U.S. patent application number 11/030079 was filed with the patent office on 2005-10-27 for spacer fabric.
This patent application is currently assigned to HIGHLAND INDUSTRIES, INC.. Invention is credited to Pruitt, Jimmy L., Schindzielorz, Michael, Wagner, Carl.
Application Number | 20050238843 11/030079 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35136802 |
Filed Date | 2005-10-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050238843 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schindzielorz, Michael ; et
al. |
October 27, 2005 |
Spacer fabric
Abstract
A material comprises a cover layer and a porous material layer.
The cover layer may include a rigid, semi-rigid or flexible
material and the porous spacer material layer may include a
reticulated foam, nonwoven textile, or a spacer fabric. The
material is configured to have a high air flow rate upon an
application of a pressure, and good compactability.
Inventors: |
Schindzielorz, Michael;
(Kernersville, NC) ; Pruitt, Jimmy L.; (Hickory,
NC) ; Wagner, Carl; (Cheraw, SC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FOLEY AND LARDNER
SUITE 500
3000 K STREET NW
WASHINGTON
DC
20007
US
|
Assignee: |
HIGHLAND INDUSTRIES, INC.
|
Family ID: |
35136802 |
Appl. No.: |
11/030079 |
Filed: |
January 7, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11030079 |
Jan 7, 2005 |
|
|
|
10829397 |
Apr 22, 2004 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
428/86 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D10B 2403/0112 20130101;
B32B 5/06 20130101; Y10T 442/10 20150401; B32B 5/02 20130101; D04B
21/16 20130101; B60N 2/70 20130101; D10B 2403/0213 20130101; D10B
2505/08 20130101; B32B 7/12 20130101; Y10T 428/23914 20150401; Y10T
428/24033 20150115; Y10T 428/24942 20150115; Y10T 428/24174
20150115; B32B 5/26 20130101; B32B 2307/724 20130101; Y10T 442/488
20150401 |
Class at
Publication: |
428/086 |
International
Class: |
B32B 005/26; B32B
005/32 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A material, comprising: a first fabric layer; a second fabric
layer; and a pile layer extending between the first fabric layer
and the second fabric layer, wherein the pile layer is configured
so that when the material is subjected to air pressure of 200 mBar,
the air flow rate through the pile layer is in the range of
approximately 80 to 300 cfm.
2. The material of claim 1, wherein the air flow rate is in the
range of approximately 200 to 250 cfm.
3. The material of claim 2, wherein the air flow rate is
approximately 214 cfm.
4. The material of claim 1, wherein the pile layer is configured to
maintain the flow rate when compressed up to approximately 40%
original loft.
5. The material of claim 1, further comprising a cover layer.
6. The material of claim 5, wherein the cover layer is laminated to
the first layer or second layer.
7. The material of claim 5, wherein the pile layer is configured to
maintain the flow rate when the material is subjected to a force of
150 pounds applied to the cover layer.
8. The material of claim 5, wherein the material is configured so
that when the material is subjected to air pressure of 200 mBar and
a force of at least 200 pounds is applied to the cover layer the
air flow rate through the porous layer is at least 100 cfm.
9. A material, comprising: a porous material layer including a
plurality of fibers extending between a pair of fabric layers,
wherein each of the fibers has a tenacity in the range of
approximately 40 to 50 cN/tex.
10. The material of claim 9, wherein each of the fibers has a
diameter in the range of approximately 0.07 to 0.11 mm.
11. The material of claim 10, wherein each of the fibers has a
diameter in the range of approximately 0.08 to 0.10 mm.
12. The material of claim 11, wherein each of the fibers has a
diameter of approximately 0.09 mm.
13. The material of claim 9, wherein each of the fibers is
configured to have a tenacity of approximately 43 to 48 cN/tex.
14. The material of claim 13, wherein the plurality of fibers are
configured to have a tenacity of approximately 46 cN/tex at for a
diameter of approximately 0.09 mm.
15. The material of claim 9, further comprising a cover layer.
16. The material of claim 15, wherein the cover layer is laminated
to one of the fabric layers.
17. The material of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of
fibers is a monofilament fiber.
