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WO2009091426A1 - Procédés de fabrication de manchons pour rouleaux de peintres à partir d'un tube textile - Google Patents

Procédés de fabrication de manchons pour rouleaux de peintres à partir d'un tube textile Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2009091426A1
WO2009091426A1 PCT/US2008/080958 US2008080958W WO2009091426A1 WO 2009091426 A1 WO2009091426 A1 WO 2009091426A1 US 2008080958 W US2008080958 W US 2008080958W WO 2009091426 A1 WO2009091426 A1 WO 2009091426A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
pile
fabric
tubular
paint roller
tubular knitted
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US2008/080958
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Daniell Sinykin
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
SEAMLESS TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Original Assignee
SEAMLESS TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US12/015,612 external-priority patent/US7905980B2/en
Priority claimed from US12/100,050 external-priority patent/US8858750B2/en
Priority claimed from US12/132,774 external-priority patent/US8221578B2/en
Application filed by SEAMLESS TECHNOLOGIES LLC filed Critical SEAMLESS TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Publication of WO2009091426A1 publication Critical patent/WO2009091426A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05C—APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05C17/00—Hand tools or apparatus using hand held tools, for applying liquids or other fluent materials to, for spreading applied liquids or other fluent materials on, or for partially removing applied liquids or other fluent materials from, surfaces
    • B05C17/02—Rollers ; Hand tools comprising coating rollers or coating endless belts
    • B05C17/0207—Rollers ; Hand tools comprising coating rollers or coating endless belts characterised by the cover, e.g. cover material or structure, special surface for producing patterns
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C65/02—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C65/02—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure
    • B29C65/18—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure using heated tools
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/70—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material
    • B29C66/72—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the structure of the material of the parts to be joined
    • B29C66/729—Textile or other fibrous material made from plastics
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/70—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material
    • B29C66/73—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the intensive physical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the optical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the extensive physical properties of the parts to be joined, by the state of the material of the parts to be joined or by the material of the parts to be joined being a thermoplastic or a thermoset
    • B29C66/731—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the intensive physical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the optical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the extensive physical properties of the parts to be joined, by the state of the material of the parts to be joined or by the material of the parts to be joined being a thermoplastic or a thermoset characterised by the intensive physical properties of the material of the parts to be joined
    • B29C66/7311—Thermal properties
    • B29C66/73115—Melting point
    • B29C66/73116—Melting point of different melting point, i.e. the melting point of one of the parts to be joined being different from the melting point of the other part
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/90—Measuring or controlling the joining process
    • B29C66/91—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux
    • B29C66/912—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by measuring the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux
    • B29C66/9121—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by measuring the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by measuring the temperature
    • B29C66/91231—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by measuring the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by measuring the temperature of the joining tool
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/90—Measuring or controlling the joining process
    • B29C66/91—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux
    • B29C66/914—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux
    • B29C66/9141—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the temperature
    • B29C66/91421—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the temperature of the joining tools
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/90—Measuring or controlling the joining process
    • B29C66/91—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux
    • B29C66/914—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux
    • B29C66/9141—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the temperature
    • B29C66/91441—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the temperature the temperature being non-constant over time
    • B29C66/91443—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the temperature the temperature being non-constant over time following a temperature-time profile
    • B29C66/91445—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the temperature the temperature being non-constant over time following a temperature-time profile by steps
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/90—Measuring or controlling the joining process
    • B29C66/91—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux
    • B29C66/914—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux
    • B29C66/9161—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the heat or the thermal flux, i.e. the heat flux
    • B29C66/91641—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the heat or the thermal flux, i.e. the heat flux the heat or the thermal flux being non-constant over time
    • B29C66/91643—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the heat or the thermal flux, i.e. the heat flux the heat or the thermal flux being non-constant over time following a heat-time profile
    • B29C66/91645—Measuring or controlling the joining process by measuring or controlling the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the temperature, the heat or the thermal flux by controlling or regulating the heat or the thermal flux, i.e. the heat flux the heat or the thermal flux being non-constant over time following a heat-time profile by steps
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29D—PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
    • B29D23/00—Producing tubular articles
    • B29D23/001—Pipes; Pipe joints
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C2793/00—Shaping techniques involving a cutting or machining operation
    • B29C2793/0081—Shaping techniques involving a cutting or machining operation before shaping
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/004—Preventing sticking together, e.g. of some areas of the parts to be joined
    • B29C66/0042—Preventing sticking together, e.g. of some areas of the parts to be joined of the joining tool and the parts to be joined
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/50—General aspects of joining tubular articles; General aspects of joining long products, i.e. bars or profiled elements; General aspects of joining single elements to tubular articles, hollow articles or bars; General aspects of joining several hollow-preforms to form hollow or tubular articles
    • B29C66/61—Joining from or joining on the inside
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/50—General aspects of joining tubular articles; General aspects of joining long products, i.e. bars or profiled elements; General aspects of joining single elements to tubular articles, hollow articles or bars; General aspects of joining several hollow-preforms to form hollow or tubular articles
    • B29C66/63—Internally supporting the article during joining
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/69—General aspects of joining filaments 
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/70—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material
    • B29C66/71—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/70—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material
    • B29C66/73—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the intensive physical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the optical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the extensive physical properties of the parts to be joined, by the state of the material of the parts to be joined or by the material of the parts to be joined being a thermoplastic or a thermoset
    • B29C66/731—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the intensive physical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the optical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the extensive physical properties of the parts to be joined, by the state of the material of the parts to be joined or by the material of the parts to be joined being a thermoplastic or a thermoset characterised by the intensive physical properties of the material of the parts to be joined
    • B29C66/7311—Thermal properties
    • B29C66/73115—Melting point
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/70—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material
    • B29C66/73—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the intensive physical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the optical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the extensive physical properties of the parts to be joined, by the state of the material of the parts to be joined or by the material of the parts to be joined being a thermoplastic or a thermoset
    • B29C66/737—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the intensive physical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the optical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the extensive physical properties of the parts to be joined, by the state of the material of the parts to be joined or by the material of the parts to be joined being a thermoplastic or a thermoset characterised by the state of the material of the parts to be joined
    • B29C66/7371—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the intensive physical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the optical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the extensive physical properties of the parts to be joined, by the state of the material of the parts to be joined or by the material of the parts to be joined being a thermoplastic or a thermoset characterised by the state of the material of the parts to be joined oriented or heat-shrinkable
    • B29C66/73715—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the intensive physical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the optical properties of the material of the parts to be joined, by the extensive physical properties of the parts to be joined, by the state of the material of the parts to be joined or by the material of the parts to be joined being a thermoplastic or a thermoset characterised by the state of the material of the parts to be joined oriented or heat-shrinkable heat-shrinkable
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
    • B29C66/81—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps
    • B29C66/812—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the composition, by the structure, by the intensive physical properties or by the optical properties of the material constituting the pressing elements, e.g. constituting the welding jaws or clamps
    • B29C66/8122—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the composition, by the structure, by the intensive physical properties or by the optical properties of the material constituting the pressing elements, e.g. constituting the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the composition of the material constituting the pressing elements, e.g. constituting the welding jaws or clamps
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/90—Measuring or controlling the joining process
    • B29C66/96—Measuring or controlling the joining process characterised by the method for implementing the controlling of the joining process
    • B29C66/961—Measuring or controlling the joining process characterised by the method for implementing the controlling of the joining process involving a feedback loop mechanism, e.g. comparison with a desired value
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/90—Measuring or controlling the joining process
    • B29C66/96—Measuring or controlling the joining process characterised by the method for implementing the controlling of the joining process
    • B29C66/962—Measuring or controlling the joining process characterised by the method for implementing the controlling of the joining process using proportional controllers, e.g. PID controllers [proportional–integral–derivative controllers]
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29K—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR MOULDS, REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
    • B29K2105/00—Condition, form or state of moulded material or of the material to be shaped
    • B29K2105/06—Condition, form or state of moulded material or of the material to be shaped containing reinforcements, fillers or inserts
    • B29K2105/08—Condition, form or state of moulded material or of the material to be shaped containing reinforcements, fillers or inserts of continuous length, e.g. cords, rovings, mats, fabrics, strands or yarns
    • B29K2105/0809—Fabrics
    • B29K2105/0836—Knitted fabrics
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29L—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
    • B29L2023/00—Tubular articles
    • B29L2023/22—Tubes or pipes, i.e. rigid
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29L—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
    • B29L2031/00—Other particular articles
    • B29L2031/32—Wheels, pinions, pulleys, castors or rollers, Rims
    • B29L2031/328—Paint rollers

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to the manufacture of paint roller covers, and more particularly to methods of manufacturing paint roller covers from a seamless, tubular fabric sleeve having a backing material constructed at least in part of a low melt material and including a pile extending therefrom that is also constructed, at least in part, of a low melt material.
  • the two inventions which have had the greatest impact on paint application are the invention of the paint roller in the 1930 1 S and the development of water-based paint in the late 1940 1 S.
  • paint rollers are comprised of two components, namely a handle assembly and a paint roller cover for installation onto the handle assembly.
  • the handle assembly consists of a grip member having a generally L- shaped metal frame extending therefrom, with the free end of the metal frame having a rotatable support for a paint roller cover mounted thereon.
