Method for relofting a nonwoven fiber batt

Abstract

A method for relofting a nonwoven fiber product comprises forming a high-loft nonwoven fiber batt, compressing the high-loft nonwoven fiber batt to form a compressed fiber batt, securing the compressed fiber batt with a restraint, such that the compressed fiber batt will expand in the absence of the restraint, removing the restraint from the compressed fiber batt, thereby allowing the compressed fiber batt to expand into an expanded fiber batt, and relofting the expanded fiber batt using heat, thereby increasing the thickness of the expanded fiber batt to produce a relofted fiber batt. In an embodiment, the high-loft nonwoven fiber batt has a first thickness, the compressed fiber batt has a second thickness less than the first thickness, the expanded fiber batt has a third thickness greater than the second thickness, and the relofted fiber batt has a fourth thickness greater than the third thickness.

1 . A method for relofting a nonwoven fiber product, the method comprising: 
 forming a high-loft nonwoven fiber batt;    compressing the high-loft nonwoven fiber batt to form a compressed fiber batt;    securing the compressed fiber batt with a restraint, such that the compressed fiber batt will expand in the absence of the restraint;    removing the restraint from the compressed fiber batt, thereby allowing the compressed fiber batt to expand into an expanded fiber batt; and    relofting the expanded fiber batt using heat, thereby increasing the thickness of the expanded fiber batt to produce a relofted fiber batt.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1:   wherein the high-loft nonwoven fiber batt has a first thickness;    wherein the compressed fiber batt has a second thickness less than the first thickness;    wherein the expanded fiber batt has a third thickness greater than the second thickness; and    wherein the relofted fiber batt has a fourth thickness greater than the third thickness.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the fourth thickness is greater than the first thickness.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the high-loft nonwoven fiber batt is compressed without the use of heat.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein substantially all of the compression occurs in the thickness direction of the high-loft nonwoven fiber batt.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the third thickness in inches is greater than the weight per unit area in ounces per square foot of the expanded fiber batt.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the restraint is a band that constricts the compressed fiber batt.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the high-loft nonwoven fiber batt comprises a plurality of binder fibers and a plurality of carrier fibers.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the binder fibers are sheath-core bicomponent fibers and the carrier fibers are polyester fibers.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a vacuum is used to compress the high-loft nonwoven fiber batt.  
     
     
         11 . A nonwoven fiber product relofted according to the method of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         12 . A method for relofting a nonwoven fiber product, the method comprising: 
 forming a high-loft nonwoven fiber batt;    compressing the high-loft nonwoven fiber batt without the use of heat, thereby forming a compressed fiber batt;    securing the compressed fiber batt with a restraint, such that the compressed fiber batt will expand in the absence of the restraint;    removing the restraint from the compressed fiber batt, thereby allowing the compressed fiber batt to expand into an expanded fiber batt; and    relofting the expanded fiber batt using heat, thereby increasing the thickness of the expanded fiber batt to produce a relofted fiber batt.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein substantially all of the compression occurs in the thickness direction of the high-loft nonwoven fiber batt.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13:   wherein the high-loft nonwoven fiber batt has a first thickness;    wherein the compressed fiber batt has a second thickness less than the first thickness;    wherein the expanded fiber batt has a third thickness greater than the second thickness; and    wherein the relofted fiber batt has a fourth thickness greater than the third thickness.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the fourth thickness is greater than the first thickness.  
     
     
         16 . A method for relofting a nonwoven fiber product, the method comprising: 
 forming a high-loft nonwoven fiber batt;    compressing the fiber batt without the use of heat to form a compressed fiber batt, wherein substantially all of the compression occurs in the thickness direction of the fiber batt;    expanding the compressed fiber batt into an expanded fiber batt;    relofting the expanded fiber batt using heat, thereby increasing the thickness of the expanded fiber batt to produce a relofted fiber batt.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising: 
 securing the compressed fiber batt with a restraint, such that removal of the restraint expands the fiber batt; and    removing the restraint from the compressed fiber batt, thereby producing the expanded fiber batt.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein a vacuum is used to compress the fiber batt.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16:   wherein the high-loft nonwoven fiber batt has a first thickness;    wherein the compressed fiber batt has a second thickness less than the first thickness;    wherein the expanded fiber batt has a third thickness greater than the second thickness; and    wherein the relofted fiber batt has a fourth thickness greater than the third thickness.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the fourth thickness is greater than the first thickness.