U.S. patent application number 10/045247 was filed with the patent office on 2003-05-08 for textured nonwoven fabric.
Invention is credited to Carlson, Cheryl, Lenox, Jim, Rhodes, Wayne.
Application Number | 20030087575 10/045247 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 21936805 |
Filed Date | 2003-05-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030087575 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Carlson, Cheryl ; et
al. |
May 8, 2003 |
Textured nonwoven fabric
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method of creating a textured
nonwoven fabric for apparel and home fashions applications, wherein
the nonwoven fabric becomes aesthetically altered upon laundering.
Once laundered during manufacture, the nonwoven fabric exhibits a
permanent distressed appearance that becomes an integral part of
the fabric. Subsequent to laundering, the fabric can be formed into
a roll for shipment and storage. The distressed appearance of the
nonwoven fabric is best described by comparing the laundered fabric
to an elephant's skin.
Inventors: |
Carlson, Cheryl; (Willow
Springs, NC) ; Rhodes, Wayne; (Lillington, NC)
; Lenox, Jim; (Holly Springs, NC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOOD, PHILLIPS, KATZ, CLARK & MORTIMER
500 W. MADISON STREET
SUITE 3800
CHICAGO
IL
60661
US
|
Family ID: |
21936805 |
Appl. No.: |
10/045247 |
Filed: |
November 7, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
442/408 ; 28/105;
442/416 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 442/698 20150401;
Y10T 442/689 20150401; D04H 1/495 20130101; D06C 23/00
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
442/408 ; 28/105;
442/416 |
International
Class: |
D04H 001/46; D04H
001/70; D04H 003/02 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A process of providing permanently distressed texture to a
nonwoven fabric comprising the steps of: a. providing a precursor
fibrous nonwoven web; b. providing a three-dimensional image
transfer device; c. hydroentangling said precursor web on said
image transfer device to form a patterned and imaged nonwoven
fabric; d. laundering said formed patterned and imaged nonwoven
fabric. e. said patterned and imaged nonwoven fabric taking on a
distressed or wrinkled appearance; and f. said nonwoven fabric
being suitable for use in apparel and home fashions industries.
2. A process of making a permanently distressed textured nonwoven
fabric as in claim 1, wherein said precursor web is comprised of
synthetic fibers, natural fibers, or blends thereof.
3. A process of making a permanently distressed textured nonwoven
fabric as in claim 2, wherein said synthetic fiber is selected from
the group consisting of polyamides, polyester, polyolefins, and the
combinations thereof.
4. A process of making a permanently distressed textured nonwoven
fabric as in claim 3, wherein said synthetic fiber is
polyester.
5. A process of making a permanently distressed textured nonwoven
fabric as in claim 2, wherein said natural fiber is selected from
the group consisting of cotton, wood pulp, rayon and the
combinations thereof.
6. A process of making a permanently distressed textured nonwoven
fabric as in claim 1, wherein said nonwoven fabric is suitable for
use in the apparel industry as a bottom weight or in the home
fashions industry as a window covering, bed covering, or furniture
cover.
7. A process of making a permanently distressed textured nonwoven
fabric as in claim 3, including: forming said nonwoven fabric into
a roll subsequent to said laundering step.
8. A bottom weight garment comprising an imaged nonwoven fabric,
said bottom weight garment having a jet dyed finish and a
distressed appearance upon laundering, said bottom weight garment
having a basis weight of 3.0-8.0 ounces per square yard and a fiber
composition of cotton and polyester.
9. A home fashion articles comprising an imaged nonwoven fabric,
said home fashion article having a jet dyed and/or printed finish
as well as distressed appearance upon laundering, said home fashion
article having a basis weight of 1.0-3.0 ounces per square yard and
a fiber composition of polyester and lyocell or rayon fibers.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a method of creating a
textured nonwoven fabric for apparel and home fashions
applications, and more specifically, a nonwoven fabric comprising a
permanent distressed texture upon laundering of the nonwoven
fabric.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] It has become desirable and considered stylish in the
clothing and home fashions industries to impart an aesthetically
pleasing pattern, texture, and/or color to a fabric. Traditionally,
woven fabrics have been handled in this manner to provide the
clothing and home fashions industries with such enhanced
aesthetic-quality fabrics, however the production of conventional
textile fabrics is known to be a complex, multi-step process. The
production of fabrics from staple fibers begins with the carding
process where the fibers are opened and aligned into a feedstock
known as sliver. Several strands of sliver are then drawn multiple
times on drawing frames to further align the fibers, blend, improve
uniformity as well as reduce the diameter of the sliver. The drawn
sliver is then fed into a roving frame to produce roving by further
reducing its diameter as well as imparting a slight false twist.
