according to claim 5, wherein the fluid is water.

9. A cigarette comprising a filter having a body, wherein the body of the filter comprises entangled continuous filaments of lyocell.

10. A cigarette according to claim 9 wherein the body of the filter comprises a hydroentangled web which comprises one or more layers of lyocell filaments in the form of spread tow.

11. A cigarette according to claim 9 wherein the body of the filter comprises an entangled tow of continuous lyocell filaments in rod form.

12. A cigarette according to claim 11 wherein the entangled tow is prepared by directing one or more high-pressure water jets radially or circumferentially against a tow of lyocell filaments.