Method for regulating agglomeration of elastic material

• Main Authors: PEIGUANG ZHOU, WINGAK NG
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 02.09.2004
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBONFILAMENTS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS,THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FINISHING OR DRESSING OF FILAMENTS, YARNS, THREADS, CORDS,ROPES OR THE LIKE; FIRST-AID KITS; FOMENTATION; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MECHANICAL FINISHING OF YARNS OR ROPES; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL THREADS OR FIBRES; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PROSTHESES; SPINNING; TEXTILES; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; WARPING OR BEAMING; YARNS

The present invention is directed to regulating agglomeration of elastic material (e.g., elastic strand) by regulating exposure of the material to water or water vapor. In some versions of the invention, regulating agglomeration in this way decreases, minimizes, or eliminates strand breaks on a production machine using the strand as raw material. Representative embodiments encompass regulating the material's exposure to water or water vapor by regulating temperature, humidity, or both around the elastic material, or containers containing the elastic material, so that the elastic material remains substantially unagglomerated. Other representative embodiments encompass packaging the elastic material in a way that regulates the material's exposure to water or water vapor so that the material remains substantially unagglomerated.