IPC分类号：
D01D5/00 | D01F1/09 | D01D5/30 | D01D5/24 | D01D5/20 | B33Y80/00 | B33Y70/10
国民经济行业分类号：
C2823 | C2822 | C2821 | C2832 | C2831 | C3551 | C2829 | C2826 | C2825 | C2824
当前申请(专利权)人：
IP2IPO INNOVATIONS LIMITED
原始申请(专利权)人：
IP2IPO INNOVATIONS LIMITED
当前申请(专利权)人地址：
The Walbrook Building,25 Walbrook,London EC4N 8AF GB
发明人：
TEMELKURAN, BURAK | ABDELAZIZ, MOHAMED E M K | YANG, GUANG-ZHONG
代理人：
JOHNSTONE, HELEN MARGARET
摘要：
There is provided herein a preform for drawing fibres therefrom, the preform formed of at least a first material and having a non-uniform structure in the longitudinal direction and a method of forming the same.
技术问题语段：
The patent text describes a method for making preforms for drawing fibers and the resulting fibers. The technical problem addressed in the patent is the non-uniform structure of preforms in the longitudinal direction, which can affect the resulting fibers. The patent proposes a solution by providing a preform with a non-uniform structure in the longitudinal direction, which can reduce the complexity of post-processing steps and even produce fibers with non-uniform properties. The preform can be made with a first material and a second material, which can have different flexibilities or properties. The preform can also have hollow portions that can be used for drug delivery or other applications.
技术功效语段：
The present patent is about a new type of preform for making fibers that can be drawn from them. These preforms have a non-uniform structure in the longitudinal direction, which means that the fibers produced from them will also have a non-uniform structure. This is beneficial because it allows for the creation of fibers with specific properties that are advantageous for various applications. The non-uniform structure can be achieved by using a first material with a different property than a second material, or by arranging the first material in a helical pattern. The resulting fibers have a non-uniform structure in their longitudinal axis, which makes them more challenging to produce but also allows for the creation of fibers with unique properties. The patent also describes methods for making these preforms and using them to produce fibers with specific properties.
权利要求：
Claims
1. A preform for drawing fibres therefrom, the preform formed of at least a first material and having a non-uniform structure in the longitudinal direction.
2. The preform of claim 2 comprising a second material different to the first material and wherein the arrangement of the first material and the second material provides for the non-uniform structure of the preform in the longitudinal direction. 3. The preform of either of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the preform comprises one or more hollow portions arranged in the preform such that the preform is non-uniform in the longitudinal direction.
4. The preform of claim 3 wherein one or more of the hollow portions either:
are enclosed by the preform; or
at least partially extend to at least one surface of the preform.
5. The preform of claim 4 wherein one or more of the hollow portions comprises a through-hole extending from a first surface of the preform to a second surface of the preform.
6. The preform of claim 4 wherein one or more of the hollow portions comprises a helical channel. 7. The preform of claim 2 wherein the second material is helically arranged within the first material.
8. The preform of any preceding claim configured such that a fibre drawn from the preform comprises at least one steerable portion.
9. The preform of any preceding claim wherein the radial width of the preform varies along the longitudinal direction.
10. The preform of any of claims 2 - 9 wherein one of the first and second materials comprise a magnetic material.
11. The preform of any of claims 2 - 10 wherein the second material comprises a material having a greater flexibility than the first material.
12. The preform of any of claims 2 - 11 wherein the preform further comprises a third material different to the first or second materials, the arrangement of the first, second and third materials such that the preform comprises a non-uniform structure along the longitudinal direction.
13. The preform of any of claims 2 - 12 wherein at least one of the first, second or third materials comprises one of: a stiffness tuneable material, ferromagnetic polymer, polycarbonate; poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA); polyetherimide; cyclic olefin copolymer (COC); poly(styrene-block-butadiene-block-styrene) (SEBS); cyclic olefin copolymer elastomer (COC-E) and polysulfone. 14. The preform of any of claims 2 - 12 wherein at least one of the first, second or third materials comprise one of a conducting material and a polymer loaded with conducting material.
15. The preform of any preceding claim wherein the structure of the preform comprises a plurality of repeating unit cells along its longitudinal length.
16. The preform of claim 15 wherein each unit cell of the plurality of unit cells is non- uniform along its longitudinal direction. 17. The preform of any preceding claim wherein the preform is a 3D printed preform.
18. A fibre drawn from a preform of any preceding claims.
19. A method of printing a preform for drawing fibres therefrom, the method comprising the steps of:
forming a preform from at least a first material, the preform having a non-uniform structure in the longitudinal direction.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the method further comprises forming the preform from a second material such that the arrangement of the first and second materials provides for the non-uniform structure of the preform in the longitudinal direction.
21. The method of either claim 19 or claim 20 wherein the preform is formed such that one or more hollow portions are formed into the preform, wherein the one or more hollow portions provide for the non-uniform structure of the preform in the longitudinal direction. 22. The method any of claims 19 - 21 wherein the step of forming the preform comprises:
providing a printing surface; and
printing the preform on the printing surface by depositing the at least first material such that the preform comprises a non-uniform structure in the longitudinal direction.