SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR INJECTING COLOR DURING MANUFACTURE OF BULKED CONTINUOUS CARPET FILAMENT
A method of introducing color to a polymer stream during the manufacturing of bulked continuous carpet filament comprises: adding a colorant to a polymer stream downstream of a primary extruder; changing a color probe within a color injection port while maintaining the flow of the polymer stream at a polymer stream pressure; using one or more static mixing assemblies for the polymer stream to substantially uniformly mix the polymer stream and its colorant; and spinning the polymer stream with its substantially uniformly mixed colorant into BCF using a spinning machine.
1 . A method of introducing a liquid colorant into a polymer stream during manufacturing of a bulked continuous carpet filament, the method comprising:
providing the polymer stream at a polymer stream pressure; and
providing a color injection port configured to engage a color probe comprising the liquid colorant,
wherein the color injection port is further configured to position the color probe within the polymer stream for injection of the liquid colorant and to retract the color probe from the polymer stream for removal and replacement of the color probe while maintaining the polymer stream at the polymer stream pressure.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the color injection port comprises providing the color injection port downstream of a primary extruder and upstream of a static mixing assembly such that the liquid colorant is introduced to the polymer stream upstream of the static mixing assembly.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein providing the color injection port comprises providing the color injection port within a secondary extruder that is positioned downstream of the primary extruder and upstream of the static mixing assembly.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the color injection port is configured to position the color probe such that the liquid colorant is introduced to the polymer stream at a centered position of the polymer stream that is substantially equidistant from all walls of a polymer stream conduit encompassing the polymer stream.
5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
retracting the color probe from the centered position of the polymer stream to a retracted position; and
fluidly decoupling the color injection port from the polymer stream to prevent the polymer stream at the polymer stream pressure from entering the color injection port when the color injection port is configured in a closed configuration.
6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
removing the color probe from the color injection port while the polymer stream is maintained at the polymer stream pressure;
replacing the color probe with a replacement color probe;
transitioning to an open configuration by fluidly coupling the color injection port to the polymer stream while the polymer stream is maintained at the polymer stream pressure; and
repositioning the replacement color probe from the retracted position to the centered position of the polymer stream.
7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein retracting the color probe from the centered position of the polymer stream to the retracted position comprises unscrewing the color probe from a color probe channel extending through the color injection port.
8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein fluidly decoupling the color injection port from the polymer stream to prevent the polymer stream at the polymer stream pressure from entering the color injection port comprises:
blocking a color probe channel extending through the color injection port to the polymer stream such that the polymer stream at the polymer stream pressure is prevented from flowing through the color injection port via the color probe channel.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein blocking the color probe channel comprises rotating a cylindrical pressure barrier to a closed position, the cylindrical pressure barrier having a color probe passage configurable to align with the color probe channel when the cylindrical pressure barrier is in an open position that allows the color probe to extend through the cylindrical pressure barrier to the polymer stream, and configurable to block the color probe channel when the cylindrical pressure barrier is in the closed position to prevent the polymer stream from entering the color injection port.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the color injection port comprises:
a pressure blocking mechanism configured to fluidly decouple the color injection port from the polymer stream while the polymer stream is maintained at the polymer stream pressure; and
a color probe channel configured to route the color probe from a retracted position, through the pressure blocking mechanism, to the position within the polymer stream.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the pressure blocking mechanism comprises:
a cylindrical pressure barrier having a color probe passage configurable to align with the color probe channel when the cylindrical pressure barrier is in an open position that allows the color probe to extend through the cylindrical pressure barrier to the polymer stream, and configurable to block the color probe channel when the cylindrical pressure barrier is in a closed position to prevent the polymer stream from entering the color injection port.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the cylindrical pressure barrier is rotatable between the open and the closed positions.
13 . A system for introducing a liquid colorant into a polymer stream during manufacturing of a bulked continuous carpet filament, the system comprising:
a color injection port housing of a color injection port configured for mechanical coupling to a polymer stream conduit of a bulked continuous carpet filament manufacturing system, the polymer stream conduit encompassing the polymer stream;
a stream engaging portion of the color injection port configured to extend into the polymer stream and to position the color probe such that the liquid colorant is introduced to the polymer stream within an interior portion of the polymer stream;
a plunger configured to engage a color probe having the liquid colorant;
a plunger guide configured to guide the plunger and corresponding color probe through the stream engaging portion to deliver the liquid colorant into the interior portion of the polymer stream;
a color probe channel extending from an outlet end of the stream engaging portion of the color injection port through the plunger guide; and
a pressure blocking mechanism configured to fluidly decouple the color probe channel from the polymer stream while the polymer stream is maintained at a polymer stream pressure.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the stream engaging portion comprises a leading edge flow control device configured to maintain laminar flow of the polymer stream over the leading edge of the stream engaging portion of the color injection port.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the stream engaging portion further comprises a trailing edge flow control device configured to maintain laminar flow of the polymer stream over the trailing edge of the stream engaging portion of the color injection port.
