TWI788859B - Colored braided yarn and method for forming the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A colored braided yarn includes a plurality of strand yarns that are braided together, and the plurality of strand yarns include at least three strand yarns , and a coloring agent that is attached to a surface of the colored braided yarn and tucked between the strand yarns, wherein the coloring agent has a spotted distribution in a cross-sectional view of the colored braided yarn.

Description

Knitting color thread and its production method

The invention relates to the technical field of textiles, in particular to a braided color thread made of polymer fibers and a manufacturing method thereof.

Polymer fiber (or synthetic fiber) is a kind of man-made fiber, which is mainly composed of chain polymers formed by polymerization of petrochemical raw materials. Among them, Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWP) fibers have the characteristics of high strength, high water cut, high wear resistance, high chemical stability, light weight, etc., so they have been widely used in the production of high-performance textiles. Products such as but not limited to high tension fishing line, casting line, kite line, surgical line, tent line, paraglider line, cable, fishing nets, sails, body armor, helmets, safety clothing, abrasion cloth, construction cloth or industrial rope etc.

Polymer fibers generally lack the polar groups or dyeing base groups required to chemically combine with dyes, and polymer fibers are generally stretched at a high rate, so that the molecules have high degree of orientation and crystallinity, making it difficult for dyes to diffuse/ Penetration (diffusion/osmosis) into the fiber interior. Due to the above-mentioned characteristics, it is common in the industry to color the color lines formed by polymer fibers by means of coating colorants.

Please refer to Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B, which respectively show a structural schematic view and a schematic cross-sectional view of a colored thread 1 made of polymer fibers in the prior art, which utilizes a cable braiding machine or a twisting machine to bundle the fibers 1a into a thread After that, the color material 2 mixed with pigment or dye is coated on the surface of the color line 1, and then the color material 1 is formed into a film and fixed on the surface of the color line 1 to obtain a coloring effect. However, the above-mentioned coloring method has the problems of poor tinting strength, insufficient color concentration, difficult diffusion of coloring material into the inside of the color line 1, and easy wear and tear after a period of use.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a braided color thread and a manufacturing method thereof, which not only have improved coloring power and color concentration, but also can delay color fading and reduce the use of colorants.

One aspect of the present invention provides a braided color thread, including a plurality of strands, the plurality of strands are braided into bundles, and the plurality of strands include at least three strands; and a coloring material coated on the braided color thread and is sandwiched between each of the strands, wherein the colorant fills the gaps between the plurality of strands inside the braided color line and the gaps between the plurality of strands on the surface of the braided color line sunken.

In some embodiments, in a section of the braided colored thread, the color material is included from the center to the surface of the braided colored thread.

In some embodiments, each such strand comprises a monofilament.

In some embodiments, each of the strands is a multifilament made up of a plurality of fibers.

In some embodiments, the colorant penetrates between the fibers of each of the strands to form a colored layer in each of the strands.

In some embodiments, the colored layer has a non-uniform thickness along the surface of the strand.

In some embodiments, in the cross-section, the sum of the areas of the coloring layer of the strands and the color material sandwiched between the strands accounts for 40% to 99% of the area of the cross-section between.

In some embodiments, in the cross-section, the sum of the areas of the coloring layer of the strands and the color material sandwiched between the strands accounts for 40% to 60% of the area of the cross-section between.

In some embodiments, the strand includes Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene fibers.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a manufacturing method for braiding colored threads, including providing a plurality of strands, and the plurality of strands includes at least three strands, and braiding the plurality of strands to bundle them into a thread, wherein when weaving the When there are multiple strands, at the same time, a colorant is attached to the surface of each strand and is sandwiched between each strand, wherein the colorant fills the space between the plurality of strands inside the braided color line and The depression between the plurality of strands on the surface of the braided colored thread.

In some embodiments, each such strand comprises a monofilament.

In some embodiments, each of the strands is a multifilament made up of a plurality of fibers.

