Bonded Fiber Wick

Abstract

A hydrophilic fiber wick is provided, the wick made up of a self-sustaining fluid transmissive body having a plurality of bicomponent fibers bonded to each other at spaced apart contact points. The bicomponent fibers have at least one biodegradable material and collectively define tortuous fluid flow paths through the fluid transmissive body.

1 . A hydrophilic porous wick comprising thermally bonded synthetic bicomponent fibers having pores between the thermally bonded synthetic bicomponent fibers. 
     
     
         2 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 1 , further comprising natural monocomponent fibers or synthetic monocomponent fibers. 
     
     
         3 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 1 , wherein the synthetic bicomponent fibers are selected from the group consisting of polypropylene/polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE)/PET, polypropylene/Nylon-6, Nylon-6/PET, copolyester/PET, copolyester/Nylon-6, copolyester/Nylon-6,6, poly-4-methyl-1-pentene/PET, poly-4-methyl-1-pentene/Nylon-6, poly-4-methyl-1-pentene/Nylon-6,6, PET/polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), Nylon-6,6/poly-1,4-cyclohexanedimethyl-1 (PCT), polypropylene/polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), Nylon-6/co-polyamide, polyester/polyester and polyurethane/acetal. 
     
     
         4 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 2 , wherein the synthetic monocomponent fibers are polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers. 
     
     
         5 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 2 , wherein the natural monocomponent fibers are selected from the group consisting of cotton and wool. 
     
     
         6 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 2 , wherein the natural monocomponent fibers are cellulose based fibers selected from the group consisting of vegetable fibers, wood fibers, animal fibers and man-made fibers. 
     
     
         7 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 2 , wherein the thermally bonded synthetic bicomponent fibers comprise about 51 wt % to about 100% wt % of the hydrophilic porous wick. 
     
     
         8 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 1 , wherein the synthetic bicomponent fibers comprise a sheath and a core, and the core has a melting temperature at least more than 10 degrees C. higher than the melting temperature of the sheath. 
     
     
         9 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 3 , wherein the synthetic bicomponent fibers comprise PE/PET bicomponent fibers or polyester/polyester bicomponent fibers. 
     
     
         10 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 2 , wherein the synthetic bicomponent fibers comprise PE/PET bicomponent fibers and the natural monocomponent fibers comprise cotton. 
     
     
         11 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 2 , wherein the synthetic bicomponent fibers comprise PE/PET bicomponent fibers and the synthetic monocomponent fibers comprise PVA or acrylic. 
     
     
         12 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 1 , wherein the synthetic bicomponent fibers are colored. 
     
     
         13 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 2 , wherein the natural monocomponent fibers or the synthetic monocomponent fibers are colored. 
     
     
         14 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 1 , wherein the wick is biodegradable. 
     
     
         15 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 2 , wherein the wick is biodegradable. 
     
     
         16 . The hydrophilic wick of  claim 15 , wherein a component of the wick that is a biodegradable component is at least 40% of the total weight of the wick. 
     
     
         17 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 1 , having a density from 0.2 g/ml to 1.0 g/ml. 
     
     
         18 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 2 , having a density from 0.2 g/ml to 1.0 g/ml. 
     
     
         19 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 1 , having a diameter of about 0.04 inches to about 1.0 inches and a length to diameter ratio greater than 50. 
     
     
         20 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 2 , having a diameter of about 0.04 inches to about 1.0 inches and a length to diameter ratio greater than 50. 
     
     
         21 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrophilic porous wick possesses a wicking rate of deionized water of about 0.5 inches per minute or more in the first 2 inches of length. 
     
     
         22 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 2 , wherein the natural monocomponent fibers are cellulose based fibers. 
     
     
         23 . A method of releasing a vaporizable material into the atmosphere comprising:
 placing a hydrophilic porous wick comprising thermally bonded synthetic bicomponent fibers having pores between the thermally bonded synthetic bicomponent fibers into a fluid containing a vaporizable material;   permitting the fluid containing the vaporizable material to wick through the hydrophilic porous wick and release into the atmosphere.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the wick further comprises natural monocomponent fibers or synthetic monocomponent fibers. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the wick releases more than 0.5 gm of vaporizable material in 24 hours. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the wick releases more than 0.5 gm of vaporizable material in 24 hours. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the vaporizable material is an aqueous based fragrance or oil based fragrance. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the wick is biodegradable. 
     
     
         29 . A hydrophillic fiber wick comprising:
 a fluid transmissive body comprising a plurality of bicomponent fibers bonded to each other at spaced apart contact points and collectively defining tortuous fluid flow paths through the fluid transmissive body.   
     
     
         30 . The hydrophillic fiber wick of  claim 29  wherein the self-sustaining fluid transmissive body further comprises a plurality of monocomponent fibers. 
     
     
         31 . The hydrophillic fiber wick of  claim 30  wherein the monocomponent fibers are bonded only to the bicomponent fibers at spaced contact points. 
     
     
         32 . The hydrophillic fiber wick of  claim 30  wherein the monocomponent fibers comprise fibers consisting of natural materials. 
     
     
         33 . The hydrophilic fiber wick of  claim 30 , wherein the monocomponent fibers are polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers. 
     
     
         34 . The hydrophilic porous wick of  claim 30 , wherein the monocomponent fibers are selected from the group consisting of cotton and wool. 
     
     
         35 . The hydrophilic fiber wick of  claim 29  wherein the bicomponent fibers are selected from the group consisting of polypropylene/polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE)/PET, polypropylene/Nylon-6, Nylon-6/PET, copolyester/PET, copolyester/Nylon-6, copolyester/Nylon-6,6, poly-4-methyl-1-pentene/PET, poly-4-methyl-1-pentene/Nylon-6, poly-4-methyl-1-pentene/Nylon-6,6, PET/polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), Nylon-6,6/poly-1,4-cyclohexanedimethyl-1 (PCT), polypropylene/polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), Nylon-6/co-polyamide, polyester/polyester and polyurethane/acetal bicomponent fibers. 
     
     
         36 . The hydrophilic fiber wick of  claim 29  wherein the wick is biodegradable. 
     
     
         37 . The hydrophilic fiber wick of  claim 29  wherein at least a portion of the wick is biodegradable. 
     
     
         38 . The hydrophilic wick of  claim 37  wherein the biodegradable portion of the wick is at least 40 percent of the total weight of the wick. 
     
     
         39 . The hydrophilic fiber wick of  claim 29  further comprising:
 a displacement body integrally formed with said fluid transmissive body and configured so that when the fluid transmissive body and the displacement body are at least partially immersed in a fluid pool, the displacement body displaces a volume of fluid approximately equal to a wicked volume of fluid wicked out of the fluid pool by the fluid transmissive body.