U.S. patent application number 11/050215 was filed with the patent office on 2005-08-25 for firefighter garment outer shell fabric utilizing core-spun dref yarn.
This patent application is currently assigned to Norfab Corporation. Invention is credited to Lilani, Harish N..
Application Number | 20050186875 11/050215 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34863881 |
Filed Date | 2005-08-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050186875 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lilani, Harish N. |
August 25, 2005 |
Firefighter garment outer shell fabric utilizing core-spun dref
yarn
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a fabric that is
particularly well suited for use as the outer shell fabric of the
firefighter's garment. The preferred fabric is 40% Melamine
formaldehyde (Basofil) and 60% Para-Aramid (Kevlar) woven of spun
yarns and core-spun DREF yarns. The core spun yarn includes one or
more filament cores selected from a polymer group consisting of
PBO, Aramid, Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP), Carbon and P-84, with or
without a fine metallic wire co-core, and a staple sheath blend
consisting of one or more fibers selected from a group consisting
of Meta-Aramid, Para-Aramid, Copolymide, PBI, PBO, P-84, Carbon,
Kynol, PFR Rayon and/or Modacrylic fibers.
Inventors: |
Lilani, Harish N.;
(Lafayette Hill, PA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
VOLPE AND KOENIG, P.C.
UNITED PLAZA, SUITE 1600
30 SOUTH 17TH STREET
PHILADELPHIA
PA
19103
US
|
Assignee: |
Norfab Corporation
Norristown
PA
|
Family ID: |
34863881 |
Appl. No.: |
11/050215 |
Filed: |
February 3, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60541314 |
Feb 3, 2004 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
442/189 ;
442/181; 442/190; 442/301 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D02G 3/047 20130101;
Y10T 442/3976 20150401; D10B 2331/021 20130101; D03D 1/0041
20130101; Y10T 442/3065 20150401; D03D 15/513 20210101; D02G 3/443
20130101; Y10T 442/30 20150401; Y10T 442/3073 20150401; D02G 3/36
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
442/189 ;
442/181; 442/190; 442/301 |
International
Class: |
D03D 015/00; D03D
025/00 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A textile fabric of interwoven yarns comprising: a plurality of
yarns that are spun yarns including staple fibers selected from the
group consisting of PBI, PBO, melamine formaldehyde, P-84, Carbon
and Kynol; and a plurality of core-spun DREF yarns comprised of a
polymer sheath and at least one core filament.
2. The fabric of claim 1 wherein the core-spun DREF yarn core
filament is selected from the polymer group consisting of PBO,
Aramid, Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP), Carbon and P-84.
3. The fabric of claim 1 wherein the core-spun DREF yarn has a
sheath of staple fibers selected from the group consisting of
Meta-Aramid, Para-Aramid, Copolymide, PBI, PBO, P-84, Carbon,
Kynol, PFR Rayon and Modacrylic fibers.
4. The fabric of claim 1 wherein fabric has a weight ranging from 6
to 9 OSY.
5. The fabric of claim 1 wherein its weave is selected from the
group consisting plain, twill, rip stop, satin, herringbone and
oxford.
6. The fabric of claim 1 wherein the core-spun DREF yarn has a Tex
ranging from 11 to 1100.
7. The fabric of claim 1 wherein the core filament of the core-spun
DREF yarn has a Tex ranging from 6 to 600.
8. The fabric of claim 1 wherein the DREF yarn has weight ratio of
core to sheath ranging from 90:10 to 10:90.
9. A core spun Dref yarn comprised of: at least one core filament
yarn selected from the group consisting of PBO, Aramid, Liquid
Crystal Polymer (LCP), Carbon and P-84; and a sheath of staple
yarns selected from the group consisting of Meta-Aramid,
Para-Aramid, Copolyimide, PBI, PBO, P-84, Carbon, Kynol, PFR Rayon
and/or Modacrylic fibers.
10. The yarn of claim 9 wherein the core includes at least one
metallic filament.
11. The yarn of claim 9 wherein the sheath is comprised of at least
two fibers selected from the group.
12. The yarn of claim 11 wherein the core includes at least one
metallic filament.
13. A firefighter's turnout garment having a layer of woven fabric
comprising: spun yarns having fibers selected from the group
consisting of PBI, PBO, melamine formaldehyde, P-84, Carbon and
Kynol; and core-spun DREF yarns having at least one core filament
and a sheath of fibers selected from the group consisting of
Meta-Aramid, Para-Aramid, Copolymide, PBI, PBO, P-84, Carbon,
Kynol, PFR Rayon and Modacrylic fibers.
14. The firefighter's turnout garment of claim 13 wherein the layer
of woven fabric is an outermost layer.
15. The firefighter's turnout garment of claim 13 wherein the core
yarn is metallic.
16. The firefighter's turnout garment of claim 15 wherein the layer
of woven fabric is an outermost layer.
17. The firefighter's turnout garment of claim 13 wherein the layer
of woven fabric is an outermost layer.