In some embodiments, the colorant penetrates between the fibers of each of the strands to form a colored layer in each of the strands, wherein the colored layer has unevenness along the surface of the strands. thickness of.

In some embodiments, braiding the plurality of strands includes applying a tension to each of the strands.

In some embodiments, the colorant includes a resin.

In some embodiments, the colorant includes a thermoplastic polymer.

In some embodiments, braiding the plurality of strands includes intertwining the plurality of strands in a bundler to form a bundle, and providing the colorant to the bundler to attach to the surface of each strand.

In some embodiments, the colorant includes a surfactant.

The ensuing detailed description is not intended to limit the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by its claims. Those having equivalent meanings to the claims of the present invention shall also fall within the scope of the present invention. The figures are simplified schematic diagrams, and identical or similar features are generally described with the same reference numerals. For ease of illustration and understanding, the components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some structures are also omitted.

The present invention can be applied to braided colored yarns made of various natural fibers or artificial fibers, especially for braided colored yarns made of polymer fibers, which can significantly improve color density and delay fading, and reduce the use of colorants. In addition, the braided colored yarn of the present invention can have a suitable wire diameter according to application requirements. For example, in one embodiment, the braided color line can be used as a high-tension fishing line, and the line diameter can be between 0.05 mm (millimeter) and 0.8 mm. In another embodiment, the braided colored wire can be used as a speargun casting line, and the wire diameter can be between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm. In yet another embodiment, the braided colored thread can be used as tent rope, and the thread diameter can be between 2 mm and 5 mm. The above range of wire diameters is just an example and not limited thereto.

Please refer to FIG. 2 , which is a schematic diagram of the steps of a method 200 for fabricating colored yarns according to an embodiment of the present invention. Method 200 begins at step 202 by providing a plurality of strands. Then proceed to step 204 , knitting the plurality of strands so that the plurality of strands are bundled into a wire, and simultaneously attaching the colorant to the surface of each strand during weaving. Then, proceed to step 206 to make the color material form a film and set the shape.

In some embodiments, step 202 may include winding each strand 12 on a spool, and then installing the spools on a pay-off table. Step 204 may include simultaneously releasing each strand from the spool, and then pulling the strands into a bundler for braiding, and simultaneously providing a coloring agent to the bundler through a coloring device for use in the bundler. When weaving the strands, the coloring material is attached to the surface of each strand synchronously. The surface of each strand includes the intersection of the strands, so that the coloring material is sandwiched between the strands, especially near the center of the braiding coloring line, and the coloring The situation that the material is surrounded by each strand is more obvious than in the prior art. The color material of the present invention mainly includes pigment or dye molecules and a medium. Step 206 may include selecting a suitable method according to the type of the color material medium to form the color material into a film. For example, in some embodiments, when the colorant comprises heat-curable and/or light-curable resins mixed with pigments or dyes, it is optional to pass the braided colored threads released from the bundler through a curing box. Thermal curing and/or photocuring treatment to make the colorant film-forming and finalizing. In some embodiments, the colorant may comprise a low-melting thermoplastic (thermoplastic) polymer doped with pigment or dye, optionally allowing the braided colored threads released from the bundler to pass through a cooling tank for condensing to form a film of the colorant stereotyped. In some embodiments, when the colorant includes a surfactant, the braided colored threads released from the bundler may optionally be dried in an oven to form a film of the colorant. In some embodiments, other steps may be included between step 204 and step 206, such as heating and drying to remove solvent, or removing excess colorant, but not limited thereto.

In some embodiments, before step 204, the strands may be twisted to a suitable twist, such as 2 to 30 TPI (twist per inch), but not limited thereto. According to another embodiment of the invention, the individual strands may also be substantially untwisted.

The number of twists and crosses of the strands in step 204 (that is, the weaving density) will affect the performance of the braided colored yarn, and also affect the adhesion of the colorant. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the number of twisting and crossings of the strands may range from 3 times per inch to 120 times per inch, but is not limited thereto.

