Fibers with surface markings used for coding

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9865182-B2
Application number	US-201615225872-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2016
Priority date	Jun 27, 2014
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed are fibers comprising one or more branded fibers which exhibit surface markings in a repeated pattern along the length of the branded fibers. The branded fibers can be incorporated into yarns or fiber bands to represent supply chain information of the yarns, fiber bands, and/or articles made from the yards or fiber bands. In a specific example, branded fibers can be incorporated into an acetate tow band The branded fibers can be recovered from a cigarette filter, the repeated pattern decoded, and supply chain information associated with the acetate tow used to make the cigarette filter, such as manufacturer, customer, ship to location, and even the acetate tow bale, can be obtained.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of making an acetate tow band comprising fibers, wherein the fibers comprise standard fibers and identification fibers, wherein the standard fibers comprise cellulose acetate, wherein the method comprises:
(a) obtaining the identification fibers;
(b) producing the standard fibers on a first fiber production process; and
(c) combining the identification fibers and the standard fibers into the acetate tow band, wherein the identification fibers comprise one or more branded fibers, wherein the branded fibers exhibit one or more taggant surface markings,
wherein the taggant surface markings form a repeated pattern along a length of the branded fibers, and
wherein the taggant surface markings and the repeated pattern are representative of at least one supply chain component of the acetate tow band.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining of the identification fibers comprising the branded fibers comprises at least one of
(i) producing the portion of the identification fibers on a second fiber production process followed by printing or laser engraving the taggant surface markings in the repeated pattern to the identification fibers to produce a portion of the branded fibers;
(ii) receiving the portion of the identification fibers from a third party followed by applying the taggant surface markings in the repeated pattern to the identification fibers to produce a portion of the branded fibers;
(iii) receiving a portion of the branded fibers from the third party; or
(iv) simultaneously producing a portion of the identification fibers on the first production process followed by applying the taggant surface markings in the repeated pattern to the identification fibers to produce a portion of the branding fibers.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein applying the taggant surface markings in the repeated pattern comprises engraving, printing, or morphological modification.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the applying comprises printing the taggant surface markings in the repeated pattern on the branded fibers concurrently to producing the standard fibers and combining the branded fibers and the standard fibers before crimping the acetate tow band.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the applying comprises laser engraving the taggant surface markings in the repeated pattern on the branded fibers concurrently to producing the standard fibers and combining the branded fibers and the standard fibers before crimping the acetate tow band.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the repeated pattern comprises an alphanumeric code, a digital code, an analog code, or an ideographic code.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the repeated pattern includes metadata and wherein the metadata comprises a read-start position, a read-end position, a read direction, and/or spacing of the digits within the code.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the repeated pattern comprises a digital code and wherein the digital code comprises a binary code.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a number of digits in the binary code ranges from 2 to 500 and wherein the length of the repeated pattern ranges from 2 to 200 mm.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the branded fibers are essentially insoluble in a solvent wherein the standard fibers are soluble in the solvent and wherein the branded fibers are essentially not susceptible to solvent bonding with triacetin.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one supply chain component comprises at least one of a manufacturer of the acetate tow band, a manufacture site of the acetate tow band, a manufacturing line of the acetate tow band, a production run of the acetate tow band, a production date of the acetate tow band, a bale of the acetate tow band, a warehouse of the acetate tow band, a customer of the acetate tow band, or a ship-to location of the acetate tow band.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one supply chain component comprises the bale of the acetate tow band.

13. A method of making an acetate tow band comprising fibers, wherein the fibers comprise standard fibers and identification fibers, wherein the standard fibers comprise cellulose acetate,
wherein the method comprises:
(a) producing standard fibers on a first fiber production process;
(b) obtaining identification fibers;
(c) applying taggant surface markings in a repeated pattern on the identification fibers to produce branded fibers; and
(d) combining the branded fibers and the standard fibers to form the acetate tow band;
wherein, steps (a) and (c) occur concurrently and step (d) occurs prior to crimping the acetate tow band, and
wherein the taggant surface markings and the repeated pattern are representative of at least one supply chain component of the acetate tow band.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the applying comprises laser engraving or printing.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the repeated pattern is essentially one dimensional.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the repeated pattern includes metadata and wherein the metadata comprises a read-start position, a read-end position, a read direction, and/or spacing of the digits within the code.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein a number of digits in the binary code ranges from 2 to 500 and wherein the length of the repeated pattern ranges from 2 to 200 mm.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the repeated pattern comprises a digital code and wherein the digital code comprises a binary code.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one supply chain component comprises the manufacturer of the acetate tow band and the customer of the acetate tow band.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one supply chain component comprises the bale of the acetate tow band.

Assignees

• Eastman Chem Co

Inventors

• Mcleod Andrew Ervin
• Seiler Brian Douglas
• Gaynor Scott Gregory
• Pearce Michael Joseph
• Barham Kevin Todd
• Dickenson James Andrew
• Tatum Clarissa

Classifications

• G06F18/21

  Design or setup of recognition systems or techniques; Extraction of features in feature space; Blind source separation · CPC title

• D02G3/44

  Yarns or threads characterised by the purpose for which they are designed {(protective gloves A41D19/00; protective clothing A62B17/00; ropes D07B1/02)} · CPC title

• G01N33/365

  Filiform textiles, e.g. yarns · CPC title

• D01F1/04

  Pigments · CPC title

• D06P5/00 Primary

  Other features in dyeing or printing textiles, or dyeing leather, furs, or solid macromolecular substances in any form · CPC title