18. A material, comprising: a porous material layer including a
plurality of fibers extending between a pair of fabric layers, and
wherein each of the fibers has a diameter in the range of
approximately 0.07 to 0.11 mm.
19. The material of claim 18, wherein each of the fibers has a
diameter in the range of approximately 0.08 to 0.10 mm.
20. The material of claim 19, wherein each of the fibers has a
diameter of approximately 0.09 mm.
21. A material, comprising: a first fabric layer; a second fabric
layer; and a pile layer extending between the first fabric layer
and the second fabric layer, wherein the material is configured to
have a specific compactability in the range of 35 to 100
cm.sup.3.
22. The material of claim 21, wherein the material is configured to
have a specific compactability in the range of 40 to 90
cm.sup.3.
23. The material of claim 22, wherein the material is configured to
have a specific compactability in the range of 45 to 80
cm.sup.3.
24. The material of claim 21, further comprising a cover layer.
25. The material of claim 21, wherein the cover layer is laminated
to the first layer or second layer.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of application
Ser. No. 10/829,397, filed Apr. 22, 2004, incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present invention relates to a spacer fabric.
[0003] Certain conventional fabrics include a padding or porous
layer covered by an outer layer. The underlying padding or porous
layer is typically sewn to the outer layer. The outer layer in the
conventional sewn assembly may pucker or have other surface
deformations resulting from the sewn seams. Additionally, in
certain situations, pockets or gaps may be formed between the
padding and outer layers. These problems create an undesirable
appearance and may decrease the value of a seat or the object
utilizing the sewn fabric. The puckering and air pockets may also
create an uncomfortable surface when contacted by a person sitting
or leaning against the sewn fabric.
[0004] The porous or padding layer may be a spacer fabric. The
conventional covered spacer fabrics generally result in increased
costs for the manufacturer. Rolls or cut pieces of the spacer
fabric are produced, pre-cut, and shipped to an assembly plant.
After shipment, the spacer fabric tends to lose its dimensions. As
a result, the process of sewing a precut outer layer to the spacer
fabric is difficult and time-consuming. Another drawback of the
conventional spacer fabric is that the edges of the conventional
fabric fray and lack dimensional stability.
[0005] These covered spacer fabrics have many uses such as, for
example, seats, home furnishings, and shoes. Conventional spacer
fabrics incorporated in seats may be found, for example, in DE
19931193 (hereby incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety).
[0006] The spacer fabric is typically a padding or ventilation
layer. Seats generally use spacer fabrics to cool or warm an
occupant or remove perspiration. However, typical seats in spacer
fabrics wear quickly and may chill or overheat an occupant due to
improper air flow.
[0007] Spacer fabrics offer several advantages over other padding
or ventilation layers such as, for example, foam. First, spacer
fabrics are formed from textile fibers and filaments and many
textile fiber and filamentary materials are recyclable. Thus, the
use of spacer fabrics as a cushioning material overcomes the
inability of foams to be recycled and the attendant problems
associated with disposal of such materials. Also, spacer fabrics
offer substantially enhanced air and moisture permeability over
foams, which make such fabrics more desirable than foam materials
for use in automotive and marine applications as well as home
furnishing applications.
[0008] As described above, current textile technology includes
spacer fabric materials with sewn on material coverings. Spacer
fabrics covered with a sewn on material characteristically have the
tendency for the opposing covering and spacer structures to shift
and move in parallel with respect to one another. Moreover, there
are inherent difficulties in mating a rigid or semi-rigid surface
material (e.g. leather) with a non-rigid spacer material through a
sewing process. One problem is that the dimensions of the cut
pieces of spacer material tend to change size after cutting,
typically shrinking in size. As a result, when the cut part of
rigid or semi-rigid material is sewn around the perimeter to the
cut piece of spacer fabric, the change in dimensions of the spacer
material cause puckering and creasing in the rigid or semi-rigid
cover layer. A large number of the sewn components have this
problem. Present attempts to solve this specific problem have
focused on using a more rigid, higher denier monofilament in the
spacer fabric to improve the sewing performance and have not been
successful. The use of a significantly heavier denier monofilament
produces an uncomfortable fabric.
