Method of manufacturing fabric

Abstract

A method of manufacturing waterproof, highly absorbent, and highly flexible fabric comprises drying TPU material or thermoplastic elastomer at about 50.degree. C. to 150.degree. C. for about predetermined hours, adding a bridge agent in the dried TPU material or thermoplastic elastomer for mixing and heating at about 60.degree. C. to 280.degree. C. for about 30 seconds to 5 minutes for melting, pouring the melted material into an endless shallow mold to form a continuous film, contracting a fabric material at about 50.degree. C. to 180.degree. C. for about 1 second to 5 minutes, placing the fabric material onto top and bottom surfaces of the film and pressing same at about 50.degree. C. to 250.degree. C. to form a composite fabric, cooling and shaping the composite fabric at about 5.degree. C. to 60.degree. C., and drawing the shaped composite fabric around a roll to produce the finished composite fabric.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to fabric manufacturing and more particularly to a method of manufacturing composite fabric with improved characteristics including being waterproof, highly absorbent, and highly flexible.

[0003] 2. Related Art

[0004] Fabric has been widely used as diapers, clothes, or the like. Conventionally, fabric comprises a number of layers. In one example, a composite fabric comprises an absorbent layer (A layer), an adhesive layer (S layer), and a waterproof layer (M layer). Also, a composite fabric can have an enhanced absorption if pulp or a highly absorbent material is employed as material of an intermediate layer. Alternatively, a composite fabric can have an enhanced adhesiveness if carbon fiber is employed as material of an intermediate layer. Still alternatively, a composite fabric can have an enhanced rigidity if pulp and plastic powder are employed as material of an intermediate layer.

[0005] Fabric having an outer A layer (i.e., highly absorbent) and an inner M layer (i.e., waterproof) can be employed as material of manufacturing diapers. Alternatively, fabric having an outer M layer (i.e., waterproof) and an inner A layer (i.e., highly absorbent) can be employed as material of manufacturing surgical clothes. However, so far as the present inventor is aware, a composite fabric having characteristics including being waterproof, highly absorbent, and highly flexible has not been available on the market. Thus, it is desirable to provide a novel method of manufacturing fabric (e.g., composite fabric) having above advantages in order to overcome the inadequacies of the prior art and contribute significantly to the advancement of the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a fabric comprising drying TPU material or thermoplastic elastomer at about 50.degree. C. to 150.degree. C. for about predetermined hours; adding a bridge agent in the dried TPU material or thermoplastic elastomer for mixing and heating at about 60.degree. C. to 280.degree. C. for about 30 seconds to 5 minutes for melting; pouring the melted material into an endless shallow mold to form a continuous film; contracting a fabric material at about 50.degree. C. to 180.degree. C. for about 1 second to 5 minutes; placing the fabric material onto top and bottom surfaces of the film and pressing same at about 50.degree. C. to 250.degree. C. to form a composite fabric; cooling and shaping the composite fabric at about 5.degree. C. to 60.degree. C.; and drawing the shaped composite fabric around a roll to produce the finished fabric.

[0007] In one aspect of the present invention, the finished fabric comprises an upper layer formed of fabric, a lower layer formed of fabric, and an intermediate layer formed of TPU material or thermoplastic elastomer.

[0008] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of fabric manufactured according to the invention; and

[0010] FIG. 2 is a flowchart depicting a process for manufacturing fabric according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Referring to FIG. 2, a flowchart depicting a process for manufacturing fabric (e.g., composite fabric) in accordance with the invention comprises drying a TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) material or thermoplastic elastomer at about 50.degree. C. to 150.degree. C. for about a number of hours (step a), adding a bridge agent in the dried TPU material or thermoplastic elastomer for mixing and heating at about 60.degree. C. to 280.degree. C. for about 30 seconds to 5 minutes for melting (step b), pouring the melted material into an endless shallow mold to form a continuous film (step c), contracting a fabric material at about 50.degree. C. to 180.degree. C. for about 1 second to 5 minutes (step d), placing the fabric material onto top and bottom surfaces of the film and pressing same at about 50.degree. C. to 250.degree. C. to form a composite fabric (step e), cooling and shaping the composite fabric at about 5.degree. C. to 60.degree. C. (step f), and lowering temperature to a predetermined temperature and drawing the shaped composite fabric around a roll to produce the finished fabric in the shape of a roll.

[0012] Referring to FIG. 1, the finished fabric comprises an upper layer 9 formed of fabric, a lower layer 11 formed of fabric, and an intermediate layer 10 formed of TPU material or thermoplastic elastomer. Most importantly, the fabric is waterproof, highly absorbent, and highly flexible.

[0013] While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a fabric comprising: drying a TPU material or thermoplastic elastomer at about 50.degree. C. to 150.degree. C. for about predetermined hours; adding a bridge agent in the dried TPU material or the thermoplastic elastomer for mixing and heating at about 60.degree. C. to 280.degree. C. for about 30 seconds to 5 minutes for melting; pouring the melted material into an endless shallow mold to form a continuous film; contracting a fabric material at about 50.degree. C. to 180.degree. C. for about 1 second to 5 minutes; placing the fabric material onto top and bottom surfaces of the film and pressing same at about 50.degree. C. to 250.degree. C. to form a composite fabric; cooling and shaping the composite fabric at about 5.degree. C. to 60.degree. C.; and drawing the shaped composite fabric around a roll to produce the finished fabric.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the finished fabric comprises an upper layer formed of fabric, a lower layer formed of fabric, and an intermediate layer formed of the TPU material or thermoplastic elastomer.