The roving is then fed into the spinning frame where it is spun
into yarn. The yarns are next placed onto a winder where they are
transferred into larger packages. The yarn is then ready to be used
to create a fabric.
[0003] For a woven fabric, the yarns are designated for specific
use as warp or fill yarns. The fill yarn or fiber packages (which
run in the cross direction and are known as picks) are taken
straight to the loom for weaving. The warp yarns (which run on in
the machine direction and are known as ends) must be further
processed. The packages of warp yarns are used to build a warp
beam. Here the packages are placed onto a warper, which feeds
multiple yarn ends onto the beam in a parallel array. The warp beam
yarns are then run through a slasher where a water-soluble sizing
is applied to the yarns to stiffen them and improve abrasion
resistance during the remainder of the weaving process. The yarns
are wound onto a loom beam as they exit the slasher, which is then
mounted onto the back of the loom. Here the warp and fill yarns are
interwoven in a complex process to produce yardage of cloth.
[0004] In contrast, the production of nonwoven fabrics from staple
fibers is known to be more efficient than traditional textile
processes as the fabrics are produced directly from the carding
process. Nonwoven fabrics are suitable for use in a wide variety of
applications where the efficiency with which the fabrics can be
manufactured provides a significant economic advantage for these
fabrics versus traditional textiles.
[0005] A review of prior art indicates wrinkles have been
introduced into woven fabrics for aesthetic as well as functional
reasons. U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,284 discloses a sun protective fabric
that is a permanently wrinkled polyester fabric with UV absorbers.
Incorporating wrinkles into the fabric functionally serves as an
additional barrier to provide protection from UV light. The
wrinkles are permanently fixed into the fabric by stuffing a
jet-dyeing machine with an excessive amount of fabric and then heat
setting the resultant wrinkles into the fabric.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,438 discloses a method of decorating
woven fabrics by imparting wrinkles into the fabric and then heat
setting the wrinkles. In one embodiment, the wrinkles are imparted
by a wrinkler, in which the conventional printing apparatus is
modified by the addition of a wrinkler.
[0007] Fulfilling a need for a more efficient mode of producing
fashionable, innovative fabrics, it is in accordance with the
present invention to provide an aesthetically appealing and durable
hydroentangled nonwoven fabric suitable for the apparel and home
fashions industries, which resembles that of a woven fabric. The
said nonwoven fabric takes on a permanent wrinkled appearance once
laundered.
SUMMARY ON THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention relates to a method of creating a
textured nonwoven fabric for apparel and home fashions
applications, wherein the nonwoven fabric becomes aesthetically
altered upon laundering. Once laundered during manufacture, the
nonwoven fabric exhibits a permanent distressed appearance that
becomes an integral part of the fabric. Subsequent to laundering,
the fabric can be formed into a roll for shipment and storage. The
distressed appearance of the nonwoven fabric is best described by
comparing the laundered fabric to an elephant's skin.
[0009] The disclosed nonwoven fabric is characterized as unique
since it is first textured with an image on an image-transfer
device, then the imaged fabric is given a second distressed texture
without being subsequently chemically treated, compoundly imaged on
an image-transfer device, or embossed by a roll. The resultant
hydroentangled nonwoven fabric of the present invention has a
distress-free appearance until laundered, after which a controlled
amount of wrinkling is imparted.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus for forming
the nonwoven fabric.
[0011] FIG. 2 shows the fabric before and after laundering.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0012] While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in
various forms, hereinafter is described a presently preferred
embodiment of the invention, with the understanding that the
present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the
invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to the
specific embodiment illustrated.