18. The firefighter's turnout garment of claim 13 wherein the spun
yarn has a cotton count ranging from 36/2 to 12/2.
19. The firefighter's turnout garment of claim 13 wherein the spun
yarn is a staple fiber blend of 40% Melamine formaldehyde
(Basofil)/60% Para-Aramid (Kevlar).
20. The firefighter's turnout garment of claim 13 wherein the weave
includes a rip stop yarn that is a 2-ply yarn consisting of two
ends of DREF core spun singles yarn twisted with a twist multiplier
of about 3.2.
21. The firefighter's turnout garment of claim 13 wherein the spun
yarn has a cotton count of 16.3/2.
22. The firefighter's turnout garment of claim 21 wherein the weave
includes a rip stop yarn that is a 2-ply yarn consisting of two
ends of DREF core spun singles yarn twisted with a twist multiplier
of about 3.2.
23. The firefighter's turnout garment of claim 22 wherein the layer
of woven fabric is an outermost layer.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional
application No. 60/541,314, filing date Feb. 3, 2004 which is
incorporated by reference as if fully set forth.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] Firefighting turnout garments are primarily comprised of
three layers of fabrics. The outermost fabric layer is a sturdy,
water repellent fabric known as the outer shell. The middle fabric
layer is a thin breathable fabric and is known as the moisture
barrier. The innermost fabric layer is generally a bulky fabric and
is known as the thermal liner. Each of the fabric components, as
well as firefighting turnout garments made using these three
components, must meet minimum performance criteria which are set
forth in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1971
Standard on Protective Ensemble for Structural Firefighting, 2000
Edition. Under the NFPA 1971-2000 standard, the outer shell must
meet the minimums for flame-resistance, thermal shrinkage
resistance, heat resistance, cleaning shrinkage, tear resistance,
water absorption resistance and breaking strength resistance before
and after five to ten laundering cycles.
[0003] Most outer shell fabrics are made from high-heat and flame
resistant fibers such as Basofil.RTM. (melamine),
Nomex.RTM.(meta-aramid)- , Kevlar.RTM. (para-aramid),
P-84.TM.(copolyimide), PBI.RTM. (polybenzimiazole), PBO
(poly-p-phenylenebenzobisoxazole), Carbon and Technora.RTM.
(para-aramid) and Kynol.TM. (phenol) or a blend thereof. One
commonly used fabric is made from a blend of 40% PBI.RTM.
(polybenzimidazole) fibers and 60% Kevlar.RTM. (para-aramid)
fibers. PBI.RTM. (polybenzimidazole) fiber is used for its heat and
flame resistance and para-aramid fibers are used for their strength
and wear resistance. Most outer shell fabrics are produced from
staple fibers made into ring-spun yarns, however, it is also known
to use certain filament yarns. Most outer shell fabrics range in
weight from six to eight ounces per square yard (6 to 8 OSY) and
the yarns are in a cotton count ranging from 14/2 to 22/2. The
fabrics typically have common weave patterns, such as plain or
twill, which include a rip-stop weave in the pattern. The rip-stop
weave provides tear resistance and suitable tensile properties.
[0004] Under the NFPA 1971-2000 Standard, the minimum trap tear
values for the outer shell fabric must be at least 22 lbs. in the
warp and filling direction before and after five laundering cycles.
Generally, outer shell fabrics made from the blends of Meta-Aramid,
Para-Aramid, Copolyimide, Poly-P-Phenylenebenzobisoxazole, and
Carbon fibers meet the minimum trap tear requirements. It is a
common practice to achieve higher trap tear values by employing the
principles of "rip stop weave" which incorporates the use of
multi-end and/or stronger yarns in the rip stop weave portion of
the outer shell fabric. Generally, the design of the rip stop weave
varies depending on the yarn count, weave construction, fabric
weight and fiber blend. However, it is known to incorporate the rip
stop weave in the warp direction of the outer shell fabric every
six to twelve ends and in the filling direction every six to twelve
picks. Thus, the distribution of the rip stop weave yarn in the
body of the outer shell fabric provides adequate trap tear
values.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,602 discloses a woven outer shell fabric
made for firefighter garments where the warp yarns are
multi-filament aramid yarns and the weft yarns are either
multi-filament or spun aramid yarns. The use of "bare"
multi-filament yarns in the structure of the fabric is
disclosed.
[0006] U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,065,153 and 6,192,520 disclose a woven
outer shell fabric for a firefighter garments. The disclosed fabric
has a plain, twill or rip stop weave and the yarns are a mixture of
PBI and aramid fibers.
[0007] One popular outer shell fabric is a woven fabric of spun
yarns consisting of 40% Basofil and 60% Para-Aramid fiber blend.
This outer shell fabric produced in plain or twill construction by
NOR*FAB Corporation is marketed under the brand name "OMNI 45".
