U.S. patent application number 17/270392 was filed with the patent office on 2021-06-24 for synthetic fiber blend fabric and clothes.
The applicant listed for this patent is ITOI Lifestyle Research Co.. Invention is credited to Toru ITOI.
Application Number | 20210189608 17/270392 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005490504 |
Filed Date | 2021-06-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210189608 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ITOI; Toru |
June 24, 2021 |
SYNTHETIC FIBER BLEND FABRIC AND CLOTHES
Abstract
A synthetic fiber blend fabric is disclosed. The synthetic fiber
blend fabric is a woven fabric that is made from blended yarns each
obtained by mix spinning of three or more kinds of fibers including
wool fibers, polyester fibers, and acrylic fibers, or is a woven
fabric mainly consisting of the blended yarns. Each of the blended
yarns contains the three or more kinds of fibers blended therein so
as to be approximately uniformly distributed at a prescribed
blending ratio along a longitudinal direction of the blended yarn.
The blended yarn has a total content of the wool fibers, the
polyester fibers, and the acrylic fibers of 90 mass % or more and
100 mass % or less. The acrylic fibers have a fineness of 0.5 dtex
or more and 1.4 dtex or less.
Inventors: |
ITOI; Toru; (Osaka,
JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
ITOI Lifestyle Research Co. |
Osaka |
|
JP |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005490504 |
Appl. No.: |
17/270392 |
Filed: |
August 23, 2019 |
PCT Filed: |
August 23, 2019 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP2019/033105 |
371 Date: |
February 22, 2021 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D10B 2321/08 20130101;
D10B 2201/02 20130101; D03D 15/283 20210101; D02G 3/04 20130101;
D10B 2331/04 20130101 |
International
Class: |
D02G 3/04 20060101
D02G003/04; D03D 15/283 20060101 D03D015/283 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 24, 2018 |
JP |
2018-157838 |
Claims
1. A synthetic fiber blend fabric being a woven fabric that is made
from blended yarns each obtained by mix spinning of three or more
kinds of fibers including wool fibers, polyester fibers, and
acrylic fibers, or being a woven fabric mainly consisting of the
blended yarns, each of the blended yarns containing the three or
more kinds of fibers blended therein so as to be approximately
uniformly distributed at a prescribed blending ratio along a
longitudinal direction of the blended yarn, and the blended yarn
having a total content of the wool fibers, the polyester fibers,
and the acrylic fibers of 90 mass % or more and 100 mass % or less,
and the acrylic fibers having a fineness of 0.5 dtex or more and
1.4 dtex or less.
2. The synthetic fiber blend fabric according to claim 1, wherein
each of the blended yarns has a content of the wool fibers of 30
mass % or more and 70 mass % or less, a content of the polyester
fibers of 20 mass % or more and 50 mass % or less, and a content of
the acrylic fibers of 10 mass % or more and 30 mass % or less.
3. The synthetic fiber blend fabric according to claim 1, wherein
each of the blended yarns is a two ply yarn, and each of the
blended yarns has a metric count of 2/36 to 2/140.
4. The synthetic fiber blend fabric according to claim 1, wherein
each of the blended yarns is a two ply yarn, each of the blended
yarns has a metric count of 2/36 to 2/140, each of the blended
yarns has a first twist coefficient of 80 or more and 120 or less,
the first twist coefficient being defined by T/ N in which T
represents a first twist number and N represents a metric count,
each of the blended yarns has a final twist number of 80% or more
and 130% or less of the first twist number, and each of the blended
yarns has a same direction of final twists as a direction of first
twists.
5. Clothes comprising a fabric, the fabric being formed of the
synthetic fiber blend fabric according to claim 1, or including the
synthetic fiber blend fabric according to claim 1.
Description
[0001] This application is the U.S. National Phase of
PCT/JP2019/033105, filed Aug. 23, 2019, which claims priority to
Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-157838, filed Aug. 24, 2018.
Both of those applications are incorporated by reference herein in
their entireties.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to a fabric (hereinafter,
referred to as a "synthetic fiber blend fabric") containing
synthetic fibers, and clothes obtained using the synthetic fiber
blend fabric as a clothing fabric.
BACKGROUND ART
[0003] One hundred-mass-percent-wool clothing fabrics have good
texture and deep color impression as appearance, give sensation of
elegance, and have stereoscopic effect and depth impression while
having smooth expression of the fabric. Therefore, men's clothing
fabrics or women's clothing fabrics configured to include a
100-mass %-wool clothing fabric are recognized as high-class items
with a high commercial value. Clothing fabrics that include hard
twist yarns containing fine wool fibers further have a sense of
higher class and are recognized as having a higher commercial
value.
