UV and flame resistant textile polymer yarn

Abstract

The present invention describes a UV, flame-resistant, polymeric coreless or hollow yarn or fiber, formed with either primary resins or recycled or regrind thermoplastics that is useful for completing a warp or weft in a woven or knitted web or mesh that can be used for decorative wall coverings, window panels or shades, upholstery, draperies, building panels, apparel and the like. The yarn may be transparent, translucent, colored or multicolored.

1 . A UV, flame resistant, polymer yarn comprising a hollow core portion.  
   
   
       2 . The polymer yarn of  claim 1 , wherein said polymer yarn comprises polymers that may be poly-vinyl chlorides (PVC's), acrylates, polycarbonates, or PETG resins and wherein said polymer yarn and polymers comprising said yarn may comprise formed polymeric sheets.  
   
   
       3 . The polymer yarn of  claim 2 , wherein said polymer yarn is comprised of either regrind polymer or recycled polymer.  
   
   
       4 . The polymer yarn of  claim 1 , wherein said hollow portion is located essentially concentrically within said polymer yarn.  
   
   
       5 . The polymer yarn of  claim 1 , wherein said hollow portion may vary in diameter from 0.001″-0.015″ longitudinally within said polymer yarn and wherein a preferred diameter of 0.009″.  
   
   
       6 . The polymer yarn of  claim 1 , wherein said polymer yarn provides an outside diameter of 0.020″-0.125″ with preferred average outside diameters of 0.060″, 0.040″, 0.024″ or 0.020″.  
   
   
       7 . The polymer yarn of  claim 1 , wherein said polymer yarn includes a wall thickness of at least 0.008″, preferably 0.010″.  
   
   
       8 . The polymer yarn of  claim 1 , wherein said yarn is comprised of coreless, solid filaments.  
   
   
       9 . The polymer yarn of  claim 6 , wherein said outside diameter may be non-uniform and either symmetrically or asymmetrically shaped including flat, twisted, or irregular.  
   
   
       10 . The polymer yarn of  claim 1 , wherein said polymer yarn may be transparent, translucent, tinted, colored or opaque.  
   
   
       11 . The polymer yarn of  claim 1 , wherein said polymer yarn may be used coreless or constructed with a core material or with both said coreless or said core material.  
   
   
       12 . The polymer yarn of  claim 1 , wherein said polymer yarn may be woven, non-woven or knitted with synthetic or natural materials as warp or weft.  
   
   
       13 . The polymer yarn of  claim 12 , wherein said polymer yarn is woven, non-woven or knitted and may be a portion or the entirety of a wall covering, window shade or panel track, upholstery, drapery or encapsulated into a building panel.  
   
   
       14 . The polymer yarn of  claim 12 , wherein said woven, non-woven, or knitted polymer yarn may be open to the environment or encapsulated between resin panels or translucent resin panels or translucent or transparent laminate building materials of any composition such as polycarbonate or acrylic resin and wherein said yarn may also be a natural yarn.  
   
   
       15 . The polymer yarn of  claim 12 , wherein said woven, non-woven, or knitted polymer yarn is a structural mesh of said polymer yarn that may be bonded by heat to said warp and weft or wherein each strand of yarn may also be bonded to another strand of yarn.  
   
   
       16 . The polymer yarn of  claim 14 , wherein said woven or knitted polymer yarn complies with NFPA 701 large scale drapery test fire ratings for woven or knitted polymer building or decorative materials.  
   
   
       17 . A method of producing UV, flame resistant, polymer yarn comprising a hollow core portion, wherein producing of said polymer yarn is by one of several methods including extrusion, spinning by using a metering pump and spinneret assembly, or spinning and drawing, or pultrusion, or a combination of any of these methods or like methods.  
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein said polymer yarn comprises polymers that provide for UV and fire resistant brominated and chlorinated polymers including flame resistant polyvinyl chlorides (PVC's) or PETG resins and the like.  
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein said hollow core portion of said yarns is located essentially concentrically within said polymer yarn.  
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 17 , providing said hollow portion may vary in diameter from 0.001″-0.015″ longitudinally within said polymer yarn and wherein there is a preferred diameter of 0.009″.  
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein said polymer yarn provides an outside diameter of 0.020″-0.125″ with preferred average outside diameters of 0.060″, 0.040″, 0.024″ or 0.020″.  
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein said polymer yarn provides a wall thickness of at least 0.008″, preferably 0.010″.  
   
   
       23 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein said outside diameter provides a non-uniform and either symmetrically or asymmetrically or irregular cross-sectional shape and wherein said outer diameter along a horizontal length may include bumpy, thick or thin sections.  
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein said polymer yarn may be transparent, translucent, tinted, colored or opaque.  
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein said polymer yarn may be used coreless, solid, or constructed with a core material or with both said coreless or said core material.  
   
