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US 11,427,937 B2Granted
Handheld/portable apparatus for the production of microfibers, submicron fibers and nanofibers
AssigneeBoard of Regents, The University of Texas System
InventorsKaren Lozano, Gregory Potter, Javier Alonzo Ortega
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Described herein are portable apparatuses and methods of creating fibers, such as microfibers and nanofibers. The methods discussed herein employ centrifugal forces to transform material into fibers. Portable apparatuses that may be used to create fibers are described.
Claims20
A handheld/portable device for use in forming microfibers and/or nanofibers comprising:
- a housing;
- one or more motors disposed in the housing,
- a ring-shaped spinneret having a chamber with a toroidal cross-section and one or more openings at an exit end of the chamber, wherein the spinneret is disposed in the housing and coupled to one or more of the motors;
- wherein, during use, rotation of the spinneret causes material placed in the chamber of the spinneret to travel circumferentially and upwards and ejected through the one or more openings to produce fibers, and
- one or more fans incorporated into the spinneret, wherein the one or more fans are configured to produce, in combination with the toroidal cross-section of the chamber, a pressure differential in the flow of air through the chamber such that the fibers are drawn to a center of the flow of air and away from a wall of the chamber.
2 more elements
A handheld/portable device for use in forming fibers comprising:
- a housing;
- a motor disposed in the housing;
- at least two fans coupled to the motor;
- and
- a spinneret coupled to the motor downstream of the at least two fans, wherein the spinneret has a chamber with a toroidal cross-section and at least one opening at an exit of the chamber;
- wherein, during use, rotation of the spinneret causes material placed in the chamber to travel circumferentially and upwards and ejected the at least one opening to produce fibers;
- and
- wherein the at least two fans are configured to produce a flow of air through the chamber, the toroidal cross-section of the chamber causing air flow at a center of the spinneret to have a greater velocity than air flow along a wall of the spinneret, said velocities causing the fibers to be drawn to the center of the spinneret and away from the wall of the spinneret.
5 more elements
A handheld/portable device for use in forming fibers, comprising:
- a housing;
- one or more motors disposed in the housing,
- a ring-shaped spinneret having one or more openings at an end of the spinneret, wherein the spinneret is disposed in the housing and coupled to one or more of the motors;
- wherein, during use, rotation of the spinneret causes material placed in the spinneret to travel circumferentially and upwards and ejected through the one or more openings to produce fibers;
- and
- a first fan and a second fan coupled to the one or more motors, wherein the second fan is positioned downstream from the first fan, and wherein the second fan is connected to the spinneret such that the spinneret is downstream from the second fan, wherein the fans are configured to produce a pressure differential in the flow of air through the housing such that the fibers are drawn to a center of the flow of air and away from a wall of the housing.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.