The present invention aims to improve the color performance of the product and reduce the use of coloring materials without affecting the production speed and the minimum process change. The method 200 is to simultaneously attach the coloring material to the surface of each strand when weaving the strands, and then carry out The film-forming and shaping of the coloring material can achieve the effect of simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing the amount of coloring material.

Please refer to pictures 3, 4, 5 and 6. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the braided colored yarn 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a braided colored yarn 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention cut along the wire diameter direction (for example, A-A' tangential direction). Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a braided colored yarn 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention cut along the wire diameter direction (for example, A-A' tangential direction). FIG. 6 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of one of the strands 12 in FIG. 5, showing the fibers 12a of each strand 12.

The braided colored yarn 10 of the present invention can be produced by the method 200 in FIG. 2, including braiding a plurality of strands 12 that are bundled together, and covering the surface of the knitted colored yarn 10 and being sandwiched between each strand Between 12 and 20 of the colorants. The number of strands 12 can be adjusted according to application requirements, for example, it can be 3, 4, 5, or more. The number of strands 12 shown in the figure is for example only and is not intended to limit the present invention.

The strand 12 itself can be a monofilament made of one polymer fiber (such as the 4th figure embodiment), or a multifilament made of a plurality of polymer fibers (such as the 5th figure and the 6th figure embodiment, composed of plural Strip fiber 12a constitutes). The polymer fiber constituting the strand 12 can be produced by solution spinning (solution spinning), gel spinning (gel spinning) or other suitable spinning techniques, and the material can include polyethylene (PE), polyester (PET) , Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), Polyurethane (PU), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polyamide (Nylon), but not limited thereto, and are selectively pulled during spinning Stretch to have a suitable wire diameter. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the polymer fiber 12a of the strand 12 (refer to FIG. 6 ) may have a wire diameter between 25 um and 200 um, but is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the strand 12 may be composed of one or more ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) fibers.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the extrusion during braid winding can cause the strands 12 to have a flat, oval, or irregular cross-sectional shape. When the strand 12 is a multifilament composed of a plurality of fibers, the fibers may also be slightly deformed due to extrusion during winding. It should be noted that the cross-sectional shape of the fiber 12a shown in FIG. 6 is close to a circle for the purpose of drawing, and is not intended to limit the present invention.

In some embodiments, functional yarns (not shown) can be added to the colored yarn 10 according to application requirements to adjust the function of the colored yarn 10, such as improving elasticity or imparting radiation resistance, but not limited thereto . The method of adding functional yarns can be, for example, winding functional yarns (not shown) on a spool and installed on a pay-off table, and then released into a bundler to be braided together with strands. When the strands 12 are multifilament, functional yarns may optionally be integrated into the fibers of the strands 12 . Functional yarns can include natural or man-made fibers.

The colorant 20 includes a material that can adhere or adsorb to the surface of the strand 12, such as a gel-like material, a solution, or a gaseous particulate material. In some embodiments, the colorant 20 may include a resin mixed with a pigment or a dye, and may be cured by heat and/or light to form a film. In some embodiments, the colorant 20 may include a low-melting thermoplastic (thermoplastic) polymer mixed with a pigment or a dye, and the melting point needs to be lower than that of the fibers of the strand 12 . For example, when the melting point temperature of the fibers of the strand 12 is between 140°C and 160°C, the melting point temperature of the colorant 20 may be between 90°C and 110°C. The low-melting thermoplastic polymer suitable for the color material 20 may include, for example, low-melting polyethylene (polyethylene, PE) or low-melting polyurethane (thermoplastic urethane, TPU), but not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the colorant 20 may include a surfactant-added aqueous solution mixed with pigments or dyes, and may be dried in an oven to form a film of the colorant. Depending on the type and state of the colorant 20, an appropriate technique can be selected to adhere or adsorb the colorant 20 to each strand 12, for example, each strand 12 passes through a cavity containing the colorant 20, or the colorant 20 is squeezed into the On the strand 12, or make the strand 12 pass the roller with the colorant 20, but not limited thereto.

