Yarn manufacturing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016153124-A1
Application number	US-201314905208-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 22, 2013
Priority date	Jul 22, 2013
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A yarn producing apparatus includes front rollers movable while carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers are running and aggregates the CNT fibers. Each of the front rollers includes a groove provided on an outer circumference thereof to aggregate the CNT fibers.

First claim

1 . A yarn producing apparatus for producing carbon nanotube yarn from carbon nanotube fibers while causing the carbon nanotube fibers to run, the yarn producing apparatus comprising:
an aggregating unit that is movable with the carbon nanotube fibers running and aggregates the carbon nanotube fibers; wherein the aggregating unit includes a groove provided at a portion thereof to aggregate the carbon nanotube fibers.

2 . The yarn producing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the aggregating unit includes a pair of rollers that rotate about axes in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a direction of the carbon nanotube fibers running and opposed to each other at a position at which the carbon nanotube fibers are sandwiched; and the groove is provided on an outer circumference of at least one of the pair of rollers and extends in a circumferential direction of the roller.

3 . The yarn producing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the groove is provided in each of the pair of rollers and has an arc-shaped cross section.

4 . The yarn producing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the groove has an approximately semi-circular cross section.

5 . The yarn producing apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a support including a supporting surface that supports a carbon nanotube assembly from which the carbon nanotube fibers are drawn; wherein
the pair of rollers rotate about axes in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the direction of the carbon nanotube fibers running and perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the supporting surface of the support.

6 . The yarn producing apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising a second aggregating unit on a downstream side from the aggregating unit in the direction of the carbon nanotube fibers running to further aggregate the carbon nanotube fibers aggregated by the aggregating unit.

7 . The yarn producing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the second aggregating unit includes any one of:
a roller including a groove on an outer circumference thereof to aggregate the carbon nanotube fibers; a yarn producing unit that false twists the carbon nanotube fibers with a swirl flow of compressed air; a narrow tube that aggregates the carbon nanotube fibers while exerting a resistive force on the running carbon nanotube fibers; and a twisting unit that mechanically twists the carbon nanotube fibers.

8 . The yarn producing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the second aggregating unit includes a roller including a groove on an outer circumference thereof to aggregate the carbon nanotube fibers; and the groove in the second aggregating unit has a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the groove provided in the aggregating unit.

9 . The yarn producing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising, in the direction of the carbon nanotube fibers running, a second aggregating unit including any one of
a roller having a groove on an outer circumference thereof to aggregate the carbon nanotube fibers; a yarn producing unit that false twists the carbon nanotube fibers with a swirl flow of compressed air; a narrow tube that aggregates the carbon nanotube fibers while exerting a resistive force on the running carbon nanotube fibers; and a twisting unit that mechanically twists the carbon nanotube fibers; wherein on a downstream side from the second aggregating unit, the aggregating unit further aggregates the carbon nanotube fibers aggregated by the second aggregating unit.

10 . The yarn producing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a second aggregating unit on an upstream side from the aggregating unit in the direction of the carbon nanotube fibers running to aggregate the carbon nanotube fibers.

11 . The yarn producing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the second aggregating unit includes any one of:
a roller including a groove on an outer circumference thereof to aggregate the carbon nanotube fibers; a yarn producing unit that false twists the carbon nanotube fibers with a swirl flow of compressed air; a narrow tube that aggregates the carbon nanotube fibers while exerting a resistive force on the running carbon nanotube fibers; and a twisting unit that mechanically twists the carbon nanotube fibers.

12 . The yarn producing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a support including a supporting surface that supports a carbon nanotube assembly from which the carbon nanotube fibers are drawn; wherein
the pair of rollers rotate about axes in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the direction of the carbon nanotube fibers running and perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the supporting surface of the support.

13 . The yarn producing apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising a second aggregating unit on a downstream side from the aggregating unit in the direction of the carbon nanotube fibers running to further aggregate the carbon nanotube fibers aggregated by the aggregating unit.

14 . The yarn producing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the second aggregating unit includes any one of:
a roller including a groove on an outer circumference thereof to aggregate the carbon nanotube fibers; a yarn producing unit that false-twists the carbon nanotube fibers with a swirl flow of compressed air; a narrow tube that aggregates the carbon nanotube fibers while exerting a resistive force on the running carbon nanotube fibers; and a twisting unit that mechanically twists the carbon nanotube fibers.

15 . The yarn producing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein
the second aggregating unit includes a roller including a groove on an outer circumference thereof to aggregate the carbon nanotube fibers; and the groove in the second aggregating unit has a cross-sectional area smaller than a cross-sectional area of the groove provided in the aggregating unit.

16 . The yarn producing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising, in the direction of the carbon nanotube fibers running, a second aggregating unit including any one of:
a roller including a groove on an outer circumference thereof to aggregate the carbon nanotube fibers; a yarn producing unit that false-twists the carbon nanotube fibers with a swirl flow of compressed air; a narrow tube that aggregates the carbon nanotube fibers while exerting a resistive force on the running carbon nanotube fibers; and a twisting unit that mechanically twists the carbon nanotube fibers; wherein on a downstream side from the second aggregating unit, the aggregating unit further aggregates the carbon nanotube fibers aggregated by the second aggregating unit.

17 . The yarn producing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a support including a supporting surface that supports a carbon nanotube assembly from which the carbon nanotube fibers are drawn; wherein
the pair of rollers rotate about axes in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the direction of the carbon nanotube fibers running and perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the supporting surface of the support.

18 . The yarn producing apparatus according to claim 17 , further comprising a second aggregating unit on a downstream side from the aggregating unit in the direction of the carbon nanotube fibers running to further aggregate the carbon nanotube fibers aggregated by the aggregating unit.

19 . The yarn

Assignees

• Murata Machinery Ltd

Inventors

• Yano Fumiaki
• Fukuhara Shuichi
• Takashima Hiroki

Classifications

• D02G3/22

  Yarns or threads characterised by constructional features {, e.g. blending, filament/fibre (piecing of yarns or threads D01H15/00)} · CPC title

• D01H1/115 Primary

  using pneumatic means · CPC title

• D01H13/02

  Roller arrangements not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• D01F9/127

  by thermal decomposition of hydrocarbon gases or vapours {or other carbon-containing compounds in the form of gas or vapour, e.g. carbon monoxide, alcohols} · CPC title

• D10B2101/122

  Nanocarbons · CPC title