Plant for making continuous elastic yarns made of silicone material

• US 9,481,113 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2009
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lemur S.p.a.
• Original Assignee: Lemur S.p.a.
• Inventors: Klotz, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Gupta, Yogendra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leyson, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US13/125,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20110200821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,569 Days
• Field of Search: 425/66, 425/72.2, 425/144, 425/377, 425/378.2, 425/379.1, 425/382.2, 425/404, 425/445, 425/464
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0827 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0855 using microwave
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/02 Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing during moulding, e.g. in a mouldcold vulcanisation B29C35/18 ; vulcanising tyres, presses therefor B29D30/0601
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/0277 Apparatus with continuous transport of the material to be cured B29C35/025, B29C35/06, B29C35/10, B29C35/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/10 for articles of indefinite length
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0018 combined with shaping by orienting, stretching or shrinking, e.g. film blowing B29C48/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/022 characterised by the choice of material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/05 Filamentary, e.g. strands
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/154 Coating solid articles, i.e. non-hollow articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/25 Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/286 Raw material dosing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/34 Cross-head annular extrusion nozzles, i.e. for simultaneously receiving moulding material and the preform to be coated
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/355 Conveyors for extruded articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/37 Gear pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/387 using a screw extruder and a gear pump
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/395 using screws surrounded by a cooperating barrel, e.g. single screw extruders
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/69 Filters or screens for the moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/693 Substantially flat filters mounted at the end of an extruder screw perpendicular to the feed axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/83 Heating or cooling the cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/832 Heating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/834 : Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/91 : Heating, e.g. for cross linking
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2083/00 : Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2083/005 : LSR, i.e. liquid silicone rubbers, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2301/10 : Thermosetting resins
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0046 : Elastic
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/707 : Cables, i.e. two or more filaments combined together, e.g. ropes, cords, strings, yarns filamentary material B29L2031/731, electric cables B29L2031/3462, optical cables B29L2011/0075
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/731 : Filamentary material, i.e. comprised of a single element, e.g. filaments, strands, threads, fibres cables B29L2031/707
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 13/02 : Elements of machines in combination
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/084 : Heating filaments, threads or the like, leaving the spinnerettes
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/088 : Cooling filaments, threads or the like, leaving the spinnerettes
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/092 : in shafts or chimneys
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/098 : with simultaneous stretching
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/16 : using rollers, or like mechanical devices, e.g. snubbing pins
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 11/08 : of macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 6/76 : from other polycondensation products
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 6/96 : from other synthetic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/298 : Physical dimension

Abstract

A plant for making continuous yarns (30) made of silicon material comprises at least an extrusion station (12), into which the material is introduced in an amorphous condition, and extrusion means (15) which cause the material to exit from the extrusion station (12) along an extrusion axis (D). The plant also comprises a vulcanization station (16), located downstream of the extrusion station (12), at a determinate distance (“L”) therefrom, in which the continuous yarn (30) is vulcanized in a direction of treatment (T). The plant also comprises a drawing unit (18), disposed downstream of the vulcanization station (16).

Claims

1. A plant for making continuous elastic yarns made of silicone material, comprising at least an extrusion station, provided with an extrusion body into which said material is able to be introduced in an amorphous condition, and extrusion head able to allow said material to exit from said extrusion station along an extrusion axis, and a vulcanization station comprising a vulcanization oven, located downstream of said extrusion station, at a determinate distance therefrom, wherein:

said extrusion head is disposed so that the extrusion axis is substantially vertical,

said distance varies between 400 and 1500 mm according to the final thickness of the elastic yarn to be obtained;

the plant also comprises a drawing unit, disposed downstream of said vulcanization station, and able to impart on the elastic yarn exiting from the extrusion station, a drawing value in a ratio comprised between 2 and 6 (100-500%), reducing the section of the elastic yarn proportionally, before the elastic yarn enters said vulcanization oven of the vulcanization station, and hence at least along said distance,

and wherein the vulcanization oven is moveable to adjust said distance between said values 400-1500 mm to vary the drawing conditions of the elastic yarn and to obtain a final yarn with a thickness at least less than 0.7 mm, and having the desired orientation of the molecular chains.

2. The plant as in claim 1, wherein, in said vulcanization station, said extruded product is vulcanized along a processing direction parallel or coincident to the extrusion axis.

3. The plant as in claim 1, wherein said extrusion body has a vertical elbow shape.

4. The plant as in claim 1, comprising a collection unit, located downstream of the vulcanization station and able to collect the extruded product, wherein said collection unit comprises said drawing unit.

5. The plant as in claim 4, comprising a controlled cooling station, located downstream of the vulcanization station and upstream of the collection unit.

6. The plant as in claim 1, wherein the extrusion station comprises a heating and cooling device for the heat regulation of the extrusion station.