  • the paint roller cover consists of a thin, hollow cylindrical core which fits upon the rotatable support of the handle, with a plush pile fabric being secured to the outer diameter of the paint roller cover.
  • the core may be made of either cardboard or plastic material, with which material is used for the core generally being determined based upon the selling price of the paint roller cover.
  • the pile fabric is traditionally applied as a strip which is helically wound onto the outer surface of the core with adjacent windings of the fabric strip being located close adjacent each other to provide the appearance of a single continuous pile fabric covering on the core.
  • the pile fabric is a dense knitted pile fabric, which may be knitted from natural fibers such as wool or mohair, synthetic fibers such as polyester, acrylic, nylon, or rayon, or from a blend of natural and synthetic fibers.
  • the knitting is typically performed on a circular sliver knitting machine, which produces a tubular knitted backing or base material with a knit-in pile in tubular segments which are approximately fifty-eight inches (1473 millimeters) in circumference by thirty to fifty yards (27.43 meters to 45.728 meters) long (depending on fabric weight) .
  • sliver knitting is a knitting process which locks individual pile fibers directly into a lightweight knit backing or base material in a manner wherein the pile fibers extend from one side of the knit base material.
  • the knit base material itself is made from yarn, which may be knitted in a single jersey circular knitting process on a circular knitting machine, with closely packed U-shaped tufts of the fibers being knitted into the knit base material which anchors them in the completed pile fabric.
  • the free ends of the fibers extend from one side of the knit base material to provide a deep pile face.
  • the knit base material is typically made of synthetic yarns, with the pile being made of a desired natural or synthetic fiber, or a blend of different fibers .
  • Such fabrics are illustrated, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 1,791,741, to Moore, U.S. Patent No. 2,737,702, to Schmidt et al . , U.S. Patent No. 3,226,952, to Cassady, U.S. Patent No. 3,853,680, to Daniel, U.S. Patent No. 3,894,409, to Clingan et al . , U.S. Patent No. 4,236,286, to Abler et al . , U.S. Patent No. 4,513,042, to Lumb, and U.S. Patent No. 6,766,668, to Sinykin, all of which patents are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
  • Sliver knit high pile fabrics have been widely used for many years in the manufacture of imitation fur fabrics, and also have found use, for example, as linings for overcoats and footwear, as coverings for stuffed toys and floors, in applications in pet beds, case liners, boot and slipper liners, medical pads, and blankets, and, of course, as coverings for paint roller covers.
  • the components of the knitted fabric are a yarn, which is used to knit the fabric's knit base material, and fibers which are supplied in a "sliver" rope, which consists of fibers which are all longitudinally oriented in a rope which is typically less than three inches (76 millimeters) in diameter.
  • the fibers are loose fibers of either a single type or a uniform blend of multiple types of fibers. The fiber mix will determine the performance, density, texture, weight, patterning, and color of the finished pile fabric.
  • the fibers are typically blown together in an air chamber to blend them, and then are carded in carding machines that "comb" the fibers to align them in parallel with each other.
  • the fibers are then gathered into a soft, thick rope which is called “sliver” (which is the derivation for the term “sliver knit") or "roving.”
  • the yarn and the sliver are supplied to the circular knitting machine, which typically has eighteen heads and produces a tubular knit pile fabric which is approximately fifty-eight inches (1473 millimeters) in circumference. (Thus, when the tubular knit pile fabric is slit longitudinally, the fabric is approximately fifty- eight inches (1473 millimeters) wide.)
  • Such knitting machines are well known in the art, and are illustrated in U.S. Patent No. 3,894,407, to Clingan et al . , U.S. Patent No. 3,896,637, to Thore, U.S. Patent Nos . 4,532,780 and 4,592,213, both to Tilson et al . , U.S. Patent Nos. 5,431,029, 5,546,768, 5,577,402, 5,685,176, and 6,016,670, all to Kukrau et al . , and U.S. Patent No. 6,151,920, to Schindler et al . , all of which patents are hereby incorporated herein by reference. Examples of commercial versions of such knitting machines are the
  • the first commercial circular sliver knitting machine had seven heads, and commercially- available circular knitting machines today have between seven and eighteen heads .
  • Eighteen head knitting machines have upwards of one thousand needles, and produce tubular knitted segments that are approximately nineteen inches (483 millimeters) in diameter (fifty-eight inches (1473 millimeters) in circumference) .
  • All of these circular sliver knitting machines produce tubular knitted pile fabric segments having the pile located on the inside.
  • Such circular sliver knitting machines are incapable of either producing tubular knitted pile fabric segments having the pile on the outside or small diameter tubular knitted pile fabric segments.
  • tubular knitted pile segments Following the manufacture of the tubular knitted pile segments on a circular sliver knitting machine, the tubular knitted pile segments are slit longitudinally to produce extended knitted pile segments of fabric which are typically fifty-eight inches (1473 millimeters) wide by thirty to fifty yards (27.43 meters to 45.728 meters) long. These extended knitted pile segments of fabric are then tensioned longitudinally and transversely, stretched to a sixty inch (1524 millimeter) width or greater to guarantee the proper number of two and seven-eighth inch (73 millimeter) strips, and back coated (on the non-pile side of the knit base material) with a stabilized coating composition such as a clear acrylic polymer.
  • a stabilized coating composition such as a clear acrylic polymer.
  • the coating composition which is coated onto the non-pile side of the knit base material is then processed, typically by heat, to stabilize the coated, extended knitted pile segment.
  • the heating operation dries and bonds the coating composition to the knit base material, producing a fabric which is essentially lint-free .
  • the coated, extended knitted pile segment can then be subjected to a shearing operation to achieve a uniform pile length, with the sheared fibers being removed by vacuum, electrostatically, or by any other known removal technique.
  • the pile density, the nap length, and the stiffness of the fibers are varied based upon custom specifications and the particular characteristics of the paint roller cover that are desired.
  • the sheared, coated, extended knitted pile segment is then slit into a plurality of two and seven-eighths inch (73 millimeter) wide knitted pile fabric strips, of which there are typically twenty for a sixty inch (1524 millimeter) wide fabric segment. During this slitting operation, the strips may be vacuumed to remove stray fibers and lint.
  • the knitted pile fabric strips are rolled onto a core to produce twenty rolls of knitted pile fabric strips, each of which is thirty to fifty yards long. These rolls of knitted pile fabric strips may then be shipped to a paint roller cover manufacturer. Alternately, a plurality of standard lengths of the fabric may be seamed together to produce an extended length fabric strip which may be helically wound in consecutive rows upon a core as taught in U.S. Patent No. 6,502,779, U.S. Patent No. 6,685,121, U.S. Patent No. 6,902,131, U.S. Patent No. 6,918,552, and U.S. Patent No. 6,929,203, all to Jelinek et al . , all of which patents are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
  • Both the standard length rolls of knitted pile fabric strips and the rolls of extended length knitted pile fabric strips have substantial material costs and labor costs that are incurred in the manufacturing process after the circular knitting process.
  • the material costs include the cost of the coating material, losses due to fly (fly are extra fibers that come loose from the knitted pile fabric) , losses during the cutting of the sixty inch (1524 millimeter) wide fabric segment into twenty knitted pile fabric strips, and seam losses throughout the operation.
  • the labor costs include the costs to perform the coating process, the brushing, the second pass shearing, and all of the finishing steps within the traditional sliver knit operation including slitting and continuously coiling the fabric slits.
  • Paint roller covers are manufactured by using a hollow cylindrical core made of cardboard or thermoplastic material which has the knitted pile fabric strip helically wound around the core. During the manufacture of paint roller covers, the knitted pile fabric strips are secured to the core either by using adhesive or epoxy, or by thermally bonding the knitted pile fabric strip in place on a thermoplastic core.
  • U.S. Patent No. 4,692,975, to Garcia the “'975 Patent”
  • U.S. Patent No. 5,572,790, to Sekar the "'790 Patent”
  • U.S. Patent No. 6,159, 320, to Tarns et al . the "'320 Patent”
  • the '975 Patent uses a core that is cut from preformed thermoplastic (e.g., polypropylene) tubular stock.
  • the core is mounted on a rotating spindle, and a movable carriage mounted at an angle to the spindle feeds a continuous strip of knitted pile fabric onto the core, with the carriage moving parallel to the spindle in timed relation to its rotation so that the knitted pile fabric strip is wound on the plastic core in a tight helix.
  • Also mounted to the movable carriage is a heat source for heat softening the thermoplastic core just in advance of the point where the knitted pile fabric strip is applied to the thermoplastic core, such that the knitted pile fabric is heat bonded to the thermoplastic core as it is wound thereupon.
  • the bond formed between the knitted pile fabric and the thermoplastic core is a strong one not subject to separation from exposure to paint solvents.
  • the '790 Patent uses a core that is formed from a strip (or multiple strips) of thermoplastic material that is (are) helically wound about a stationary mandrel .
  • the core may be formed by applying liquefied thermoplastic material to a drive belt which transfers the thermoplastic material to the mandrel.
  • a layer of adhesive is then applied to the outer surface of the core, and the knitted pile fabric strip is applied to the core by helically winding the knitted pile fabric strip onto the core.