The present invention is characterized in that the coloring material 20 is attached to the surface of each strand 12 at the same time during weaving, so that the coloring material 20 is sandwiched between the strands 12 of the knitting colored yarn 10 along with weaving, so as to fill the knitting color The gaps 10a between the strands 12 inside the thread 10 and the depressions 10b between the strands on the surface of the braided colored thread 10 . Therefore, compared with the coloring material of the braided colored thread of the prior art, which can only cover the outer surface of the braided fiber (as shown in Fig. 1B), the braided colored thread 10 of the present invention can include the more obvious coloring material 12. The color blocks 20a are distributed in the inner part of the braided color thread 10 , thus improving the overall color density of the braided color thread 10 . In some embodiments, the recesses 10b between the strands 12 on the surface of the braided colored thread 10 can accumulate more colorant 20 , thus having a more obvious color.

In detail, in the embodiment of FIG. 4 , when each strand 12 is a monofilament, the color block 20 a roughly corresponds to the gap 10 a between the strands 12 . In the embodiment of Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, when each strand 12 is a multifilament, the coloring material 20 is not only sandwiched between the strands 12, but also goes to the strand along the gap between the fibers 12a. Line 12 interior (diffusion) infiltrates (diffusion/osmosis), therefore except corresponding to the color block 20a at the gap 10a place between the strands 12, also can penetrate into the gap place between the fiber 12a to form a by a plurality of color blocks 20b Composition of the upper color layer. Therefore, in the cross-sectional view, the braided colored thread 10 of the embodiment in FIG. 5 will show a more obvious color than the braided colored thread 10 of the embodiment in FIG. 4 . Due to the different sizes and/or shapes of the gaps between the strands 12 and/or between the fibers 12a, the color blocks 20a and 20b of the colorant 20 may have different sizes and/or shapes. Due to the effect of penetration, the color block 20b of the coloring layer may be larger in size closer to each strand 12, forming a gradient visual coloring layer. In some embodiments, the color blocks 20b of the coloring layer are evenly distributed on each strand 12 to form a uniform color coloring layer. In addition, the color material 20 sandwiched between the strands 12 and/or fibers 12a can be It is connected between part of the color block 20a and the color block 20b.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6 , the tension applied to the strand 12 when braiding the strand 12 and/or the pressure received when the strand 12 is intertwined or applied from the outside of the braided colored yarn 10/braided strand 12 The pressure can promote the colorant 20 to penetrate into the interior of the strand 12 along the gaps between the fibers 12 a of the strand 12 , thereby forming a colored layer 122 of the strand 12 . In some embodiments, the interior of the strand 12 may further include a portion not penetrated by the colorant 20 , that is, the uncolored layer 121 of the strand. As shown in FIG. 6 , the uncolored layer 121 of the strand 12 is substantially surrounded by the colored layer 122 . In some embodiments, the interior of the strand 12 does not include a portion not penetrated by the colorant 20 , that is, the strand does not include the uncolored layer 121 .

The content and penetration amount of the colorant 20 determine the color density of the coloring layer 122 . Because different positions of the strand 12 are subjected to different pressures when they are braided and wound or pressure is applied from the outside of the braided color line 10/braided strand 12, different positions of the strand 12 will have different penetration depths and penetration amounts of the colorant 12, so the strands The coloring layer 122 of the thread 12 may form a gradient visual effect, with uneven thickness and different color density.

Please refer to FIG. 7 , the left side is a microscope image of a cross-section of a braided colored thread according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the right side is a microscope icon on the left showing strand junctions and some characteristic regions. In detail, the braided colored thread in Fig. 7 includes a plurality of strands that are braided and assembled into bundles, and the strands are multifilaments. Area A1 and area A2 are areas where at least three strands intersect, and area A3 and area A4 are areas inside the strands. The present invention attaches the colorant to the surface of each strand at the same time during weaving, so that the colorant can be sandwiched between the strands and penetrate between the fibers of the strands, so the areas A1, A2, A3 and A4 can all be There are obvious colors, wherein the color of the area A1 and area A2 is due to the appearance of the color block 20a and the color block 20b, and the color of the area A3 and the area A4 is mainly due to the appearance of the color block 20b (refer to FIG. 5).