[0009] Other problems encountered in joining cut pieces of spacer
fabric to cut pieces of a cover material include rough, jagged
edges; fraying and shedding of monofilament pile; missing or
misplaced notches (to guide the sewer); during sewing, the sewing
needle and presser foot snag in the spacer fabric; and sewing "run
off" or "raw edge" where the stitches of the joining seam do not
grip the spacer fabric. The primary causes of these problems are
inconsistent part dimensionality, inherent elasticity of the
fabric, and jostling during transit.
[0010] An additional problem associated with such conventional
fabrics are that they collapse under minimal loading. Furthermore,
conventional fabrics such as reticulated foam lack the ability to
transport air through the material at a sufficiently high rate to
cool or warm the material.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] According to one embodiment, a material is provided. The
material comprises a first fabric layer; a second fabric layer; and
a pile layer extending between the first fabric layer and the
second fabric layer. The pile layer is configured so that when the
material is subjected to air pressure of 200 mBar, the air flow
rate through the pile layer is in the range of approximately 80 to
300 cfm
[0012] According to another embodiment, a material is provided that
includes a porous material layer including a plurality of fibers
extending between a pair of fabric layers. Each of the fibers has a
tenacity in the range of approximately 40 to 50 cN/tex.
[0013] According to another embodiment, a material is provided that
includes a porous material layer including a plurality of fibers
extending between a pair of fabric layers. Each of the fibers has a
diameter in the range of approximately 0.07 to 0.11 mm.
[0014] According to another embodiment, a material is provided that
comprises a first fabric layer; a second fabric layer; and a pile
layer extending between the first fabric layer and the second
fabric layer. The material is configured to have a specific
compactability in the range of 35 to 100 cm.sup.3.
[0015] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general
description and the following detailed description are exemplary
and explanatory only, and are not restrictive of the invention as
claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the
present invention will become apparent from the following
description, appended claims, and the accompanying exemplary
embodiments shown in the drawings, which are briefly described
below.
[0017] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a material according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a porous material according to
an embodiment of the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the material according to FIG.
1.
[0020] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a seat according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the material according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 6 is a top-side view of the spacer fabric according to
another embodiment of the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 7 is an underside view of the spacer fabric according
to FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be
described with reference to the attached drawings.
[0025] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a
material 10 is provided. The material 10 includes a porous material
layer 15. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 5, the material 10 can
also include a cover layer 30. The cover layer 30 may be porous and
may include a poly-vinyl chloride polymer coated material, leather,
body cloth fabric, a thermoplastic olefin coated material, a
polyurethane coated material, or any other suitable material. The
porous material layer 15 may be a reticulated foam, a nonwoven
textile, or preferably a spacer fabric. A material 10, according to
an embodiment of the invention includes a cover layer 30 and a
spacer fabric 20. The spacer fabric 20 comprises a first 22 and
second fabric 26 layer, and a pile layer 24. The cover layer 30 is
laminated onto the spacer fabric 20.
[0026] A seat, according to another embodiment of the invention,
includes a cover layer 30, and a porous material 15. The porous
material 15 is positioned under the cover layer 30 and the cover
layer 30 is laminated on the porous material 15.
[0027] A material 10, according to another embodiment of the
present invention, includes a spacer fabric 20 covered by a cover
layer 30. The cover layer 30 is laminated to the spacer fabric 20
so that the top surface of the material 10 is substantially
smooth.
[0028] According to an alternative embodiment of the present
invention, the porous material layer 15 may comprise a spacer
fabric 20. The spacer fabric 20, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, may
include a first fabric layer 22, a second fabric layer 26 and a
pile layer 24 which connects the first 22 and second 26 fabric
layers. The fabric layers 22, 26 are made of a knitted material.
The pile layer 26 is composed of 100% by weight of monofilament
yarn. The spacer fabric layer 20 may be produced on a multi-guide
bar, double needle bar, Raschel type knitting machine, or by any
other suitable loom or knitting machine.
[0029] The spacer fabric layer 20 is configured to allow air to
flow through the material and remove or evaporate moisture from an
outer surface. The cover layer 30 is attached to the first fabric
layer 22. The cover layer 30 may be a continuous material and
include perforations 32 which allow for fluid (i.e. air, moisture
and/or climate controlled forced air) to flow through the layer.