  • the paint roller cover may instead be made by bonding, in a single step, a knitted pile fabric strip to a wound strip of thermoplastic material that is wrapped about the mandrel .
  • the '320 Patent extrudes a cylindrical plastic core through a rotating extruder head that is cooled, with the outer surface of the core then being plasma treated.
  • the knitted pile fabric strip is secured onto the plasma treated outer surface of the core by extruding thin films of first and second epoxy resin subcomponents onto the outer surface of the core as it is extruded, cooled, and plasma treated in a continuous process.
  • Woven pile fabric consists of three yarns -- a knit base material or warp yarn, a filling or weft yarn, and a pile yarn.
  • the threads of warp yarn are held taut and in a parallel array on a loom, and the threads of weft yarn are woven across the threads of warp yarn in an over/under sequence orthogonal to the threads of warp yarn, with threads of pile yarn being woven into the weave of warp and weft yarns such that the threads of pile yarn extend essentially perpendicularly from one side of the fabric.
  • Such woven pile fabric may be processed in a manner similar to that described above with regard to the processing of knitted pile segments of fabric to produce strips of woven pile fabric that can be helically wound onto paint roller cover cores.
  • all paint roller covers manufactured using the methods described above have a seam. As the strips of fabric are helically wound around the cores, the fabric strips wrap contiguously around the core, thereby creating a helical seam that is located throughout the cover. The seam inevitably produces a less than optimal paint roller cover since a seam can interfere with the uniform application of paint from the paint roller cover. The helical winding process of manufacturing a paint roller cover requires careful attention to contiguous winding.
  • the inverting approach taught by the Sannipoli et al . patents and useable by the Arnold Schmidt patents has three drawbacks that make it impracticable.
  • the first drawback of the inverting method is that it requires a high degree of manual operation in that it requires cutting of the tubular knitted sleeves to size and placement of the tubular knitted sleeves into the tubes of the inverting machine.
  • the second drawback of the Sannipoli et al . method is that only relatively short length tubular knitted sleeves representing a single paint roller cover (typically nine inches (229 millimeters) ) can be processed at a time, which makes the method inherently unsuitable for mass production.
  • U.S. Patent Application No. 11/740,119 discloses a tubular sliver knitted pile fabric which is manufactured with the sliver pile side facing outwardly rather than inwardly and with a diameter suitable for mounting on a paint roller cover core in a seamless manner.
  • U.S. Patent Application No. 12/116,022 discloses a tubular knit fabric which is manufactured with a cut pile made of yarn which pile faces outwardly rather than inwardly and with a diameter suitable for mounting on a paint roller cover core in a seamless manner.
  • 12/015,612 discloses a method of manufacturing paint roller covers from the tubular knitted pile fabric sleeve by initially placing the tubular knitted pile fabric sleeve upon the outside of a thin hollow cylindrical mounting tube, providing an adhesive bonding material on the exterior surface of a core member, and inserting the core member into the interior of the mounting tube.
  • the knitted pile fabric sleeve is installed onto the exterior surface of the core member and retained thereupon by the adhesive bonding material.
  • the pile fabric covered core member is then finished into paint roller covers by cutting it to a desired size, combing and shearing the pile fabric to a desired length, beveling the edges of the paint roller covers, and vacuuming stray fibers from the paint roller covers.
  • U.S. Patent Application No. 12/116,022 discloses a method of manufacturing paint roller covers from either of the tubular knitted pile fabric sleeves described above by providing an adhesive bonding material that has a relatively non-tacky outer surface on the exterior surface the outside of the core member.
  • the knitted pile fabric sleeve is installed onto the exterior surface of the core member over the adhesive bonding material.
  • the adhesive bonding material is then rendered tacky, whereupon the knitted pile fabric sleeve becomes adhesively secured by the adhesive bonding material to the exterior surface of the core member.
  • the pile fabric covered core member may be finished into paint roller covers by combing and shearing the pile fabric to a desired length, beveling the edges of the paint roller covers, and vacuuming stray fibers from the paint roller covers.
  • the manufacturing method results in an acceptable pile which extends from an acceptably rigid core that can be installed on and used with any conventional paint roller frame.
  • the method facilitate either the manufacture of a paint roller cover of a desired finished length, or the manufacture of an extended length segment from which can be cut segments of any desired size for finishing as paint roller covers.
  • both tubular sliver knitted pile fabric and tubular knitted yarn cut pile fabric as well as a number of different backing materials can be used in the manufacture of paint roller covers.
  • a method of manufacturing paint roller covers which forms a substantially rigid, integral core for the paint roller cover from the knit base material of a tubular knitted pile fabric segment, which knit base material includes a low melt yarn.
  • the pile of the tubular knitted pile fabric segment is preferably outwardly facing as the tubular knitted pile fabric segment is knitted, and the pile may include sliver fibers, cut pile segments formed from a pile yarn or a combination of both.
  • the pile of the tubular knitted pile fabric segment is also comprised, at least in part, of a low melt yarn.
  • the backing yarn and the pile yarn used of the tubular knitted pile fabric segment of the present invention preferably comprises bicomponent fibers.
  • Bicomponent fibers are comprised of two polymers that have different chemical and/or physical properties and which are extruded from the same extrusion device with both polymers contained within the same fiber.
  • Most commercially available bicomponent fibers are configured with their two constituent polymers arranged either in a sheath-core arrangement, a side-by- side arrangement (also referred to as a bilateral arrangement) , an eccentric sheath- core arrangement (which is a geometric variation of sheath-core construction) , a matrix-fibril arrangement (also referred to as an inlands-in-the-sea arrangement) , and a segmented pie arrangement (also referred to as a citrus arrangement) .
  • the bicomponent fibers used by the present invention are "low melt" bicomponent thermal binder fibers that utilize polymer combinations such as a sheath-core arrangement in which the core material has a relatively higher melting point than the sheath material. These alternatives are examples, since many other low-melt configurations can also be manufactured. (It will be appreciated that the low melt yarn can be made from more than two polymer constituents, as is well known to those skilled in the art, and as described below.)
  • Such low melt bicomponent fibers are available from Fiber Innovation Technology, Inc. of Johnson City, Tennessee, and from Kuraray Co., Ltd, of Tokyo, Japan.
  • Typical higher melt (which may be used in a core) materials are polyester (most preferred) or polypropylene, and typical sheath materials are polyethylene terephthalate (PET, most preferred) , polyethylene, and copolyester.
  • PET polyethylene terephthalate
  • melting points of bicomponent fibers may be between approximately 121 and 260 degrees Centigrade (between 250 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit) .
  • the backing yarn and the pile fiber/yarn used by the present invention may thus be made of such low melt bicomponent fibers,- such yarn shall be referred to herein as "bicomponent fiber yarn.”
  • the backing yarn and/or pile fiber may instead be a bicomponent yarn which is made of two different types of fibers or yarns (yarns can be manufactured using different types of fibers or ring spun with two different types of yarn) , one of which fiber or yarn types has a lower melting point than the other fiber or yarn type,- this yarn shall be referred to herein as "bicomponent yarn.”
  • the bicomponent fiber yarn and the bicomponent yarn shall collectively be referred to herein as "low melt yarns.”
  • the term "low melt yarn” can encompass yarns including at least one low melt filament or strand, as described above, and also including a plurality of additional high melt or non- low melt filaments or strands that are combined together by methods well known
  • the additional high melt/non-low melt filaments or strands may be comprised of any suitable natural or synthetic fiber suitable for combination with the low melt fiber or strand.
  • suitable materials include but are not limited to nylon, rayon, polypropylene, polyester, polyester-cotton blends, cotton, wool and acrylic. Other materials may be used so long as they are compatible with the selected low melt yarn and the final application of the tubular knitted pile fabric segment. In this way, the present invention is not limited to low melt yarns having only two components and includes low melt yarns having multiple strand components .
  • the ratio of low melt component to high melt component used in a particular low melt yarn encompassed by the present invention will vary depending on the particular end use application of the tubular knitted pile fabric segment.
  • a low melt yarn having a low melt fiber or strand composition that is substantially equal to or greater than the high melt component composition can be used.
  • a low melt fiber or strand composition that is less than the high melt component composition can be used.
  • the linear mass density of the backing yarn, the pile fibers and/or cut yarn segments used by the present invention may vary between approximately 150 denier and approximately 1500 denier, with a preferred linear mass density being between approximately 560 denier and approximately 1200 denier. It will be understood, however, that the linear mass density of each fiber or strand of the bicomponent or multi- component low melt yarn will be determined by the specific fiber/strand selected, and is a matter of design choice, depending at least in part on the knitting equipment utilized and the end use application of the tubular knitted pile fabric segment . [0041] The use of low melt yarns for the base of a sliver knit fabric is discussed in U.S. Patent No.
  • the low melt yarn backing together with the low melt sliver fibers, low melt cut pile segments formed from a pile yarn, or a combination of both are knitted into the tubular knitted pile fabric segment.
  • the manufacture of a tubular knitted pile fabric with sliver fibers is disclosed in the above-incorporated by reference U.S. Patent Application No. 11/740,119, which produces a tubular knitted sliver pile fabric with the pile side facing outwardly and with a diameter suitable for conversion into a paint roller cover (paint roller covers typically have an inner diameter of approximately one and one-half inches (38 millimeters) ) .