Please refer to FIG. 8 , the left side is a microscope image of a cross-section of a braided colored thread according to another embodiment of the present invention, and the right side is a microscope icon on the left showing strand junctions and some characteristic regions. The braided colored thread in Fig. 8 includes a plurality of strands that are braided and assembled into bundles, and the strands are multifilaments. Regions B1 and B2 are regions where at least three strands meet, and regions B3, B4, B5 and B6 are regions inside the strands. In the present invention, the coloring material is attached to the surface of each strand at the same time during weaving, so that the coloring material can be sandwiched between the strands and penetrate into the fibers of the strands, so the regions B1-B6 can all have distinct colors , where the colors of areas B1 and B2 are due to the appearance of color blocks 20a and 20b, while the colors of areas B3, B4, B5 and B6 are mainly due to the appearance of color blocks 20b (refer to Figure 5).

It can be clearly seen from Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 that the colored yarn provided by the present invention can be colored from the center of the colored yarn (such as the area B1 in Fig. 8) to the surface (such as the area B5 in Fig. 8). material distribution.

Please refer to Figure 9, the left side is a microscopic image of a cross-section of a conventional braided color thread, and the right side is a microscopic image on the left showing strand junctions and some characteristic areas. The braided color thread in Figure 9 includes a plurality of strands that are braided and assembled into bundles, and the strands are multifilaments. Area C1 and area C3 are areas where at least three strands intersect, and area C2 is an area inside the strands. The braided colored thread in Figure 9 is coated with coloring material after the strands are bundled into a thread. Obviously, areas C1, C2, and C3 have lighter colors (i.e., contain less colorant) than areas A1-A4 in Figure 7 and B1-B6 in Figure 8, especially the center of the braided color thread The region C1 at is almost colorless (contains almost no colorant).

Based on the above, the braided color thread 10 provided by the present invention, when using the braided strands 12, the coloring material 20 is attached to the surface of each strand 12 at the same time, so that the coloring material is sandwiched between the strands 12 along with the weaving, especially Near the center of the braided color thread 10. The present invention can also use the pressure on the strand 12 during weaving and winding or apply pressure from the outside of the braided colored yarn 10/braided strand 12 to promote the colorant 20 that has not yet been finalized (that is, has plasticity or fluidity) to penetrate into the strand 12. Forming the colored layer 122 can further increase the color density of the knitted colored thread 10 . According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the cross-sectional view, the total area of the colored portion (for example, including the area of the colored layer 122 of each strand 12, the area of the color block 20a, the area of the color block 20b, and the area covered by each strand The area of the color material 20 on the surface of the thread 12) can be as high as 40% to 99% of the cross-sectional area of the braided color thread 10, such as at least between 40% and 60%. In other words, the colored part of the braided colored thread 10 of the present invention can be as high as 40% to 99% of the whole, and in the cross section, the coloring material can be distributed from the center to the surface of the braided colored thread. Compared with the method of knitting and then coloring in the prior art, the proportion of the colored part of the braided colored thread (such as the colored thread 1 shown in Figure 1A and Figure 1B) is only between 10% and 25% , the braided color thread of the present invention can have a higher coloring ratio and color density. In addition, in the present invention, part of the color material 20 is sandwiched between the strands 12 and/or the fibers 12a, which can alleviate the problem of wear and tear of the braided color yarn 10 . The above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and all equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of the patent application of the present invention shall fall within the scope of the present invention.