The perforations shown 32 in the drawings are exemplary only and
may be in different locations or sizes.
[0030] The spacer fabric 20 may be approximately 4 to 60 mm in
thickness. According to another embodiment of the invention, the
thickness of the spacer fabric may be 6 to 30 mm. Preferably, the
thickness of the spacer fabric 20 is about 8 to about 12 mm. The
denier of the pile yarn may be approximately 30 to 1200 denier.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the denier of the
pile yarn may be 100 to 900. Preferably, the denier of the pile
yarn is about 150 to about 600.
[0031] The first fabric layer 22 of the spacer fabric 20 may be of
any configuration, but is preferably a close-knit arrangement. The
second fabric layer 26 is preferably a open mesh, honeycomb surface
structure, but may be configured to be any suitable structure. The
denier of the yarn in the first and second fabric layers may be 40
to 1200. According to another embodiment of the invention, the
denier of the yarn in the first and second fabric layers may be 100
to 900. Preferably, the denier of the yarn in the first and second
fabric layers is about 150 to about 600. The denier of the yarn in
the first layer may differ from the denier of the yarn in the
second layer.
[0032] The spacer fabric 20 is an air permeable fabric. The spacer
fabric 20 may also increase the cushioning feel to an occupant or
user of the fabric and may repel and/or absorb moisture on one or
both sides of the fabric 20. The spacer fabric 20 may be configured
so the first fabric layer 22 has an air permeability different from
the air permeability of the second fabric layer 26.
[0033] According to an embodiment, the second fabric layer 26
includes a first portion 23 for air supply or air removal which is
made with the greatest possible air permeability (shown in FIG. 7).
The first fabric layer 22 may include a second portion 25 that is
made with reduced air permeability, as shown in FIG. 6. The second
portion 25 is aligned opposite the first portion 23. According to
an embodiment of the invention, both the first 23 and second 25
portions are generally circular. The second portion 25 is adjoined
by a third portion 29 which has increased air permeability as the
distance increases from the second portion 23. The third portion 29
and adjacent portions 29a are generally annular and continue to
increase in air permeability the farther from the second portion
23. As shown in FIG. 7, the second fabric layer 26 may include a
fourth portion 27 that decreases in air permeability and is
generally an annular shape around the first portion 23. The fourth
portion 27 and adjacent portions 27a decrease in air permeability
the farther from the first portion 23. The portions 23, 25, 27, 29
may be defined by cut edges. The different air permeabilities allow
air flow to pass through the second fabric layer 26, at or near the
first portion 23 and pass through the pile 24 and first fabric
layer 22 with approximately uniform distribution of the air flow.
Of course, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the
air flow direction may be reversed and/or the location of the
portions 23, 25, 27, 29 may be switched in order to have equal flow
distribution with a change in direction of flow. The first 23 and
second portions 25 may also be any other configuration or shape
suitable for air circulation such as, for example, rectangular. As
will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, any suitable type
of spacer fabric may be used.
[0034] According to an embodiment, the second fabric layer 26 is
configured to be adjacent an air circulation system 50, as shown in
FIG. 2. The air circulation system 50 is not part of the spacer
fabric 20, but is a separate system. The air flow system 50 may
comprise electric fans 52, such as, for example, the system found
in U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,021 or RE 38,128 (both patents are hereby
incorporated by reference herein in their entirety). Of course, any
other suitable air circulation system 50 may be used. The air flow
system 50 may cool or heat the fabric 20 or the object attached to
the fabric 20, such as a seat, bed, backpack, or any other suitable
object. The air flow system 50 may force air through the fabric and
blow the air through the second fabric layer 26, distributed
through the pile layer 24 and out and through the first fabric
layer 22.
[0035] As mentioned above, the porous material 15 may comprise a
reticulated foam or a nonwoven textile. The cover layer 30 attaches
to one side of the porous material 15. The cover layer 30 is
attached to a side of the porous material layer 15 by lamination.