[0013] With particular reference to FIG. 1, therein is illustrated
an apparatus for practicing the method of the present invention for
forming a nonwoven fabric. The fabric is formed from a fibrous
matrix, which comprises fibers selected to promote economical
manufacture. The fibrous matrix is preferably carded and
subsequently cross-lapped to form a precursor web, designated
P.
[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates a hydroentangling apparatus for forming
nonwoven fabrics in accordance with the present invention. The
apparatus includes a foraminous-forming surface in the form of a
flat bed entangler 12 upon which the precursor web P is positioned
for pre-entangling. Precursor web P is then sequentially passed
under entangling manifolds 14, whereby the precursor web is
subjected to high-pressure water jets 16. This process is well
known to those skilled in the art and is generally taught by U.S.
Pat. No. 3,485,706, to Evans, hereby incorporated by reference.
[0015] The entangling apparatus of FIG. 1 further includes an
imaging and patterning drum 18 comprising a three-dimensional image
transfer device for effecting imaging and patterning of the
now-entangled precursor web. After pre-entangling, the precursor
web is trained over a guide roller 20 and directed to the image
transfer device 18, where a three-dimensional image is imparted
into the fabric on the foraminous-forming surface of the device.
The web of fibers is juxtaposed to the image transfer device 18,
and high pressure water from manifolds 22 is directed against the
outwardly facing surface from jet spaced radially outwardly of the
image transfer device 18. The image transfer device 18, and
manifolds 22, may be formed and operated in accordance with the
teachings of commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,764, No.
5,244,711, No. 5,822,823, and No. 5,827,597, the disclosures of
which are hereby incorporated by reference. It is presently
preferred that the precursor web P be given a three-dimensional
image suitable to provide fluid management, as will be further
described, to promote use of the present nonwoven fabric in apparel
and home fashions. The entangled fabric can be vacuum dewatered at
24, and dries at an elevated temperature on drying cans 26.
[0016] Hydroentanglement results in portions of the precursor web
being displaced from on top of the three-dimensional surface
elements of the imaging surface to form an imaged and patterned
nonwoven fabric. Following the imaging station in FIG. 1, the
imaged nonwoven layer is dyed by any commonly known practice such
as a jet dying or stock dying. In an alternate process of the
invention, the imaged nonwoven fabric is wound into a roll and
transferred to a separate practicable printing means.
[0017] Depending on the amount of hydroentangling performed on the
nonwoven fabric, the laundered end product will have more or less
of a distressed texture. It is believed that the nonwoven fabric
has a small degree of fiber movement occurring and the movement of
the fiber in a wet environment (under relaxed conditions) allows
the fibers to move relative to the planar construction of the
nonwoven fabric causing the fabric to "pucker" and appear
distressed. The more the nonwoven fabric is hydroentangled, the
more restricted in movement the fibers are and therefore, the
fabric appears less distressed.
[0018] Coloration of the fabric will affect the amount of texture
since colors can obfuscate or accentuate the wrinkles due to light
refraction. The amount of texture in the fabric is also affected by
the fiber type or fiber blend that makes up the fabric. Dissimilar
fibers react or behave differently to hydroentanglement and
therefore the laundered end product will have more or less texture
depending on the fiber type.
[0019] It is known to one skilled in the art that polyester fibers
entangle better than lyocell, cotton, or rayon fibers, therefore
the resultant laundered end-products comprised of 100% polyester
have less of a distressed texture compared to a fabric comprised of
100% lyocell fabric. It can also be concluded that fabrics
comprised of polyester blends would be more entangled and have less
fiber movement when laundered than a fabric comprised of 100%
cotton. Due to the limited fiber movement, the fabrics comprised of
polyester blends would have less texture after laundered.
[0020] It is believed that the laundered nonwoven of the present
invention becomes textured due to differential shrinkage of the
different fiber types during the wetting process, home laundering,
or commercial laundering of a garment or roll good. It is also
believed that a nonwoven fabric of a single fiber composition, such
as cotton, or fibrous blends, become textured due to several zones
of micro-delaminations that does not have an deleterious effect on
the overall integrity of the fabric. It is believed that slippage
between fibers creates the permanently distressed appearance of the
present fabric when it is subjected to laundering during fabric
manufacture. Such slippage can be increased when there is a lack of
compatibility of the fibers, such as by use of fibers having
differing surface characteristics for fabric formation. This can
include fibers having differing compositions, or fibers having
differing surface finishes.
