Fibers with physical features used for coding

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9916482-B2
Application number	US-201715460388-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2017
Priority date	Jun 27, 2014
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed are fibers which contains identification fibers. The identification fibers can contain a plurality of distinct features, or taggants, which vary among the fibers and/or along the length of the identification fibers, a fiber band, or yarn. The disclosed embodiments also relate to the method for making and characterizing the fibers. Characterization of the fibers can include identifying distinct features, combinations of distinct features, and number of fibers with various combinations of distinct features and correlating the distinct features to supply chain information. The supply chain information can be used to track the fibers, fiber band, or yarn from manufacturing through intermediaries, conversion to final product, and/or the consumer.

First claim

We claim:

1. A process for imbedding supply-chain information into fibers, wherein the process comprises
obtaining the fibers, wherein the fibers comprise standard fibers and identification fibers, and
combining the standard fibers and identification fibers;
wherein the standard fibers comprise cellulose acetate,
wherein each of the identification fibers exhibits at least one distinct feature,
wherein the at least one distinct feature comprises at least one taggant optical properties,
wherein the identification fibers consist of one or more groups of distinguishable identification fibers, each group of the distinguishable identification fibers being formed by the identification fibers having the same distinct feature or a same combination of the distinct features,
wherein a number of the identification fibers in each group of the distinguishable identification fibers is defined as a fiber count, wherein at least one of the fiber counts corresponds to a taggant fiber count,
and wherein (i) the at least one taggant optical properties, (ii) the distinct features in each group of the distinguishable identification fibers and (iii) the one or more taggant fiber counts are representative of at least one supply chain component of the fibers.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the distinct features further comprise one or more taggant cross-section shapes, one or more taggant cross-section sizes, one or more taggant surface markings, and wherein a number of the taggant fiber counts for each group of the distinguishable identification fibers ranges from 1 to 10.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein a number of the taggant cross-section shapes ranges from 1 to 25 and wherein a number of the taggant cross-section sizes ranges from 1 to 25.

4. The process of claim 2 , wherein the taggant surface markings are incorporated by printing on a monofilament and combining the monofilament with the fibers.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the identification fibers comprise acrylic, modacrylic, aramid, nylon, polyester, polypropylene, rayon, polyacrylonitrile, polyethylene, PTFE, or cellulose acetate.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the identification fibers comprise a compound selected from the group consisting of Cromophtal Red 2030 (CAS No. 84632-65-5), Copper Phthalocyanine (CAS No. 147-14-8), FD&C Yellow Lake No. 5 (CAS No. 12225-21-7), anatase titanium dioxide, rutile titanium dioxide, and mixed-phase titanium dioxide, whereby the taggant optical properties are exhibited.

7. The process of claim 2 , wherein one or more of the surface markings comprise physical scoring, surface modification, or printing ink.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the at least one supply chain component comprises at least one of a manufacturer of the standard fibers, a manufacture site of the standard fibers, a manufacturing line of the standard fibers, a production run of the standard fibers, a production date of the standard fibers, a package of the standard fibers, a warehouse of the standard fibers, a customer of the standard fibers, a ship-to location of the standard fibers, a manufacturer of a fiber band comprising the fibers, a manufacturing site of the fiber band, a manufacturing line of the fiber band, a production run of the fiber band, a production date of the fiber band, a package of the fiber band, a warehouse of the fiber band, a customer of the fiber band, a ship-to location of the fiber band, a manufacturer of an article comprising the fibers, a manufacture site of the article, a manufacturing line of the article, a production run of the article, a production date of the article, a package of the article, a warehouse of the article, a customer of the article, or a ship-to location of the article.

9. A process for imbedding supply-chain information into an aceate tow band, wherein the process comprises obtaining standard fibers, obtaining identification fibers, and forming an acetate tow band comprising fibers,
wherein the fibers comprise standard fibers and identification fibers, wherein the standard fibers comprise cellulose acetate,
wherein each of the identification fibers exhibits at least one distinct feature,
wherein the at least one distinct feature comprises at least one taggant optical properties
wherein the identification fibers consist of one or more groups of distinguishable identification fibers, each group of the distinguishable identification fibers being formed by the identification fibers having the same distinct feature or a same combination of the distinct features,
wherein a number of the identification fibers in each group of the distinguishable identification fibers is defined as a fiber count, wherein at least one of the fiber counts corresponds to a taggant fiber count,
and wherein (i) the at least one taggant optical properties, (ii) the distinct features in each group of distinguishable identification fibers, and (iii) the one or more taggant fiber counts are representative of at least one supply chain component of the acetate tow band.

10. The process of claim 9 , wherein the distinct features further comprise one or more taggant cross-section shapes, one or more taggant cross-section sizes, one or more taggant surface markings, and wherein a number of the taggant fiber counts for each group of the distinguishable identification fibers ranges from 1 to 10.

11. The process of claim 9 , wherein a number of the taggant cross-section shapes ranges from 1 to 12 and wherein a number of the taggant cross-section sizes ranges from 1 to 5.

12. The process of claim 10 , wherein the taggant surface markings are incorporated by printing on a monofilament and combining the monofilament with the fibers.

13. The process of claim 9 , wherein the identification fibers comprise acrylic, modacrylic, aramid, nylon, polyester, polypropylene, rayon, polyacrylonitrile, polyethylene, PTFE, or cellulose acetate.

14. The process of claim 9 , wherein a portion of the identification fibers comprise a compound selected from the group consisting of Cromophtal Red 2030 (CAS No. 84632-65-5), Copper Phthalocyanine (CAS No. 147-14-8), FD&C Yellow Lake No. 5 (CAS No. 12225-21-7), anatase titanium dioxide, rutile titanium dioxide, and mixed-phase titanium dioxide, whereby the taggant optical properties are exhibited.

15. The process of claim 10 , wherein the taggant cross-section sizes range from 1 to 30 dpf.

16. The process of claim 9 , wherein the identification fibers comprise cellulose acetate.

17. The process of claim 10 , wherein one or more of the surface markings comprise physical scoring, surface modification, or printing ink.

18. The process of claim 9 , 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.

19. The process of claim 18 , 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 process of claim 19 , wherein the at least one supply chain component comprises the manufacturer of the acetate tow band and the ship-to location of the acetate tow band.

Assignees

• Eastman Chem Co

Inventors

• Mcleod Andrew Ervin
• Gaynor Scott Gregory
• Wilson Steven Anthony
• Salyer Lydia Juanita
• Collazo Humberto
• Renfro Larry Wayne
• Steach Jeremy Kenneth
• Seiler Brian Douglas
• 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

• A24D3/00

  Tobacco smoke filters, e.g. filter tips or filtering inserts; Filters specially adapted for simulated smoking devices; Mouthpieces of cigars or cigarettes · CPC title

• A24D3/10

  of cellulose or cellulose derivatives · CPC title

• G01N33/365

  Filiform textiles, e.g. yarns · CPC title