16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the interior portion of the polymer stream comprises a centered position of the polymer stream that is substantially equidistant from all walls of a polymer stream conduit encompassing the polymer stream.
17 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the plunger and the plunger guide are configured with corresponding threads such that the plunger and color probe are configured to screw into the color probe channel toward the outlet end of the stream engaging portion of the color injection port to position the color probe for delivery of the liquid colorant into the polymer stream, and configured to unscrew out of the color probe channel away from the outlet end of the stream engaging portion of the color injection port to retract the color probe for removal and replacement.
18 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the plunger is configured to slide within the plunger guide such that the plunger and the color probe are configured to be pushed toward the outlet end of the stream engaging portion of the color injection port to position the color probe for delivery of the liquid colorant into the polymer stream, and configured to be pulled out of the color probe channel away from the outlet end of the stream engaging portion of the color injection port to retract the color probe for removal and replacement.
19 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the pressure blocking mechanism comprises a cylindrical pressure barrier having a color probe passage configurable to align with the color probe channel when the cylindrical pressure barrier is in an open position that allows the color probe to extend through the cylindrical pressure barrier to the polymer stream, and configurable to block the color probe channel when the cylindrical pressure barrier is in a closed position to prevent the polymer stream from entering the color injection port.
20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the cylindrical pressure barrier is rotatable between the open and the closed positions.
21 . The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
an extruder fluidly coupled to the polymer stream conduit upstream of the color injection housing and configured to melt polymer into the polymer stream at the polymer stream pressure;
one or more static mixers positioned downstream of the extruder and fluidly coupled to the extruder to receive the polymer stream and the liquid colorant and to create a colored polymer stream; and
one or more spinning machines positioned downstream of the one or more static mixers and fluidly coupled to the one or more static mixers to receive the colored polymer stream, the one or more spinning machines configured to form the colored polymer stream into bulked continuous carpet filament.
22 . A method of introducing a liquid colorant into a polymer stream during manufacturing of a bulked continuous carpet filament, the method comprising:
providing the polymer stream at a polymer stream pressure from an extruder;
positioning a color probe within the polymer stream at the polymer stream pressure;
injecting the liquid colorant from the color probe into the polymer stream upstream of or along a length of a static mixing assembly; and
providing a means for removing the color probe from the polymer stream, replacing the color probe with a replacement color probe, and positioning the replacement color probe within the polymer stream while maintaining the polymer stream flowing at the polymer stream pressure.
23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein positioning the color probe within the polymer stream at the polymer stream pressure comprises advancing the color probe through an outlet end of a stream engaging portion of a color injection port.
24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein advancing the color probe comprises screwing a plunger engaged with the color probe into a plunger guide having a color probe channel extending through the outlet end of the stream engaging portion of the color injection port.
25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein advancing the color probe comprises sliding a plunger engaged with the color probe through a plunger guide and through the outlet end of the stream engaging portion of the color injection port.
26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein sliding the plunger comprises utilizing a hydraulic or electro-mechanical system to control movement of the plunger.
27 . The method of claim 22 , wherein providing the means for removing the color probe from the polymer stream, replacing the color probe with the replacement color probe, and positioning the replacement color probe within the polymer stream while maintaining the polymer stream flowing at the polymer stream pressure comprises providing a color injection port, the color injection port comprising:
a color injection port housing configured for mechanical coupling to a polymer stream conduit of a bulked continuous carpet filament manufacturing system, the polymer stream conduit encompassing the polymer stream;
a stream engaging portion configured to extend into the polymer stream and to position the color probe such that the liquid colorant is introduced to the polymer stream within an interior portion of the polymer stream;
a plunger configured to engage a color probe having the liquid colorant;
a plunger guide configured to guide the plunger and corresponding color probe through the stream engaging portion to deliver the liquid colorant into the interior portion of the polymer stream;
a color probe channel extending from an outlet end of the stream engaging portion of the color injection port through the plunger guide; and
a pressure blocking mechanism configured to fluidly decouple the color probe channel from the polymer stream while the polymer stream is maintained at a polymer stream pressure.
28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the stream engaging portion comprises a leading edge flow control device configured to maintain laminar flow of the polymer stream over the leading edge of the stream engaging portion of the color injection port and a trailing edge flow control device configured to maintain laminar flow of the polymer stream over the trailing edge of the stream engaging portion of the color injection port.
29 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the pressure blocking mechanism comprises a cylindrical pressure barrier having a color probe passage configurable to align with the color probe channel when the cylindrical pressure barrier is in an open position that allows the color probe to extend through the cylindrical pressure barrier to the polymer stream, and configurable to block the color probe channel when the cylindrical pressure barrier is in a closed position to prevent the polymer stream from entering the color injection port.
30 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the cylindrical pressure barrier is rotatable between the open and the closed positions.