# US 11,306,413 B2 · Spinneret assembly for spinning polymeric fibers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,306,413 B2 - Document ID: US11306413B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/494,876 - Filed: 2017-04-24 - Published: 2017-10-26 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-25 - Assignees: Cytec Industries Inc. - Applicants: Cytec Industries Inc. - Inventors: Thomas Baker Taylor - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306413B2 ## CPC - D01D 4/02: Spinnerettes (alloys therefor C22C) - B29C 48/05: Filamentary, e.g. strands - B29C 48/19: the layers being joined at their edges - B29C 48/271: {of feeding units} - B29C 48/29: in liquid form - B29C 48/345: Extrusion nozzles comprising two or more adjacently arranged ports, for simultaneously extruding multiple strands, e.g. for pelletising - B29C 48/92: Measuring, controlling or regulating - D01D 5/24: with a hollow structure; Spinnerette packs therefor (D01D5/38 takes precedence; producing tubes of plastic material B29D; addition of agents forming hollow filaments D01F1/08) - D01F 9/22: from polyacrylonitriles - B29C 2948/92333: Raw material handling or dosing, e.g. active hopper or feeding device - D01D: MECHANICAL METHODS OR APPARATUS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - D01F: CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON FILAMENTS ## Abstract A spinneret assembly for spinning polymeric fibers, including: (a) a cap provided with an inlet port and a flared lower surface that flares outwardly from the inlet port in the direction of flow; (b) a spinneret having numerous spinning flow channels through its thickness; (c) a filter freely resting on the spinneret; and (d) a flow guide with a tapered geometry mounted in a cavity defined by the cap and the spinneret. The flow guide has an apex facing the inlet port, a base facing the filter, and one or more side surfaces tapering up to the apex. A diverging flow passage is defined by the tapering side surface(s) of the flow guide and the cap's flared lower surface. The base of the flow guide is spaced apart from an upper surface of the spinneret, creating a space that is in fluid communication with the divergent flow passage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A spinneret assembly for spinning polymeric fibers, comprising the following components: (a) a cap provided with an inlet port and a flared lower surface that flares outwardly from the inlet port in the direction of flow; (b) a spinneret having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a central portion, said central portion having numerous spinning flow channels through its thickness; and (c) a flow guide with a tapered geometry mounted in a cavity defined by the cap and the spinneret, said flow guide having an apex facing the inlet port, a base, and one or more side surfaces tapering up to the apex, said side surface(s) forming an acute angle with the base; wherein a diverging flow passage is defined by the tapering side surface(s) of the flow guide and the cap's flared lower surface, said diverging flow passage surrounds the tapering side surface(s) of the flow guide and is in fluid communication with the inlet port, the base of the flow guide is spaced apart from the upper surface of the spinneret, creating a space that is in fluid communication with the divergent flow passage, and the space between the flow guide's base and the spinneret's upper surface is void of any intervening structure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The spinneret assembly of claim 1 further comprising a filter freely resting on the central portion of the spinneret, said filter being permeable to liquid. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The spinneret assembly of claim 1, wherein the central portion of the spinneret, where the numerous spinning flow channels are located, has an upper surface area that is larger than the surface area of the flow guide's base. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The spinneret assembly according to claim 1, wherein the flow guide has a cone shape with a circular base. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The spinneret assembly of claim 4, wherein the cap's flared lower surface has a truncated cone shape. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The spinneret assembly according to claim 1, wherein the flow guide has a pyramidal shape with a polygonal base and a plurality of polygonal sidewalls forming an acute angle with the base. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The spinneret assembly of claim 6, wherein the cap's flared lower surface has a truncated pyramidal shape. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The spinneret assembly according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface area of the spinneret comprises numerous entrance openings that correspond to the numerous spinning flow channels, and the spinneret has a lower surface area which comprises numerous exit openings that correspond to the numerous spinning flow channels, and wherein the diameter of the entrance openings is larger than the diameter of the exit openings. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The spinneret assembly according to claim 1, wherein the flow guide is detachably affixed to the cap while being spaced from the cap's flared lower surface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The spinneret assembly according to claim 1, wherein the flow guide is provided with a plurality of spaced apart spacers on its tapering side surface(s) to provide spacing between the tapering side surface(s) and the cap's flared lower surface, and wherein the flow guide is detachably affixed to the cap by screws extending through the spacers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The spinneret assembly according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the spinneret's central portion is flat or substantially flat, and the base of the flow guide is flat or substantially flat and is oriented substantially parallel to said upper surface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The spinneret assembly according to claim 1, wherein the number of spinning flow channels in the spinneret is in the range of 25 to 100,000. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The spinneret assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a casing that is configured to support the spinneret and to couple the spinneret to the cap, wherein the casing is removably secured to the cap. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The spinneret assembly according to claim 13, wherein the spinneret has a projecting rim surrounding its central portion, and the casing has an inwardly extending flange portion over which the projecting rim is placed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The spinneret assembly according to claim 14, further comprising a resilient O-ring confined between the projecting rim of the spinneret and a peripheral lower portion of the cap so as to form a fluid seal there between. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The spinneret assembly according to claim 13, wherein the casing and the cap comprise complementary threaded surfaces where they engage each other so that the casing can be twisted into or out of engagement with the cap. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The spinneret assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cap and the spinneret are provided with complementary threaded holes to accommodate threaded bolts such that the cap is coupled to the spinneret by threaded bolts extending through said threaded holes, and wherein the spinneret can be de-coupled from the cap by disengaging the bolts from the cap.