[0021] The nonwoven fabric utilized in the present invention may be
a composite or laminate comprised of fibers selected from either
synthetic or natural fibers or a combination thereof. Synthetic
fibers may be selected from a group of thermoplastic polymers such
as polyesters, polyamides, polyolefins, such as polyethylene or
polypropylene, their derivatives and combinations thereof. The
fibers may also be cellulosic in nature such as cotton, wood pulp,
or rayon. The nonwoven fabric may also be a blend of said synthetic
and natural fibers. The fibers may be splittable fibers or fibers
of differing geometric configurations. Preferred fibrous blends of
the present invention include the combinations of cotton, rayon,
polyester, and lyocell fibers; Lyocell fibers are man-made fibers
made of wood pulp and available commercially under the name
Tencel.RTM. as a registered to Courtaulds PLC Corporation of
London, England.
[0022] The combination of fibers mentioned above can result in both
heavier and lighter fabrics. The resultant heavier fabrics have a
preferred basis weight range from about 3.0-8.0 ounces per square
yard and a more preferred weight range from 5.0-6.0 ounces per
square yard. The resultant lighter fabrics have a basis weight
range from about 1.0-3.0 ounces per square yard and a more
preferred basis weight range from 1.5-2.5 ounces per square
yard.
[0023] It is also in the purview of the present invention that the
nonwoven fabric comprises a chemical or mechanical finish or a
combination of the two finishes. Such finishes can be a jet dye
finish or one that affects the fabric's drape or hand. Softening
agents may also be used to impart a better hand and provide a
nonwoven fabric with better conformability.
[0024] Due to specific attributes of fibers such as strength,
drapeability, and hand, specific fibrous blends are preferred
depending on whether the fabric of the present invention is to be
utilized in the apparel or home fashions industry. The preferred
fibrous blend for the home fashions industry includes polyester and
lyocell fiber blends or polyester and rayon fibrous blends. For the
apparel industry, a fibrous blend of cotton and polyester is
preferred.
[0025] Test Procedures
[0026] Strip Tensile Test (D 5035)
[0027] This test is meant to measure the breaking strength of the
fabric in units of either grams or pounds as well as measure the
elongation of the fabric.
[0028] Crockfastness (AATCC TM8-1988)
[0029] This test may be preformed with a wet or dry sample. The
sample is rubbed against a testing surface for a designated number
of passes. Test results are rated on a scale of 1-5, where a rating
of 5 indicates the lack of color transfer.
[0030] The test results, as provided in Table 1, reflect a sample
that is a hydroentangled fibrous blend of 60% cotton and 40%
polyester. Test results indicate that the sample remains unchanged
after three home launderings. The sample has comparable strength
and elongation in both the machine and cross direction. The data
table indicates the multiple home launderings of the fabric do not
have any negative affects on the fabric. In one embodiment of the
present invention, the disclosed nonwoven fabric is suitable for
the apparel industry. The imaged nonwoven fabric is utilized in a
bottom weight article for men or women, such as pants or shorts,
wherein the bottom weight article takes on a distressed appearance
once laundered.
[0031] In another embodiment, the nonwoven fabric of the present
invention is suitable for the home fashions industry. The imaged
nonwoven fabric is utilized in window coverings, bed applications,
such as duvet covers, bedspreads, or comforters, and furniture
coverings, such couch, love seat, or arm chair covers, wherein the
previously mentioned home fashions would also take on a distressed
appearance after laundering.
1TABLE 1 Sample 1 Sample 1 Jet Dyed after Test Units Jet Dyed 3
home launders Basis Weight (oz/yd2) 5.6 5.9 Thickness (mils) 29 32
Tensile - MD (lb/in) 85.2 88.3 Tensile - CD (lb/in) 99.1 98.0
Elongation-MD (%) 41.5 43.9 Elongation - CD (%) 65.6 70.9
Crockfastness - Wet ranked 1-5 5 5 Crockfastness - Dry ranked 1-5 5
5
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