  • paint roller covers typically have an inner diameter of approximately one and one-half inches (38 millimeters) .
  • the manufacture of a tubular knitted pile fabric with a combination of sliver fibers and cut pile segments formed from a pile yarn is disclosed in the U.S. Patent Application No. 12/249,455, which is incorporated herein by reference, and which produces a tubular knitted cut pile fabric with the pile side facing outwardly and with a diameter suitable for conversion into a paint roller cover
  • the tubular knitted pile fabric segments could be knitted slightly larger or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of a typical paint roller cover.
  • the low melt yarn backing together with the low melt sliver fibers, low melt cut pile segments formed from a pile yarn, or a combination of both can be knitted into a pile side-in configuration to form a tubular knitted pile fabric segment, and then inverted for further processing to form the paint roller integral core within the tubular knitted pile fabric segment of the present invention.
  • the tubular knitted pile fabric is then placed onto a cylindrical mandrel which is the approximate size of the inner diameter of a paint roller cover (typically approximately one and one-half inches (38 millimeters) ) .
  • the cylindrical mandrel may be made, for example, of steel (which may optionally have a non-stick coating such as PTFE or silicone) and has a heating mechanism contained inside which is capable of rapidly heating the outside of the mandrel to a desired temperature.
  • the cylindrical mandrel is heated to the desired temperature, which is less than 343 degrees Centigrade (less than 650 degrees Fahrenheit) or any temperature suitable for activating the low melt yarn.
  • One temperature range that may be acceptable is between approximately 121 and 218 degrees Centigrade (between 250 and 425 degrees Fahrenheit) . This temperature is sufficient to melt the lower melting point component of the low melt yarn used in the backing or base and is sufficient to melt the looped ends of any pile fibers also including a low melt component. The temperature is maintained for a period of between approximately five seconds and approximately ninety seconds, preferably approximately five to approximately sixty seconds. [0045] The melted lower melting point component of the low melt yarn used in the backing or base of the tubular knitted pile fabric and the melted looped ends of the pile fibers flows into the cylindrical form of the outside of the cylindrical mandrel.
  • the melted lower melting point component also flows between the high melt backing loops and the central and/or intermediate portions of the sliver fibers or the loops of the cut pile yarn segments, and locks the sliver fibers or cut pile yarn segments into the tubular knitted pile fabric. This greatly reduces the degree of shedding of pile fibers from the tubular knitted pile fabric. It also converts the backing from a fabric into a unitary cylindrical assembly which, when cooled, will become substantially rigid. The mandrel is then cooled or allowed to cool, after which the rigid, cylindrical pile fabric assembly is removed from the mandrel .
  • one or more layers of a dry adhesive film may be first wound on a non-stick mandrel, following which the tubular knitted pile fabric segment is placed over the dry adhesive film. The mandrel is then heated to cause the dry adhesive film and the lower melting point component of the low melt yarn used in the backing or base of the tubular knitted pile fabric to melt together with the adhesive bonding material to create an even more rigid cylindrical assembly having a pile surface.
  • a layer of spray adhesive is sprayed on to the cooled, substantially rigid integral core formed by the re- hardened low melt yarn to create an enhanced rigid cylindrical assembly having a pile surface.
  • the rigid, cylindrical pile fabric assembly is finished by combing and shearing the pile fabric to the desired length.
  • the edges of the unfinished paint roller covers are beveled, and any loose sliver fibers are then vacuumed off.
  • the finishing of the rigid, cylindrical pile fabric assembly may be performed using the MBK Maschinenbau GmbH paint roller cover finishing machine, an Edward Jackson (Engineer) Limited finishing machine, or other equipment custom built by individual paint roller cover manufacturers.
  • a paint roller cover may be manufactured from tubular knitted pile fabric using a base or backing and pile fibers comprising, at least in part, a low melt yarn.
  • the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention results in an acceptable pile which extends from an acceptably rigid core which can be installed on and used with any conventional paint roller frame, or on a frame uniquely designed for the paint roller utilizing the new core design.
  • the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention facilitates either the manufacture of a paint roller cover of a desired finished length, or the manufacture of an extended length segment from which segments of any desired size can be cut for finishing as paint roller covers, thereby facilitating the mass manufacture of paint roller covers.
  • the paint roller cover manufacturing methods of the present invention can use tubular sliver knitted pile fabric, tubular knitted yarn cut pile fabric, tubular knitted fabric including both sliver knitted pile and yarn cut pile, as well as a number of different backing materials.
  • the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention results in a construction which is both durable and long lasting, and yields a paint roller cover of superior quality.
  • the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention also reduces the cost of manufacturing paint roller covers when compared to conventional methods of manufacturing paint roller covers by manufacturing paint rollers without using a core member, thereby affording it the broadest possible market.
  • all of the aforesaid advantages and aspirations of the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention are achieved without incurring any substantial relative disadvantage.
  • FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a segment of tubular paint roller fabric made according to the teachings of the present invention with the pile extending outwardly, showing a tubular knit base having sliver fibers extending outwardly therefrom, each of which constructed, at least in part, of a low melt yarn;
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a portion of the tubular paint roller fabric illustrated in Fig. 1 from the outside, showing the knitting pattern of the base yarn and the placement of pile fibers from the sliver into the knit base,-
  • FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a segment of tubular cut pile knit paint roller fabric made according to the teachings of the present invention with the cut pile extending outwardly, showing a tubular knit base having cut pile yarn segments extending outwardly therefrom, each of which constructed, at least in part, of a low melt yarn;
  • FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a portion of the tubular paint roller fabric illustrated in FIG. 1 from the outside, showing the knitting pattern of the base yarn and the placement of cut pile yarn segments into the knit base,-
  • FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a segment of tubular knit paint roller fabric made according to the teachings of the present invention, showing a tubular knit base with alternating rows of sliver fiber and cut pile extending outwardly therefrom, each of which constructed, at least in part, of a low melt yarn;
  • FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a portion of the tubular paint roller fabric illustrated in FIG. 5 from the outside, showing the knitting pattern of the base yarn and the placement of tufts of sliver fibers and cut pile yarn segments into the knit base,-
  • FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of a sheath-core bicomponent fiber having a core made of a material that has a higher melting point than the material that its sheath is made of;
  • FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a side- by- side bicomponent fiber showing opposite sides that are respectively made of materials having different melting points,-
  • FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of an eccentric sheath-core bicomponent fiber having a core made of a material that has a higher melting point than the material that its sheath;
  • FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of a matrix-fibril bicomponent fiber having a plurality of segments made of a material that has a higher melting point located within a sheath that is made of a lower melting point material;
  • FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of a segmented pie bicomponent fiber having alternating wedges made of materials having different melting points ;
  • FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view of a bicomponent yarn showing two different types of fibers, one of which fiber types has a lower melting point than the other fiber type,-
  • FIG. 13 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of a mandrel heating assembly having a cartridge heater and a thermocouple located inside a cylindrical mandrel ,-
  • FIG. 14 is a lateral cross sectional view of the mandrel heating assembly shown in FIG. 13;
  • FIG. 15 is a schematic depiction of a controller that uses the signal from the thermocouple illustrated in FIG. 13 to control the cartridge heater also illustrated in FIG. 13;
  • FIG. 16 is a schematic isometric depiction showing an end of a tubular knitted pile fabric about to be slid onto an outer non-stick surface of a hollow cylindrical aluminum heating tube,-
  • FIG. 17 is a schematic isometric depiction of the tubular knitted pile fabric illustrated in FIG. 16, with the tubular knitted pile fabric being partially slid onto the outer non-stick surface of the aluminum heating tube,-
  • FIG. 18 is a schematic isometric depiction of the tubular knitted pile fabric illustrated in FIGS.
  • FIG. 19 is a schematic isometric depiction of the tubular knitted pile fabric and the outer nonstick surface of the aluminum heating tube illustrated in FIGS. 16 through 18 about to be slid onto the mandrel heating assembly;
  • FIG. 20 is a schematic isometric depiction of the tubular knitted pile fabric and the outer nonstick surface of the aluminum heating tube illustrated in FIGS. 16 through 19 located upon the mandrel heating assembly illustrated in FIG. 19 and being heated;
  • FIG. 21 is a schematic isometric depiction of the tubular knitted pile fabric that was heated on the aluminum heating tube and the mandrel heating assembly illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20 with the backing fused into a rigid cylindrical configuration;
  • FIG. 22 is a schematic isometric depiction showing a wide segment of dry adhesive film beginning to be wound around the outer non-stick surface of the aluminum heating tube,-
  • FIG. 23 is a schematic isometric depiction showing one or more windings of dry adhesive film on the aluminum heating tube shown in FIG. 21;
  • FIG. 24 is a schematic isometric depiction showing an end of a tubular knitted pile fabric about to be slid onto the one or more windings of dry adhesive film on the aluminum heating tube shown in FIG. 23;
  • FIG. 25 is a schematic isometric depiction of the tubular knitted pile fabric, the one or more windings of dry adhesive film, and the aluminum heating tube illustrated in FIG. 24 about to be slid onto the mandrel heating assembly;
  • FIG. 26 is a schematic isometric depiction of the tubular knitted pile fabric, the one or more windings of dry adhesive film, and the aluminum heating tube illustrated in FIGS. 24 and 25 located upon the mandrel heating assembly illustrated in FIG. 25 and being heated; and
  • FIG. 27 is a flow diagram showing the manufacturing of a paint roller cover that is made according to the teachings of the present invention, with a number of the steps being those illustrated in
  • FIGS. 1 through 26 are identical to FIGS. 1 through 26.