   
       26 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein said polymer yarn may be woven, non-woven or knitted with synthetic or natural materials as warp or weft.  
   
   
       27 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein said polymer yarn is woven, non-woven or knitted and provides a portion or the entirety of a wall covering, window shade or panel, upholstery, drapery or building panel.  
   
   
       28 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said woven or knitted polymer yarn may be open to the environment or encapsulated between transparent or translucent thermoplastic panels such as polycarbonate or acrylic or translucent or transparent laminate building materials of any composition and wherein said yarn may also be a natural yarn.  
   
   
       29 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said woven or knitted polymer yarn may be bonded by heat to said warp and weft.  
   
   
       30 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said woven or knitted polymer yarn complies with NFPA 701 large scale drapery test fire ratings and including ASTM E-84 regarding flammability and AATCC 16-1998 regarding light fastness for woven or knitted polymer building materials.  
   
   
       31 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein said extruding provides a UV, flame resistant, polymer yarn comprising a hollow core portion comprising using a tubing die, a tip and die, a spinnerette, or any other known satisfactory extrusion technique known to be capable of producing said polymer yarn.  
   
   
       32 . A UV, flame resistant, coreless polymer yarn comprising wherein said polymer yarn comprises a hollow portion and may be used coreless or constructed with a core material or with both said coreless or said core material.  
   
   
       33 . The polymer yarn of  claim 32 , wherein said polymer yarn comprises polymers that may be brominated and chlorinated polymers including flame resistant poly-vinyl chlorides (PVC's), acrylates, or polycarbonates or PETG resins and the like.  
   
   
       34 . The polymer yarn of  claim 32 , wherein said polymer yarn is comprised of either regrind polymer or recycled polymer.  
   
   
       35 . The polymer yarn of  claim 32 , wherein said hollow portion is located essentially concentrically within said polymer yarn.  
   
   
       36 . The polymer yarn of  claim 32 , wherein said hollow portion may vary in diameter from 0.001″-0.015″ longitudinally within said polymer yarn and wherein a preferred diameter of 0.009″ may be utilized.  
   
   
       37 . The polymer yarn of  claim 32 , wherein said polymer yarn provides an outside diameter of 0.020″-0.125″ with preferred average outside diameters of 0.060″, 0.040″, 0.024″ or 0.020″.  
   
   
       38 . The polymer yarn of  claim 32 , wherein said polymer yarn includes a wall thickness of at least 0.008″, preferably 0.010″.  
   
   
       39 . The polymer yarn of  claim 37 , wherein said outside diameter may be non-uniform and either symmetrically or asymmetrically shaped including flat, twisted, or irregular.  
   
   
       40 . The polymer yarn of  claim 32 , wherein said polymer yarn may be transparent, translucent, tinted, colored or opaque.  
   
   
       41 . The polymer yarn of  claim 32 , wherein said polymer yarn may be used coreless or constructed with a core material or with both said coreless or said core material.  
   
   
       42 . The polymer yarn of  claim 32 , wherein said polymer yarn may be woven, non-woven or knitted with synthetic or natural materials as warp or weft.  
   
   
       43 . The polymer yarn of  claim 42 , wherein said polymer yarn is woven, non-woven or knitted and may be a portion or the entirety of a wall covering, window shade or panel track, upholstery, drapery or encapsulated into a building panel.  
   
   
       44 . The web structure of the polymer yarn of  claim 42 , wherein said woven, non-woven, or knitted polymer yarn may be open to the environment or encapsulated between resin panels or translucent resin panels or translucent or transparent laminate building materials of compositions such as polycarbonate or acrylic resin and wherein said yarn may also be a natural yarn.  
   
   
       45 . The woven, non-woven, or knitted polymer yarn of  claim 42 , wherein said woven, non-woven, or knitted polymer yarn is a structural mesh of said polymer yarn that may be bonded by heat to said warp and weft or wherein each strand of yarn may also be bonded to another strand of yarn.  
   
   
       46 . The polymer yarn of  claim 42 , wherein said woven or knitted polymer yarn complies with NFPA 701 large scale drapery test fire ratings for woven or knitted polymer building or decorative materials and including ASTM E-84 regarding flammability and AATCC 16-1998 regarding light fastness for woven or knitted polymer building materials  
   
   
       47 . A method of producing UV, flame resistant, polymer yarn comprising a hollow core portion, wherein said production is by one of several methods including extrusion, spinning by using a metering pump and spinneret assembly, or spinning and drawing, or pultrusion, or a combination of any of these methods or like methods.