The cover layer 30 may be laminated onto the porous material layer
15 by any suitable method such as, for example, thermoplastic
laminates, thermoset processes, cold laminating, or a UV curable
adhesion system.
[0036] In the case of the porous material layer 15 comprising a
spacer fabric 20, the cover layer 30 is attached to the first
fabric layer 22 on a side adjacent to the pile layer 24. The cover
layer 30 may be attached to the first fabric layer 22 by any
suitable mechanism, such as by sewn seams, fasteners, adhesives,
etc.
[0037] In one embodiment, a laminate 60 is applied to and coated on
an underside of the cover layer fabric 30 which is then positioned
on the first fabric layer 22. The material 10 may then be held
under weight for approximately twenty-four hours to properly seal
the cover layer 30 to the first fabric layer 22 and, thus, the
spacer fabric 20. The same basic process may be employed for
laminating the cover layer 30 to other embodiments of the porous
material layer 15.
[0038] According to an embodiment of the invention, the laminate 60
may be formed by the use of a solvent born, flame retardant
polyurethane adhesive, or any other suitable adhesive. According to
one embodiment of the present invention, the laminate 60 may be
applied to the cover layer 30 by hot melt spun adhesive or by
spraying the adhesion onto the underside of the cover layer 30 by a
spray nozzle or oscillating disk. The spray nozzle or oscillating
disk passes along the length of the material to coat the cover
layer 30 and then the cover layer 30 is pressed onto the porous
material layer 15. Before a laminate 60 is applied to the cover
layer 30, the cover layer 30 and porous material layer 15 is heat
set at approximately 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
[0039] According to another embodiment, the cover layer 30 may be
further secured to the porous material layer 15 by a variety of
different welding processes, i.e., a radio frequency (RF) welding
process, thermal heat sealing, ultrasound and dielectric sealing.
For example, the materials can be RF welded along the perimeter of
the material 10. The RF weld may be applied with utilizing a die.
The material 10 may also be sewn along the perimeter after the
cover layer 30 is laminated to the porous material layer 15.
[0040] The material 10 effectively simulates the compressibility
and resiliency of conventional spacer fabric and plastic foam
materials such as polyurethane. In addition, the material 10
provides wear reduction, improved seam strength, reduced edge
fraying and ease of production.
[0041] The material 10 has improved wear characteristics. The cover
layer 30 has less mobility in comparison to the porous material
layer 15. In other words, according to the present invention, there
is less relative movement between the cover layer 30 and the porous
material layer 15. The cover layer 30 does not slide relative to
the adjoining porous material layer 15. Accordingly, the life of
the fabric 10 is increased. Furthermore, the seam strength of the
fabric 10, as may be tested by a needle pullout test, is increased
due to the attachment of the cover layer 30 to the porous material
layer 20.
[0042] According to another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a seat
40 for an automobile, watercraft, or any other type of seat 40 is
provided. The seat 40 may include a seat back 44 and/or a seat
bottom 46. The seat 40 includes a cover layer 30 which is
integrated onto a surface of the seat back 44 and/or seat bottom 46
adjacent to an occupant (not shown). A porous material is
positioned adjacent to the cover layer 30 on a side of the cover
layer 30 opposite the occupant. The porous material may be a
reticulated foam, a nonwoven textile, or a spacer fabric and
attached onto the cover layer 30. According to FIG. 4, a spacer
fabric 20 is shown. The spacer fabric 20 is similar to that
described above and includes a first fabric layer 22, a second
fabric layer 26 and a pile layer 24. The use of the material 10
including a cover layer overlying a porous material layer for the
seat covering allows for air flow and/or removal or evaporation of
moisture from the exposed surface of the seat bottom and back
adjacent to an occupant.
[0043] The seat 40, according to an embodiment of the invention,
may further include an air circulation flow device 50. The air flow
device 50 may include fans 52. The fans 52 are shown in FIG. 4 in
exemplary locations only and may be positioned in various, suitable
locations. The air flow device 50 may be the Amerigon climate
control system, for example the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
5,626,021 or RE 38,128, or any other suitable air flow/removal
system.
[0044] It is to be understood that any suitable spacer fabric may
be used as the porous material in the material 10 and the seat 40.