  • the paint roller cover manufacturing methods of the present invention utilizes a tubular paint roller fabric that includes a tubular knit base that is made, at least in part, of a low melt yarn and also includes an outwardly extending pile that is also made, at least in part, of a low melt yarn.
  • the tubular paint roller fabrics for use in the present invention include those comprising a tubular knit base having sliver pile fibers extending therefrom, a tubular knit base having cut pile yarn segments extending therefrom or a tubular knit base having a combination of sliver pile fibers and cut pile yarn segments extending therefrom.
  • the tubular paint roller fabrics and methods of manufacture thereof are discussed in detail in the above-incorporated by reference U.S. Patent Application No.
  • a tubular sliver knit segment 30 that may be continuously knitted in an extended length is shown.
  • the tubular sliver knit segment 30 consists of a knit backing or base material 32 having pile fibers 34 extending from the knit base material 32 on the outer surface of the tubular sliver knit segment 30.
  • the knit base material 32 and the pile fiber 34 are constructed at least in part from a low melt yarn that will be discussed below. It may be seen from a top edge 36 of the knit base material 32 that the tubular sliver knit segment 30 has an essentially circular cross section.
  • the tubular sliver knit segment 30 may be knitted in as long a length as desired, notwithstanding that Fig. 1 only shows a relatively short segment of the tubular sliver knit segment 30.
  • a segment of the tubular sliver knit segment 30 is shown in schematic form from the outside thereof to illustrate the knit of the knit base material 32, and the manner in which tufts of the pile fibers 34 are woven into the knit base material 32.
  • tufts of the pile fibers 34 shown in Fig. 2 include only a few fibers each for added clarity and understanding of the construction of the pile fabric 30, tufts of the pile fibers 34 in the tubular sliver knit segment 30 will actually include sufficient pile fibers 34 to make a pile that is sufficiently dense for the intended use of the tubular sliver knit segment 30 in the manufacture of a paint roller cover.
  • the foundation of the tubular sliver knit segment 30 is the knit base material 32, which is formed from a plurality of threads or yarn segments, indicated generally at 31 in Fig. 2.
  • the knit base material 32 may be knit from a low melt yarn in a highly modified single jersey circular knitting process on a radically redesigned circular knitting machine.
  • the knit base material 32 has a plurality of courses (which are rows of loops of stitches which run across the knit fabric) , five of which are shown and designated by the reference numerals 40, 42, 44, 46, and 48, and a plurality of wales (which are vertical chains of loops in the longitudinal direction of the knit fabric) , three of which are shown and designated by the reference numerals 50, 52, and 54.
  • the respective courses 40, 42, 44, 46, and 48 are knitted sequentially from the lowest course number to the highest course number.
  • the threads or yarn segments 31 of the knit base material 32 may each be made of a low melt yarn, or alternatively, only a portion of the threads 31 of the knit base material 32, such as alternating threads 31, can be made of a low melt yarn, depending on the desired end use application of the tubular knit fabric 30.
  • the construction of the portion of the tubular sliver knit segment 30 in the area of the course 46 and the wale 52 will be discussed herein.
  • a loop 56 formed in a yarn segment, indicated at 58, is located in this area, with a loop 60 formed in a yarn segment indicated at 62 being located in the course 44 below the loop 56, and a loop 64 formed in a yarn segment indicated at 66 being located in the course 48 above the loop 56.
  • the loop 56 extends through the loop 60 from the outside to the inside of the tubular sliver knit segment 30 (shown in Fig. 2) , and the loop 64 also extends through the loop 56 from the outside to the inside.
  • a tuft of pile fibers 34 having a loop portion 68 and opposite end portions 70 and 72 is knitted into the knit base material 32 together with the loop 56.
  • the loop portion 68 of that particular tuft of pile fibers 34 is located adjacent the top of the loop 56, and the opposite end portions 70 and 72 of that particular tuft of pile fibers 34 extend outwardly from the interior of the loop 56, above the loop 60 and below the loop 64.
  • each of the other tufts of the pile fibers 34 is knitted into the knit base material 32 with a different loop.
  • the tufts of the pile fibers 34 of the tubular sliver knit segment 30 are also made from a low melt yarn so that the loop portions thereof may be melted together, as described in more detail below.
  • the tufts of pile fibers 34 including the low melt yarn component can be knitted into the knit base material 32 in any number of patterns or configurations.
  • tufts of pile fibers indicated at 61, 63, 65 67, 69, 71 and 73 may be constructed of a low melt yarn, so that a repeating pattern of low melt fibers and high melt fibers/yarns are incorporated into the pile 34.
  • the number of tufts of low melt pile fibers can be determined by a number of factors, including but not limited to, the paint roller fabric application, the type of low melt and high melt fibers used in both the knit base material 32 and the pile 34, and as a matter of design choice.
  • the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 that may be continuously knitted in an extended length is shown.
  • the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 consists of a knit backing or base material 82 having cut pile segments 84 extending from the knit base material 82 on the outer surface of the tubular cut pile knit segment 80.
  • the knit base material 82 and the cut pile segments 84 are made, at least in part, from a low melt yarn that will be discussed below. It may be seen from a top edge 86 of the knit base material 82 that the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 has an essentially circular cross section.
  • the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 may be knitted in as long a length as desired, notwithstanding that FIG.
  • FIG. 3 only shows a relatively short segment of the tubular cut pile knit segment 80.
  • a segment of the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 is shown in schematic form to illustrate the knit of the knit base material 82, and the manner in which the cut pile segments 84 are knitted into the knit base material 82.
  • the foundation of the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 is the knit base material 82, which is formed from a plurality of threads or yarn segments, indicated generally at 81 in Fig. 4.
  • the knit base material 82 may be knit from a low melt yarn in a highly modified single jersey circular knitting process on a radically redesigned circular knitting machine.
  • the knit base material 82 has a plurality of courses (which are rows of loops of stitches which run across the knit fabric) , five of which are shown and designated by the reference numerals 90, 92, 94, 96, and 98, and a plurality of wales (which are vertical chains of loops in the longitudinal direction of the knit fabric) , three of which are shown and designated by the reference numerals 100, 102, and 104.
  • the respective courses 90, 92, 94, 96, and 98 are knitted sequentially from the lowest course number to the highest course number.
  • the threads or yarn segments 81 of the knit base material 82 may each be made of a low melt yarn, or alternatively, a portion, such as alternating threads 81, can be made of a low melt yarn, depending on the desired end use application of the tubular knit fabric 80.
  • a backing loop 106 formed in a backing yarn segment indicated at 108 is located in this area, with a backing loop 110 formed in a backing yarn segment indicated at 112 being located in the course 94 below the backing loop 106, and a backing loop 114 formed in a backing yarn segment indicated at 116 being located in the course 98 above the backing loop 106.
  • the backing loop 106 extends through the backing loop 110 from the outside to the inside of the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 (shown in FIG. 4), and the backing loop 114 also extends through the backing loop 106 from the outside to the inside.
  • a cut pile segment 84 having a pile loop portion 118 and opposite pile ends 120 and 122 is knitted into the knit base material 82 together with the backing loop 106.
  • the pile loop portion 118 of that particular cut pile segment 84 is located adjacent the top of the backing loop 106, and the opposite pile ends 120 and 122 of that particular cut pile segment 84 extend outwardly from the interior of the backing loop 106, above the backing loop 110 and below the backing loop 114.
  • each of the other cut pile segments 84 is knitted into the knit base material 82 with a different backing loop.
  • the cut pile segments 84 of the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 are also made from a low melt yarn so that the pile loop portions thereof may be melted together with the backing material, as described in more detail below.
  • the cut pile segments 84 including the low melt yarn component can be knitted into the knit base material 82 in any number of patterns or configurations.
  • the cut pile segments indicated at 91, 93 and 95 may be constructed of a low melt yarn, so that a substantially repeating pattern of low melt cut yarns and high melt yarns are incorporated into the pile 84.
  • the number of low melt cut pile segments 84 incorporated into the knit base material 84 can be determined by a number of factors, including but not limited to, the paint roller fabric application, the type of low melt and high melt fibers used in both the knit base material 82 and the pile 84, and as a matter of design choice.
  • a tubular knit segment 300 comprising a combination of tufts of pile fibers 304A and cut pile segments 304B that may be continuously knitted in an extended length is shown.
  • the tubular knit segment 300 consists of a knit backing or base material 302 having pile fibers 304 extending from the knit base material 302 on the outer surface of the tubular knit segment 300.
  • the knit base material 302 and the pile fibers 304A and 304B are constructed at least in part from a low melt yarn that will be discussed below. It may be seen from a top edge 306 of the knit base material 302 that the tubular knit segment 300 has an essentially circular cross section.
