Color-developing composite short fibers and color-developing structures employing the same

Abstract

A color-developing composite short fiber having a length of 0.01 to 100 mm is obtained by cutting a color-developing short fiber capable of reflecting visible rays and interfering therewith consisting of two or more kinds of polymer compounds having different refractive indices which are laminated alternately, while a color-developing structure is formed by binding particles of the short fiber one another, dispersing the short fiber in or mixing it with other materials to be bound therewith or adhering the short fiber on the surface of a support. Further, a color-developing composite short fiber having a length of 0.01 to 100 mm is obtained by cutting a color-developing composite fiber comprising two or more polymer compounds having different refractive indices which are laminated alternately to constitute a layer capable of reflecting visible rays and interfering therewith and a layer capable of reflecting invisible rays and interfering therewith, while a color-developing structure is formed by binding particles of the short fiber one another, dispersing the short fiber in or mixing it with other materials to be bound therewith or adhering the short fiber on the surface of a support. These color-developing short fibers and structures maintain high reflectance to develop colors with high transparency and exhibit excellent designability.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A color-developing composite short fiber capable of reflecting visible rays and interfering therewith, comprising two or more kinds of polymer compounds having different refractive indices which are laminated alternately, and having a length of 0.01 to 100 mm.  
     
     
         2 . A color-developing composite short fiber, comprising two or more polymer compounds having different refractive indices which are laminated alternately to constitute a layer capable of reflecting visible rays and interfering therewith and a layer capable of reflecting invisible rays and interfering therewith, and having a length of 0.01 to 100 mm.  
     
     
         3 . The color-developing composite short fiber according to  claim 1 , wherein the cross section of the fiber orthogonal to the longitudinal direction is flat.  
     
     
         4 . The color-developing composite short fiber according to  claim 2 , wherein the cross section of the fiber orthogonal to the longitudinal direction is flat.  
     
     
         5 . A color-developing structure comprising the color-developing composite short fiber as set forth in  claim 1  which is adhered on the surface of a support.  
     
     
         6 . A color-developing structure comprising the color-developing composite short fiber as set forth in  claim 2  which is adhered on the surface of a support.  
     
     
         7 . A color-developing structure comprising, the color-developing composite short fiber as set forth in  claim 3  which is adhered on the surface of a support.  
     
     
         8 . A color-developing structure comprising the color-developing composite short fiber as set forth in  claim 4  which is adhered on the surface of a support.  
     
     
         9 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 5 , wherein the support is a metal, a wood, a plastic, a rubber, a ceramic, a paper, a fiber, a glass or a mixture of two or more of them.  
     
     
         10 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 6 , wherein the support is a metal, a wood, a plastic, a rubber, a ceramic, a paper, a fiber, a glass or a mixture of two or more of them.  
     
     
         11 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 7 , wherein the support is a metal, a wood, a plastic, a rubber, a ceramic, a paper, a fiber, a glass or a mixture of two or more of them.  
     
     
         12 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 8 , wherein the support is a metal, a wood, a plastic, a rubber, a ceramic, a paper, a fiber, a glass or a mixture of two or more of them.  
     
     
         13 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 5 , wherein the support is in the form of sheet, film or plate.  
     
     
         14 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 6 , wherein the support is in the form of sheet, film or plate.  
     
     
         15 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 7 , wherein the support is in the form of sheet, film or plate.  
     
     
         16 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 8 , wherein the support is in the form of sheet, film or plate.  
     
     
         17 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 9 , wherein the support is in the form of sheet, film or plate.  
     
     
         18 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 10 , wherein the support is in the form of sheet, film or plate.  
     
     
         19 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 11 , wherein the support is in the form of sheet, film or plate.  
     
     
         20 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 12 , wherein the support is in the form of sheet, film or plate.  
     
     
         21 . A color-developing structure comprising the color-developing short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 1  whose fiber pieces are bound with one another.  
     
     
         22 . A color-developing structure comprising the color-developing, short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 2  whose fiber pieces are bound with one another.  
     
     
         23 . A color-developing structure comprising the color-developing short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 3  whose fiber pieces are bound with one another.  
     
     
         24 . A color-developing structure comprising the color-developing short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 4  whose fiber pieces are bound with one another.  
     
     
         25 . A color-developing structure comprising the color-developing short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 1  which is bound with other materials.  
     
     
         26 . A color-developing structure comprising the color-developing short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 2  which is bound with other materials.  
     
     
         27 . A color-developing structure comprising the color-developing short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 3  which is bound with other materials.  
     
     
         28 . A color-developing structure comprising the color-developing short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 4  which is bound with other materials.  
     
     
         29 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 21 , which is formed using as binding means adhesion or heat fusion.  
     
     
         30 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 22 , which is formed using as binding means adhesion or heat fusion.  
     
     
         31 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 23 , which is formed using as binding means adhesion or heat fusion.  
     
     
         32 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 24 , which is formed using as binding means adhesion or heat fusion.  
     
     
         33 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 25 , which is formed using as binding means adhesion or heat fusion.  
     
     
         34 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 26 , which is formed using as binding means adhesion or heat fusion.  
     
     
         35 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 27 , which is formed using as binding means adhesion or heat fusion.  
     
     
         36 . The color-developing structure according to  claim 28 , which is formed using as binding means adhesion or heat fusion.  
     
     
         37 . A nonwoven fabric comprising the color-developing composite short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 1  whose fiber pieces are bound with one another.  
     
     
         38 . A nonwoven fabric comprising the color-developing composite short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 2  whose fiber pieces are bound with one another.  
     
     
         39 . A nonwoven fabric comprising the color-developing composite short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 3  whose fiber pieces are bound with one another.  
     
     
         40 . A nonwoven fabric comprising the color-developing composite short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 4  whose fiber pieces are bound with one another.  
     
     
         41 . A paper comprising the color-developing composite short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 1  which is bound with other materials.  
     
     
         42 . A paper comprising the color-developing composite short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 2  which is bound with other materials.  
     
     
         43 . A paper comprising the color-developing composite short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 3  which is bound with other materials.  
     
     
         44 . A paper comprising the color-developing composite short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 4  which is bound with other materials.  
     
     
         45 . A plastic sheet comprising the color-developing composite short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 1  which is bound with other materials.  
     
     
         46 . A plastic sheet comprising the color-developing composite short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 2  which is bound with other materials.  
     
     
         47 . A plastic sheet comprising the color-developing composite short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 3  which is bound with other materials.  
     
     
         48 . A plastic sheet comprising the color-developing composite short fiber as set forth in any of  claim 4  which is bound with other materials.