This rip stop fabric is made from 16.3/2 cc. spun yarns consisting
of 40% Basofil and 60% Para-Aramid fibers by weight. The fabric
construction employs 43 ends/inch with every tenth end being 2 ends
of 16.3/2 cc. yarn and 35 picks/inch with every eighth pick being 2
ends of 16.3/2 cc. yarn to create a rip stop weave structure in the
warp and filling direction of the fabric.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 6,624,096 B2 discloses a woven fabric of spun
yarns and "bare" multi-filament yarns which include an aramid
filament. The weight ratio of said spun yarn to said multi-filament
yarn ranges from 85:15 to 92:8 with the filament count ranging from
200 to 1500 denier. The use of "bare" filament yarn in the rip stop
weave of the 40% PBI/60% Kevlar fabric by the increase in the trap
tear values of the fabric from 40.times.35 lbs. to 63.times.63 lbs.
and also by the residual Trap Tear values of 26.6.times.23.6 lbs.
after six weeks of the exposure to sunlight based on the ASTM D5733
method.
[0009] Although, the physical properties of the outer shell fabric
with "bare" filament Aramid yarn may provide some improvement, a
`bare` filament yarn is subject to the risk of being directly
exposed to ultra-violet radiation, heat/flames, moisture, flexing
and aging either in use or during the laundering process. This
would lead to rapid filament yarn failure/fracturing and a
substantial decrease in the physical properties of the outer shell
fabric.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is
shown in the drawings a preferred form of the invention; however,
the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and
instrumentalities shown.
[0011] FIG. 1 is a plane view of the outer shell fabric made
according to the present invention.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a magnified view of a 2-ply DREF Core-Spun yarn
used in the design of the outer shell fabric.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals indicate
like elements there is shown in FIG. 1 an illustration of the outer
shell fabric 10 made according to the present invention. When
woven, the fabric 10 has a pale yellow color with a "raised
checkered" pattern created by the 2-ply DREF core spun rip stop
yarn 30, however, the woven fabric 10 is generally dyed to black,
yellow, tan and/or navy blue colors. The fabric 10 is preferably
woven with spun yarns 20 and 2-ply DREF core spun rip stop yarns
30. The fabric 10 preferably weighs approximately 7.8 OSY and is
woven in both plain and rip stop weaves, however, the fabric weight
can range from 6 to 9 OSY, and be constructed with weaves selected
from the group consisting of plain, twill, rip stop, satin,
herringbone and oxford.
[0014] The DREF core-spun yarn maybe inserted among the spun yarns
in, both the warp and weft, at an insertion ratio of 1:4 to 1:25,
and preferably at 1:9. Generally, the fabric is treated with a
suitable water/moisture resistant finish, which is a well known
treatment in the industry.
[0015] The spun yarn 20 is preferably a 16.3/2 cotton count and is
made from a blend of 40% Melamine formaldehyde (Basofil)/60%
Para-Aramid (Kevlar) staple fibers. The spun yarns may range in
size from 36/2 to 12/2 cc., and include a first staple polymer
selected from a group consisting of Meta-Aramid, Copolymer, PBI,
Poly-P-Phenylenebenzobisoxazol- e, Carbon and Melamine
formaldehyde, and a second staple of an aramid polymer.
[0016] Meta and Para-Aramid staple fibers are commercially
available under the trade name of TWARON.RTM., CONEX.RTM., and
TECHNORA.RTM. from Teijin Co. of Asaka, Japan; or NOMEX.RTM. or
KEVLAR.RTM. from DuPont of Wilmington, Del.; or P-84 from Lenzing
AG of Lenzing, Austria; or KERMEL.RTM. from Rhodia Inc. of
Cranberry, N.J.
[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates a magnified view of the 2-ply rip stop
yarn 30 used in the structure of the outer shell fabric. The 2-ply
yarn 30 consists of 2 ends of the DREF core-spun singles yarn 40
twisted with approximately 3.2 twist multiplier(.TM.). The
resultant yarn count of the 2-ply yarn 30 is 4.7/2 cc.
[0018] The singles yarns 40 are core-spun DREF III yarns with a
resultant yarn count of 9.5/1 cc. The DREF core spun yarn 40
contains a 100% filament PBO core and a sheath fiber blend 50
comprised of 40% melamine formaldehyde (Basofil)/60% para-aramid
(Kevlar) sheath fiber blend. The core spun yarn 40 can be comprised
of one or more filament or stretch broken spun cores selected from
the polymer group consisting of PBO, Aramid, Liquid Crystal Polymer
(LCP), Carbon and P-84, with or without a fine metallic wire
co-core, and a staple sheath blend 50 consisting of one or more
fibers selected from the group consisting of Meta-Aramid,
Para-Aramid, Copolyimide, PBI, PBO, P-84, Carbon, Kynol, PFR Rayon
and/or Modacrylic fibers.
[0019] Although, the preferred filament core yarn 60 is 27.8 Tex
(278 d Tex), the core yarn 60 may range from 6 to 600 Tex. In the
core spun yarn 40, the ratio of filament core yarn 60 to the sheath
fiber blend 50, is approximately 45:55, however, the ratio of core
yarn 60 to the sheath fiber blend 50 may be in ranges from 10:90 to
90:10.
* * * * *