  • the tubular knit segment 300 may be knitted in as long a length as desired, notwithstanding that Fig. 5 only shows a relatively short segment of the tubular knit segment 300.
  • Fig. 6 illustrates a segment of the tubular knit segment 300 in schematic form to illustrate the knit of the knit base material 302, and the manner in which tufts of the pile fibers 304A and cut pile segments 304B are woven into the knit base material 302. Those skilled in the art will at once realize that while the pile fibers 304A and 304B shown in Fig.
  • the knit base material 302 is formed from a plurality of threads or yarn segments, as indicated generally at 310.
  • the knit base material 302 may be knit from a low melt yarn in a highly modified single jersey circular knitting process on a radically redesigned circular knitting machine.
  • the knit base material 302 has a plurality of courses
  • the respective courses 340, 342, 344, 346, and 348 are knitted sequentially from the lowest course number to the highest course number.
  • all of the threads 310 of the knit base material 302 may be made of a low melt yarn, or alternatively, a portion of knit base material 302, such as alternating threads 310, can be made of a low melt yarn, depending on the desired end use application of the tubular knit fabric 300.
  • the construction of the portion of the tubular knit segment 300 is similar to that described with respect to the tubular sliver knit fabric 30 and the tubular cut pile knit segment 80.
  • the tubular knit segment 300 includes alternating rows of tufts of pile fibers 304A and cut pile segments 304B knitted into the knit base material 302. As illustrated in Fig. 6, each of the tufts of pile fibers 304A have a loop portion 312 and opposite end portions 314 and 316, and each of the cut pile segments 304B have a pile loop portion 318 and opposite pile ends 320 and 322.
  • the tufts of the pile fibers 304A and/or the cut pile segments 304B of the tubular sliver knit segment 300 can be made from a low melt yarn so that the loop portions thereof may be melted together with the backing material, as described in more detail below.
  • the pile fibers 304A and 304B including the low melt yarn component can be knitted into the knit base material 302 in any number of patterns or configurations.
  • each of the rows of cut pile segments 304B may be constructed of a low melt yarn, while the rows of tufts of pile fibers 304A are constructed of a high melt, or higher melt material, so that a repeating pattern of low melt fibers and high melt fibers/yarns are incorporated into the pile 304.
  • tufts of pile fibers such as tufts 354 and 356 can be constructed of low melt yarn and/or cut yarn segments 358 and 360 can be constructed of low melt yarn.
  • the number of low melt pile fibers can be determined by a number of factors, including but not limited to, the paint roller fabric application, the type of low melt and high melt fibers used in both the knit base material 302 and the pile 304, and as a matter of design choice .
  • FIGS. 7 through 12 a number of different bicomponent fibers are shown by way of example (although numerous alternatives may be manufactured by yarn producers) , any of which could be used for the threads of the knit base material and pile fibers of the tubular knit fabrics 30, 80 and 300 of the present invention. Referring first to FIG.
  • a sheath-core bicomponent fiber 130 which has a high melt component 132 located in the center of the sheath-core bicomponent fiber 130 and a low melt component 134 located on the outer portion of the sheath-core bicomponent fiber 130 which low melt component 134 surrounds the high melt component 132.
  • the segments of the low melt component 134 and the high melt component 132 are concentric.
  • the particular low melt components 134 and high melt components 132 used in the tubular knitted fabric of the present invention can be any material known to those skilled in the art, provided that the low melt component melts at temperature sufficiently below the melting point of the high melt component so as not to damage the high melt component 132 during the manufacturing process.
  • Such low melt components/yarns can include, but are not limited to, low-melting thermoplastic polymer or copolymer, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, low melt polyester, low melt co-polyamide (nylon) and the like having a known and/or predetermined melting point.
  • the high melt component 134 is selected so as to remain unaffected at the low melting point of the low melt component and be any natural fiber, thermoplastic polymer/copolymer or a composite thereof.
  • the term "low melt yarn” can encompass yarns comprising at least one low melt filament or strand, as described above, and also including a plurality of additional high melt or non- low melt filaments or strands that are combined together by methods well known to those skilled in the art.
  • the additional high melt/non-low melt filaments or strands may be comprised of any suitable natural or synthetic fiber suitable for combination with the low melt fiber or strand. Suitable materials include but are not limited to nylon, rayon, polypropylene, polyester, polyester-cotton blends, cotton, wool and acrylic. Other materials may be used so long as they are compatible with the selected low melt yarn and the final application of the tubular knitted pile fabric segment. In this way, the present invention is not limited to low melt yarns having only two components and includes low melt yarns having multiple strand components .
  • the ratio of low melt component to high melt component used in a particular low melt yarn encompassed by the present invention will vary depending on the particular end use application of the tubular knitted pile fabric segment. Where a more rigid integral core is to be formed, a low melt yarn having a low melt fiber or strand composition that is substantially equal to or greater than the high melt component composition can be used. For applications where the integral core of the tubular knitted pile fabric segment may be further reinforced, a low melt fiber or strand composition that is less then the high melt component composition can be used.
  • the linear mass density of the backing yarn, the pile fibers and/or cut yarn segments used by the present invention may vary between approximately 150 denier and approximately 1500 denier, with a preferred linear mass density being between approximately 560 denier and approximately 1200 denier. It will be understood, however, that the linear mass density of each fiber or strand of the bicomponent or multi- component low melt yarn will be determined by the specific fiber/strand selected, and is a matter of design choice, depending at least in part on the knitting equipment utilized and the end use application of the tubular knitted pile fabric segment . [0106] Referring next to FIG.
  • a side-by-side bicomponent fiber 140 is illustrated which has one side (a semicircular cross section) made of a high melt component 142 and the other side (a complementary semicircular cross section) made of a low melt component 144.
  • an eccentric sheath-core bicomponent fiber 150 is illustrated which has a high melt component 152 located in the center of the eccentric sheath-core bicomponent fiber 150 and a low melt component 154 located on the outer portion of the eccentric sheath-core bicomponent fiber 150 which low melt component 154 surrounds the high melt material 152.
  • the segments of the low melt component 154 and the high melt component 152 are not concentric .
  • a matrix-fibril bicomponent fiber 160 is illustrated which has four segments of high melt component 162 distributed in a matrix of low melt component 164 that entirely surrounds the segments of high melt component 162. Although four segments of high melt component 162 are shown in FIG. 10, more or fewer could be used. Also, although the four segments of high melt component 162 are shown as being evenly distributed in the surrounding low melt component 164, the segments of high melt component 162 could be distributed more randomly in the surrounding low melt component 164 as well .
  • a segmented pie bicomponent fiber 170 is illustrated which has eight pie- shaped segments that are evenly distributed around the circumference of the segmented pie bicomponent fiber 170.
  • the segments alternate between high components 172 and low melt components 174. Although four segments of high melt component 172 and four segments of low melt component 174 are shown in FIG. 11, more or fewer could be used.
  • a bicomponent yarn 180 is illustrated which is made up of four fibers, two of which are high melt fibers 182 and two of which are low melt fibers 184. As is the case with any yarn, the high melt fibers 182 and the low melt fibers 184 are twisted together to form the segment of bicomponent yarn 180. Although two high melt fibers 182 and two low melt fibers 184 are shown in FIG. 12, more or fewer of each could be used.
  • the mandrel heating assembly 190 of the exemplary embodiment has a mandrel 192 that is cylindrical and has an outer diameter of approximately one and three-eighths inches (35 millimeters) or slightly less and has a coaxial cylindrical aperture 194 located therein that is approximately three- quarters of an inch (19 millimeters) in diameter or slightly larger extending therethrough, which mandrel 192 may be made out of steel.
  • a cartridge heater 198 is located in the aperture 194 in the mandrel 192.
  • the cartridge heater 198 may be a Watlow FIREROD Part No. N24A23-E12H cartridge heater from Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company of St. Louis, Missouri.
  • the cartridge heater 198 has a three-quarter inch (19 millimeter) diameter and is twenty-four inches (610 millimeters) long, has a 2750 Watt rating, and has two heater leads 200 extending from one end thereof .
  • thermocouple 202 is located in the aperture 196 in the mandrel 192.
  • the thermocouple 202 may be an Omega Model No. JMQSS-125G- 6 thermocouple from Omega Engineering, Inc. of Stamford, Connecticut.
  • the thermocouple 202 has a has an one-eighth inch (3.2 millimeter) diameter, is twenty-four inches (610 millimeters) long, and has two thermocouple leads 204 extending from one end thereof .
  • thermocouple leads 204 from the thermocouple 202, and is connected through the heater leads 200 to operate the cartridge heater 198 at the desired temperature.
  • a tubular knitted pile fabric 220 (which may be any one of the tubular knit segments 30, 80 and 300 described herein) having a first end 222 and a second end 224 is shown as it is about to be pulled onto the exterior surface of a hollow cylindrical aluminum heating tube 226 having a first end 228 and a second end 230 and a nonstick substance 232 on the outer surface thereof.
  • the aluminum heating tube 226 has an outer diameter that is approximately the same as the inner diameter of a finished paint roller cover core (paint roller cover cores typically have an inner diameter of approximately one and one-half inches (38 millimeters) , although alternative sizes such as inner diameters of one and three-quarters inches (44 millimeters) and two inches (51 millimeters) can be manufactured as well) .