1: color line 1a: Fiber 2: Pigment 10: braided color thread 12: Strand 20: Pigment 200: method 202: Step 204: step 206: Step 10a: Void 10b: Depression 12a: Fiber 121: uncolored layer 122: color layer 20a: color block 20b: color block A-A': tangent A1~A4: Area B1~B6: Area C1~C3: area

Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B are respectively a structural schematic diagram and a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a braided colored thread, which is one of the conventional technologies. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the steps of the method for manufacturing colored yarns according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a braided colored thread according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a braided colored thread cut along the thread diameter direction in an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a braided colored thread cut along the thread diameter direction in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of one of the strands of the braided colored yarn in Figure 5. The left side of Fig. 7 is a micrograph of a section of a braided colored thread according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the right side is the microscopic picture including markings. The left side of Fig. 8 is a micrograph of a cross-section of a braided colored thread according to another embodiment of the present invention, and the right side is the microscopic picture including markings. Figure 9 is a microscopic image of a cross-section of a known braided colored thread on the left, and the microscopic image including markings on the right.

10: braided color thread 12: Strand 20: Pigment 20a: color block 20b: color block

Claims (10)

A braided colored thread, comprising: a plurality of strands, the plurality of strands are braided into bundles, and the plurality of strands include at least three strands, each of which is a multifilament composed of a plurality of fibers; and a color Material, coated on a surface of the braided colored thread and sandwiched between each of the strands, wherein the coloring material fills the space between the plurality of strands inside the braided colored thread and the surface of the braided colored thread The depression between the plurality of strands, and penetrates between the fibers of each strand to form a coloring layer in each strand, the coloring layer has different shapes along the surface of the strands Uniform thickness, wherein in a cross-section, the sum of the areas of the coloring layer of the strands and the color material sandwiched between the strands accounts for 40% to 60% of the area of the cross-section between. The braided colored thread as described in item 1 of the patent scope, wherein in a section of the braided colored thread, the color material is included from the center of the braided colored thread to the surface of the braided colored thread. The braided colored thread as described in item 1 of the patent claims, wherein the strand includes ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) fiber. A method for making a braided colored thread, comprising: providing a plurality of strands, and the plurality of strands include at least three strands, each of which is a multifilament composed of a plurality of fibers; and braiding the plurality of strands to Bundled into a thread, wherein when weaving the plurality of strands, a coloring material is attached to the surface of each of the strands and sandwiched between each of the strands, wherein the coloring material fills the plurality of strands inside the braided color line The gaps between the strands and the depressions between the plurality of strands on the surface of the braided color line, and penetrate into the fibers of each strand to form A coloring layer in each of the strands, the coloring layer has a non-uniform thickness along the surface of the strand, wherein in a section, the coloring layer of the strands is sandwiched between each of the strands The sum of the areas of the colorants between strands accounts for between 40% and 60% of the area of the cross section. The manufacturing method of the braided color thread as described in item 4 of the scope of the patent application, wherein the color material includes resin. The manufacturing method of the braided color thread as described in item 4 of the scope of the patent application, wherein the color material includes a thermoplastic polymer. The manufacturing method of braided colored yarn as described in item 4 of the scope of patent application, wherein the braiding process includes: making the plurality of strands intertwined in a bundler to gather them into bundles; and providing the coloring material to the bundle A device is attached to each surface of the strand. The manufacturing method of the braided color thread as described in item 9 of the scope of the patent application, wherein the color material includes a surfactant. A braided colored thread, comprising: a plurality of strands, the plurality of strands are braided into bundles, and the plurality of strands include at least three strands, each of which includes ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) fibers; and a coloring material, coated on a surface of the braided colored thread and sandwiched between each of the strands, wherein the The coloring material fills the space between the plurality of strands inside the braided colored thread and the depression between the plurality of strands on the surface of the braided colored thread. A method for making a braided colored thread, comprising: providing a plurality of strands, and the plurality of strands comprise at least three strands, each of which comprises ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) fibers; and weaving The plurality of strands are bundled into a thread, wherein when weaving the plurality of strands, a coloring material is attached to the surface of each strand and sandwiched between each strand, wherein the coloring material fills the weaving The space between the plurality of strands inside the colored yarn and the depression between the plurality of strands on the surface of the braided colored yarn.

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