In addition, different combinations of cover layers 30 and
ventilated materials 20 may be used for the material 10 and
seat.
[0045] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the
material 10 exhibits many improved characteristics. The material 10
resists compression and collapse. As a result, air flow through the
material 10 can be maintained over a wide range of loadings. When
the material is used as a seating surface, the improved compression
and bend performance may prevent or reduce the collapse of the
seating surface into the underlying air manifolds thereby
preventing patterning in these passages and preserving the air
transport capabilities of the material. Furthermore, when used in
combination with a forced air system, the system noise can be
reduced due to a reduction in back pressure on the system fan
caused by constricted air flow.
[0046] The improved characteristics of the present invention, may
be measured and specified in a number of different ways. For
example, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the
material 10 provides reduced compression for a given loading
applied perpendicular to the surface of the material. For example,
according to an embodiment of the invention, the material 10
exhibits less than a 15 percent reduction of thickness in response
to a load of 150 Newtons. Further by way of example, the material
10 exhibits less than a 10 percent reduction of thickness in
response to a load of 100 Newtons.
[0047] For example, a specific sample of laminated space fabric
according to an embodiment of the present invention has an unloaded
thickness of 10 mm. When a load is applied to the sample in a
direction generally perpendicular to the attachment side surface of
the material 10, the thickness of the material gradually reduces at
a generally linear rate. The thickness of the fabric is reduced
from about 9 mm to about 8 mm as the load increases from 25 to 175
Newtons. More specifically, for the 10 mm thick sample of the
material 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention,
the material is configured to resist a reduction of thickness
greater than 20 percent for applied loads less than about 150
Newtons.
[0048] The material 10, according to another embodiment of the
invention, is configured to exhibit Hookean behavior. The material
10 can offer a linear response to loading over a tested range. On
the contrary, other conventional materials display asymptotic
behavior and will undergo no further compression; resulting in
incompressible solids.
[0049] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the air
flow through the fabric in two dimensions (i.e, parallel and
perpendicular to the laminated surface) may be improved.
[0050] A material 10 according to an embodiment of the present
invention was tested to determine the ability of the material to
allow airflow while under load. Accordingly, as shown in Table 1
below, a material was subjected to a varying amount of load to
produce a variety of different thicknesses of material. The airflow
through the material was determined for a constant air pressure
(200 mBar). The required force to be applied to the material 10 to
produce the displacement or reducing in thickness, could be
determined according to the Hook's constant for the material. Due
to the improved configuration, the material 10 according to an
embodiment of the present invention will maintain air passages at
loadings far in excess of those offered by the other conventional
materials. As can be seen in Table 1, the exemplary material 10 is
configured to have an air flow in the range of 80 to 275 CFM under
pressure in the range of about 40 to about 200 Pa, when compressed
to a thickness of 7.11 mm. Alternatively, the exemplary material 10
allows for an air flow in the range of approximately 80 to about
210, under pressure in the range of about 40 to about 200 Pa when
compressed to a thickness of 6.1 mm.
[0051] As shown in Table 1, characteristics for exemplary material
compressed to both 4.8 mm and 3.8 mm thicknesses are disclosed. For
the 10 mm thick exemplary material 10 used to obtain the results of
Table 1, it should be noted that for an approximately 50 percent
reduction of thickness of the material there is only an
approximately 50 percent reduction in air flow from approximately
250 cfm to 130 cfm at an applied pressure of 200 mBar.
[0052] The improved characteristics of the present invention may be
measured in an alternative format. For example, when an exemplary
laminated space fabric is placed under a defined pressure of
approximately 200 mBar, the material 10 will have a reduction in
thickness as determined by Hook's constant for the material. As a
result, if a constant displacement is applied, the exemplary
material 10 will undergo a higher state of force compared to other,
conventional laminated fabrics.
[0053] Thus, an advantage of the material 10 is that it allows air
passage at force loadings far in excess of those offered by other,
conventional materials. For example, under a load of 200 mBar, the
air flow of the material 10 ranges from approximately 275 to 75
CFM, while under a loading of approximately 50 to 300 Lb force. In
comparison, a conventional reticulated foam material ranges from
approximately 160 to 50 CFM under a loading of 0 to 50 Lb force, as
shown in Table 2.