  • the aluminum heating tube 226 has an inner diameter of approximately one and three-eighths inches (35 millimeters) or slightly greater and is sized to fit removably over the mandrel 192 of the mandrel heating assembly 190 (shown in FIGS. 13 and 14). (It should be noted that the inner diameter of the aluminum heating tube 226 is not critical, and indeed will vary according to the outer diameter of the mandrel 192 of the mandrel heating assembly 190.) The outer surface of the aluminum heating tube 226 is coated with a low coefficient of friction material such as silicone or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, such as the material marketed by DuPont under the trademark TEFLON) to provide a non-stick substance 232 thereupon.
  • a low coefficient of friction material such as silicone or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, such as the material marketed by DuPont under the trademark TEFLON) to provide a non-stick substance 232 thereupon.
  • the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 has an inner diameter that is approximately the same size as or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the aluminum heating tube 226.
  • the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 may be sized to require that it be stretched slightly when it is placed onto the aluminum heating tube 226 in order to achieve the correct density and/or positioning.
  • the tubular knitted pile fabric segment 220 could also be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the aluminum heating tube 226 and shrunk slightly (through the subsequent application of heat which will be discussed below) to closely conform to the aluminum heating tube 226.
  • the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 is of a length that corresponds to the desired length of a paint roller cover. For a nine inch (229 millimeters) long paint roller cover, the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 will have to be sufficiently long such that following the application of heat the resulting paint roller cover will be of the desired length. Experience has indicated that there may be shrinkage in length during the application of heat (in one instance, the shrinkage in length was approximately eight percent. Accordingly, if an eight percent shrinkage in length is anticipated, the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 will need to be approximately 9.8 inches (249 millimeters) long.
  • tubular knitted pile fabric 220 could alternately be sized for use in manufacturing a plurality of paint roller covers of any of several different lengths.
  • the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 could be approximately one hundred inches (2.54 meters) long, which is a sufficient length to allow it to be used for the manufacture of seven nine inch (229 millimeter) long paint roller covers.
  • the aluminum heating tube 226 and the mandrel heating assembly 190 shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 would have to be proportionately longer as well.
  • FIG. 16 the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 is shown with its second end 224 about to be pulled over the first end 228 of the aluminum heating tube 226.
  • FIG. 17 shows the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 partly pulled onto the aluminum heating tube 226, and
  • FIG. 18 shows the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 fully pulled onto the aluminum heating tube 226, with the second end 224 of the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 located close adjacent to the second end 230 of the aluminum heating tube 226.
  • the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 fits easily on the outer diameter of the aluminum heating tube 226, and is not stretched on the aluminum heating tube 226.
  • the aluminum heating tube 226 with the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 located thereupon is about to be placed onto the mandrel heating assembly 190.
  • the inside diameter of the aluminum heating tube 226 is sized to fit removably over the outer diameter of the mandrel 192 of the mandrel heating assembly 190, but with a relatively close fit to allow heat from the mandrel heating assembly 190 to be transferred to and through the aluminum heating tube 226.
  • the mandrel heating assembly 190 Prior to placing 226 with the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 located thereupon over the mandrel heating assembly 190, the mandrel heating assembly 190 is brought up to the desired temperature. Typically, this will take less than one minute.
  • the temperature of the mandrel heating assembly 190 is a function of which particular bicomponent material is used in the low melt yarn used for the backing and pile of the tubular knitted pile fabric 220. More specifically, the temperature used must be at or above the melting point of the low melt component used in the backing and pile materials, but below the melting point of the high melt component used in the backing and pile material of the tubular knitted pile fabric 220.
  • the temperature of the mandrel heating assembly 190 accordingly varies according to the properties of the bicomponent material, and will typically be set between approximately 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) and approximately 435 degrees Fahrenheit (224 degrees Celsius) , although with some bicomponent materials the temperature may vary from as low as approximately 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius) to as high as 600 degrees Fahrenheit (316 degrees Celsius) .
  • FIG. 19 the aluminum heating tube 226 with the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 located thereupon is shown with the second end 230 of the aluminum heating tube 226 about to be pulled over the mandrel heating assembly 190.
  • FIG. 20 shows the aluminum heating tube 226 with the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 located thereupon fully pulled onto the mandrel heating assembly 190, where it is heated and maintained for a period of time sufficient to activate the backing yarn and knit ends of the pile fibers.
  • This period of time can vary between approximately five seconds to approximately ninety seconds, with typical times for most bicomponent materials varying from approximately five seconds to approximately sixty seconds.
  • the length of the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 may shrink somewhat, as mentioned above. Clamps securing the fabric in place (not shown herein) can be utilized to minimizing or eliminate the fabric's shrinking characteristics.
  • the aluminum heating tube 226 with the now- activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 (as indicated in Fig. 21) located thereupon is removed from the mandrel heating assembly 190 and allowed to cool, which typically takes only a few seconds. The activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 may then be removed from the aluminum heating tube 226.
  • the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 is shown as having a first end 242 and a second end 244, with a pile 248 extending outwardly from the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240.
  • the inside of the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 is a cylindrical fused backing, comprising a substantially rigid integral core member 246. Finishing the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 will include the steps of combing the pile 248 of the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 and shearing it to the desired length. Finally, the ends 242 and 244 of the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 may be finished and the edges of the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 may be beveled, and any loose fibers may be vacuumed off.
  • tubular knitted pile fabric 220 the tubular knitted pile fabric 220, the aluminum heating tube 226, and the mandrel heating assembly 190 (as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20) could alternately be sized for use in manufacturing a plurality of paint roller covers of any of several different lengths.
  • a substantially longer activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 could be produced and subsequently be cut into unfinished paint roller cover segments of any desired size. These unfinished paint roller cover segments would then be finished as described above.
  • FIGS. 22 through 26 An alternate embodiment of the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 22 through 26.
  • the dry adhesive film 250 generally consists of a thin plastic film that is coated on one side (the side that will be wound facing outwardly) with a non-tacky adhesive, and may optionally have a pressure-sensitive adhesive on the opposite side to facilitate the installation of the dry adhesive film 250 onto the aluminum heating tube 226.
  • the thickness of the dry adhesive film 250 may vary from approximately 0.0005 inches (0.0127 millimeters) thick to approximately 0.01 inches (0.254 millimeters) thick. For example, from one to seven layers of 0.0012 inch (0.0305 millimeter) thick dry adhesive film 250, or from one to three layers of thicker dry adhesive film 250 (0.0024 inch (0.61 millimeter) thick to 0.0072 inch (0.183 millimeter) thick) being used.
  • the dry adhesive film 250 is cut when a sufficient length of the dry adhesive film 250 has been wound around the aluminum heating tube 226 to form a wrapped dry adhesive film 252, as shown in FIG. 23. [0127] Referring next to FIG.
  • tubular knitted pile fabric 220 is shown with its second end 224 about to be pulled over the first end 228 of the aluminum heating tube 226, and then onto the wrapped dry adhesive film 252 on the aluminum heating tube 226.
  • FIG. 25 shows the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 fully pulled onto the wrapped dry adhesive film 252 on the aluminum heating tube 226, with the aluminum heating tube 226 with the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 and the wrapped dry adhesive film 252 located thereupon about to be placed over the mandrel heating assembly 190.
  • FIG. 26 shows the aluminum heating tube 226 with the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 and the wrapped dry adhesive film 252 located thereupon fully pulled onto the mandrel heating assembly 190, where it is heated and maintained for a period of time sufficient to activate the wrapped dry adhesive film 252 and the backing yarn/looped ends of the low melt pile fiber, with the wrapped dry adhesive film 252 and the low melt component of the bicomponent material of the backing yarn and looped ends of pile fiber of the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 flowing together to form an integral cylindrical core around the mandrel 192 of the mandrel heating assembly 190.
  • the aluminum heating tube 226 with the now- fused together material is removed from the mandrel heating assembly 190 and allowed to cool. The resulting assembly may then be removed from the aluminum heating tube 226 and finished as described above .
  • the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention is shown in a flow chart that includes a number of the variations discussed herein.
  • the paint roller cover manufacturing operation starts in a manufacture tubular knitted pile fabric sleeve step 260 in which the tubular knitted pile fabric used in the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 (shown in FIGS. 16 through 26) is manufactured.
  • the tubular knitted pile fabric used in the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 (shown in FIGS. 16 through 26) is represented in a manufacture tubular sliver knit fabric sleeve 260A, which corresponds to manufacture of the tubular sliver knit segment 30 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
  • the tubular knitted pile fabric used in the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 can also be a tubular cut pile knit fabric sleeve 260B, which corresponds to manufacture of the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
  • the tubular knitted pile fabric used in the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 can also be a tubular knit fabric sleeve 260C including tufts of pile fibers and cut pile segments, which correspond to manufacture of the tubular knit segment 300 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
  • the process next moves to a cut tubular knitted pile fabric sleeve to length step 262 in which the tubular knitted pile fabric is cut to the desired length of the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 (shown in FIGS. 16 through 20) .
  • the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 will have to be sufficiently long such that following the application of heat the resulting paint roller cover will be of the desired length, taking account of shrinkage that may occur during the heating process.