[0054] As mentioned above, the material 10 according to an
embodiment of the present invention, exhibits increased resistance
to compression. Therefore, as shown in Table 3, the amount of force
applied to the fabric to achieve a 70 percent reduction in
thickness is significantly greater for a material according to the
present invention than for a conventional foam or spacer material.
Table 3 discloses the amount of force required to achieve a 70%
reduction in thickness for a fabric of a given thickness. For
example, for fabrics in a thickness range of 20 to 40 mm, the
material 10 would need to be subject to approximately 90 to 110
pounds force in order to obtain the 70% reduction.
[0055] In another embodiment, the pile layer 24 is configured to
have an air flow rate of 200 to 300 cfm while the material 10 is
compressed to the point of maintaining 40% original loft. At this
air flow rate, the material 10 is under a pressure of approximately
200 mBar. More specifically, the flow rate is in the range of 200
to 250 cfm. Preferably, the air flow rate is approximately 214
cfm.
[0056] The material 10 according to an embodiment of the invention,
exhibits improved aging and wear resistance characteristics. The
exemplary material has displayed better abrasion resistance than
reticulated foam. For example, when subjected to abrasion cycle
testing on a Wyzenbeek cycle tester, the exemplary material 10
completed a test cycle of about 30,000 cycles.
[0057] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the material 10 may also have improved circular bend flex
resistance or the resistance to compression and bending. A sample
of a material 10 according to an embodiment of the present
invention was subjected to a circular bend flex test. The test
demonstrated that a force of 6.40 to 8.40 pounds was required to
deform the material 10 and press the material 10 through a ring
(the circular bend flex test). The circular bend flex test results
are shown in Table 4.
1 TABLE 4 Circular Bend Flex Test "LB" "LB" "LB" "LB" "LB"
Inventive 8.24 8.40 8.36 8.02 7.98 Material 7.00 7.32 7.56 7.14
7.20 C-Peak 6.60 6.86 7.36 6.96 6.80 (60 psi) 6.70 6.98 6.86 6.80
6.40 6.44 6.70 6.74 6.64 6.50
[0058] In another embodiment, the fibers of the pile layer 24 can
each have a tenacity in the range of 40 to 50 cN/tex. More
specifically, the fibers of the pile layer 24 can have a tenacity
of approximately 43 to 48 cN/tex. Preferably, the fibers of the
pile layer 24 have a tenacity of approximately 46 cN/tex. In one
embodiment, the fibers of the pile layer 24 can each have a
diameter in the range of approximately 0.07 to 0.11 mm. More
specifically, the fibers of the pile layer 24 can have a diameter
in the range of approximately 0.08 to 0.10 mm. Preferably, the
fibers of the pile layer 24 have a diameter of approximately 0.09
mm.
[0059] In yet another embodiment, the material 10 can have a
specific compactability in the range of 35 to 100 cm.sup.3. The
specific compactability can be tested using the standard ASTM
testing method designated D 6478-02. The ASTM International
Designation D 6478-02 "Standard Test Method for Determining
Specific Packability of Fabrics Used in Inflatable Restraints" is
incorporated by reference herein. The ASTM testing method is
modified so that a specimen of the material 10 is placed into the
testing box in a single layer and is not folded. The compactability
of a material 10 can be a factor in the design of products with
spatial constraints. More specifically, the material 10 can have a
specific compactability in the range of 40 to 90 cm.sup.3.
Preferably, the specific compactability of the material 10 is in
the range of 45 to 80 cm.sup.3.
[0060] Given the disclosure of the present invention, one versed in
the art would appreciate that there may be other embodiments and
modifications within the scope and spirit of the invention. For
example, the scope of the present invention includes a material 10
structure having multiple layers of porous material. For example,
the material 10 may include one or more layers of reticulated foam
in combination with one or more layers of spacer material. Other
suitable combinations of porous material layers would also fall
within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, all
modifications attainable by one versed in the art from the present
disclosure within the scope and spirit of the present invention are
to be included as further embodiments of the present invention. The
scope of the present invention is to be defined as set forth in the
following claims.
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