  • tubular knitted pile fabric 220 could be sized for use in manufacturing a plurality of paint roller covers of any of several different lengths.
  • a substantially longer activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 shown in FIG. 21 could be produced and subsequently be cut into unfinished paint roller cover segments of any desired size.
  • an apply dry adhesive film to aluminum heating tube step 264 can then be used if it is desired to apply the wrapped dry adhesive film 252 (shown in FIG. 22) under the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 on the aluminum heating tube 226.
  • the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 is placed onto the aluminum heating tube 226 in a place tubular knitted pile fabric sleeve on aluminum tube step 266, as shown in FIGS. 14 through 16 (without the wrapped dry adhesive film 252) or in FIG. 22 (with the wrapped dry adhesive film 252) .
  • the process next moves to a preheat mandrel to desired temperature step 268, wherein the mandrel heating assembly 190 is heated to the desired temperature to activate the low melt component in the backing of the tubular knitted pile fabric 220.
  • the process then moves to a place aluminum heating tube with fabric sleeve onto mandrel step 270, in which the aluminum heating tube 226 with the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 (and, optionally, the wrapped dry adhesive film 252) located thereupon is placed onto the mandrel heating assembly 190 to initiate the heating process, as shown in FIG. 17.
  • the aluminum heating tube 226 with the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 (and, optionally, the wrapped dry adhesive film 252) located thereupon is heated on the mandrel heating assembly 190 for a predetermined time as shown in FIG. 18 in a heat fabric sleeve on mandrel for a predetermined time step 272.
  • the process then moves to a remove aluminum tube with activated fabric sleeve from mandrel step 274 in which the aluminum heating tube 226 with the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 (shown in FIG. 19) is removed from the mandrel heating assembly 190 and allowed to cool.
  • the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 has cooled and has an integral cylindrical fused backing 246 located on the inside thereof, as indicated in a fabric sleeve has formed integral core member step 276.
  • an apply liquid adhesive layer to integrally formed core member of tubular fabric sleeve step 277 can then be used if it is desired to further enhance the rigidity of the integrally formed core member 246 of tubular fabric sleeve 240.
  • the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 may be cut into a plurality of unfinished paint roller covers of any desired size. This step is, of course, not performed if the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 was cut to meet its finished size in the cut tubular knitted pile fabric sleeve to length step 262.
  • the unfinished paint roller covers may then have the fabric pile thereupon combed and sheared to a desired length in a comb and shear fabric pile step 280.
  • the comb and shear fabric pile step 280 may instead be performed before the cut fabric-covered core member to desired lengths step 278.
  • a bevel edges of paint roller covers step 282 the edges of the unfinished paint roller covers are beveled to finish them.
  • a vacuum paint roller covers step 284 loose fibers are vacuumed off the unfinished paint roller covers, finishing them into paint roller covers which may then be packaged and sold (typically, vacuuming is accomplished throughout the brushing, shearing, and beveling steps rather than as a separate step) .
  • a paint roller cover may be manufactured from tubular knitted pile fabric.
  • the tubular knitted pile fabric is preferably not stretched (as with tubular fabrics that must be inverted) , and no wrinkles or other surface defects are introduced into the tubular knitted pile fabric during the manufacturing process.
  • the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention results in an acceptable pile which extends from an acceptably rigid core which can be installed on and used with any conventional paint roller frame, or on a frame uniquely designed for the paint roller utilizing the new core design.
  • the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention facilitates either the manufacture of a paint roller cover of a desired finished length, or the manufacture of an extended length segment from which segments of any desired size can be cut for finishing as paint roller covers, thereby facilitating the mass manufacture of paint roller covers.
  • the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention can use tubular knitted pile fabric including sliver fibers, cut yarn pile or a combination of each, as well as utilize a number of different backing materials.
  • the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention results in a construction which is both durable and long lasting, and yields a paint roller cover of superior quality.
  • the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention also reduces the cost of manufacturing paint roller covers when compared to conventional methods of manufacturing paint roller covers by manufacturing paint rollers without using a separately provided core member, thereby affording it the broadest possible market.
  • all of the aforesaid advantages and aspirations of the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention are achieved without incurring any substantial relative disadvantage.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Coating Apparatus (AREA)
  • Knitting Of Fabric (AREA)
  • Rolls And Other Rotary Bodies (AREA)
  • Woven Fabrics (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un procédé de fabrication de manchons pour rouleaux de peintres dans lequel les manchons pour rouleaux de peintres sont fabriqués à partir d'un tube textile non cousu constitué d'un envers et d'un velours faits au moins en partie de fibre ou de fil fondu à basse température. On dispose sur un élément cylindrique ce tube textile non cousu, puis on applique de la chaleur de façon à agir sur la fibre ou le fil fondu à basse température de l'envers et des extrémités bouclées du velours pour que l'envers du tube textile non cousu conserve une configuration cylindrique. Pour la réalisation de manchons de peintres finis à partir du tube textile à velours tricoté ainsi obtenu, on peigne et tond à la longueur voulue les poils du velours, on taille en biseau les bords des manchons des rouleaux de peintres, et on aspire les poils épars subsistant dans les manchons des rouleaux de peintres.
PCT/US2008/080958 2008-01-17 2008-10-23 Procédés de fabrication de manchons pour rouleaux de peintres à partir d'un tube textile Ceased WO2009091426A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US12/015,612 US7905980B2 (en) 2007-04-25 2008-01-17 Method of manufacturing paint roller covers from a tubular fabric sleeve
US12/015,612 2008-01-17
US12/100,050 2008-04-09
US12/100,050 US8858750B2 (en) 2007-04-25 2008-04-09 Methods of manufacturing paint roller covers from a tubular fabric sleeve
US12/132,774 2008-06-04
US12/132,774 US8221578B2 (en) 2007-04-25 2008-06-04 Methods of manufacturing paint roller covers from a tubular fabric sleeve

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2009091426A1 true WO2009091426A1 (fr) 2009-07-23

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PCT/US2008/080958 Ceased WO2009091426A1 (fr) 2008-01-17 2008-10-23 Procédés de fabrication de manchons pour rouleaux de peintres à partir d'un tube textile
PCT/US2008/081139 Ceased WO2009091428A2 (fr) 2008-01-17 2008-10-24 Procédés de fabrication de fourreaux pour rouleaux à peinture à partir d'un manchon en tissu tubulaire
PCT/US2008/081152 Ceased WO2009091429A2 (fr) 2008-01-17 2008-10-24 Procédés de fabrication de fourreaux pour rouleaux à peinture à partir d'un manchon tubulaire en tissu

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2008/081139 Ceased WO2009091428A2 (fr) 2008-01-17 2008-10-24 Procédés de fabrication de fourreaux pour rouleaux à peinture à partir d'un manchon en tissu tubulaire
PCT/US2008/081152 Ceased WO2009091429A2 (fr) 2008-01-17 2008-10-24 Procédés de fabrication de fourreaux pour rouleaux à peinture à partir d'un manchon tubulaire en tissu

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3381544B1 (fr) * 2015-11-24 2023-04-26 Im Sun Kim Dispositif de traitement thermique de surface interne de tresse servant à renforcer une membrane à fibres creuses pour un traitement d'eau, et tresse fabriquée l'utilisant

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US5339484A (en) * 1993-03-02 1994-08-23 Ez Paintr Corporation Closed end paint roller and method of manufacture thereof
US20020104358A1 (en) * 2001-02-06 2002-08-08 Hart Charles M. Roller with brush roll between mandrel and sleeve
US20030213083A1 (en) * 2002-05-16 2003-11-20 Kuraray Co. Ltd, Roller brush structure for painting, and method for producing it
US6766668B2 (en) * 2002-07-16 2004-07-27 Daniel L. Sinykin Silver-knit material
US6993941B2 (en) * 2003-10-08 2006-02-07 Kuraray Co., Ltd. Silver-knit material

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US6159134A (en) * 1999-05-04 2000-12-12 Sekar; Chandra Methods for manufacturing a paint roller with integrated core and cover
US6539999B2 (en) * 2001-02-19 2003-04-01 Newell Operating Company Apparatus and method for making variable paint roller covers
US6502779B1 (en) * 2001-05-24 2003-01-07 Monterey, Inc. System and method for producing a continuous fabric strip for a use in manufacturing paint roller covers

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5339484A (en) * 1993-03-02 1994-08-23 Ez Paintr Corporation Closed end paint roller and method of manufacture thereof
US20020104358A1 (en) * 2001-02-06 2002-08-08 Hart Charles M. Roller with brush roll between mandrel and sleeve
US20030213083A1 (en) * 2002-05-16 2003-11-20 Kuraray Co. Ltd, Roller brush structure for painting, and method for producing it
US6766668B2 (en) * 2002-07-16 2004-07-27 Daniel L. Sinykin Silver-knit material
US6993941B2 (en) * 2003-10-08 2006-02-07 Kuraray Co., Ltd. Silver-knit material

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2009091428A2 (fr) 2009-07-23
WO2009091429A2 (fr) 2009-07-23
WO2009091429A3 (fr) 2009-10-01
WO2009091428A3 (fr) 2009-09-11

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