[0004] Generally, the good texture of the men's clothing fabrics
and the like refers to having a good drape property, good repulsive
feeling, and unique touch. The drape property is a property of the
clothing fabric to smoothly wrap an object or a body to be wrapped,
along the shape thereof. The repulsive feeling is a property of the
fabric to spring back into an original shape when lightly held so
as to be wrapped in the palm of hand and then released by opening
the hand. The unique touch is touch that is non-sticky, dry, and
comfortable while giving silky sensation specific to wool. Thus,
the 100-mass %-wool clothing fabrics have a sense of high class in
terms of making affective appeals such as good texture and deep
color impression and are recognized as having a high commercial
value.
[0005] A clothing fabric is, when worn, subjected to external
force, resulting in flexural deformation and deformation such as
tensile deformation or shear deformation. The good drape property
can be obtained when the clothing fabric has, in addition to an
appropriate initial flexural rigidity, a low initial tensile
rigidity (corresponding to Young's modulus) and a low initial shear
rigidity. Further, the good repulsive feeling can be obtained when
the clothing fabric has good elastic recovery from each of initial
flexural deformation, initial tensile deformation, and initial
shear deformation. This fact can be more understandable, for
example, by comparing the clothing fabric and paper that have the
same flexural rigidity.
[0006] Meanwhile, the 100-mass %-wool clothing fabrics have a
problem of easily generating wrinkles when left wet with water and
dried or when washed with a domestic washing machine and dried. In
addition, since the raw material wool is more expensive than
synthetic fibers, the 100-mass %-wool clothing fabrics are
expensive. Therefore, men's clothing fabrics and the like have been
attempted to be produced using blended yarns each obtained by mix
spinning of wool fibers and synthetic fibers. The mix spinning is
performing spinning while blending fibers that have different kinds
of raw materials. The blended yarns are yarns each obtained by
spinning of blended different kinds of fibers. The problems
involving washability and wrinkles generated after the fabric is
wet are often solved by use of the blended yarns.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0007] A synthetic fiber blend clothing fabric made from
conventional blended yarns, however, has a problem of impairing the
high-class texture specific to the 100-mass %-wool clothing fabrics
due to blending of synthetic fibers in the blended yarns. The
synthetic fiber blend clothing fabric that is made from blended
yarns each obtained by mix spinning of wool fibers and polyester
fibers often has a defect in repulsive feeling. The synthetic fiber
blend clothing fabric that is made from blended yarns each obtained
by mix spinning of wool fibers and acrylic fibers is easily
deteriorated in stiffness or anti-drape stiffness by a finishing
step during production or by washing with a domestic washing
machine because the acrylic fibers are easily plastically deformed
by heat or external force. A clothing fabric that includes hard
twist yarns containing fine wool fibers has a problem of generating
a change in dimension or surface appearance caused by being wet
with water or by high humidity (for example, vapor or ironing
during sewing).
[0008] Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Application Publication
No. S59-137930 describes a synthetic fiber blend clothing fabric
that is made from blended yarns of three kinds of fibers, i.e.,
wool fibers, polyester fibers, and acrylic fibers. Japanese
Unexamined Utility Model Application Publication No. S59-137930,
however, neither refers to nor suggests a possibility of obtaining
the high-class texture specific to the 100-mass %-wool clothing
fabrics by using these blended yarns.
[0009] In view of the above problems, an object of the present
invention is to provide a synthetic fiber blend fabric that has
texture with a sense of high class comparable to 100-mass %-wool
products, that is less likely to generate wrinkles even when dried
after being wet with water or washed with a domestic washing
machine, and that is less likely to be deteriorated in stiffness or
anti-drape stiffness even when steamed, and to provide clothes
obtained using this fabric as a clothing fabric.
[0010] In order to attain the above object, a synthetic fiber blend
fabric according to an aspect of the present invention is a woven
fabric that is made from blended yarns each obtained by mix
spinning of three or more kinds of fibers including wool fibers,
polyester fibers, and acrylic fibers, or is a woven fabric
including mainly the blended yarns, each of the blended yarns
containing the three or more kinds of fibers blended therein so as
to be approximately uniformly distributed at a prescribed blending
ratio along a longitudinal direction of the blended yarn, the
blended yarn having a total content of the wool fibers, the
polyester fibers, and the acrylic fibers of 90 mass % or more and
100 mass % or less, and the acrylic fibers having a fineness of 0.5
dtex or more and 1.4 dtex or less.
[0011] In the synthetic fiber blend fabric according to another
aspect of the present invention, each of the blended yarns can have
a content of the wool fibers of 30 mass % or more and 70 mass % or
less, a content of the polyester fibers of 20 mass % or more and 50
mass % or less, and a content of the acrylic fibers of 10 mass % or
more and 30 mass % or less.
[0012] In the synthetic fiber blend fabric according to another
aspect of the present invention, each of the blended yarns can be a
two ply yarn and have a metric count of 2/36 to 2/140.
[0013] Alternatively, in the synthetic fiber blend fabric according
to another aspect of the present invention, each of the blended
yarns can be a two ply yarn, have a metric count of 2/36 to 2/140,
have a first twist coefficient (defined by T/ N in which T
represents a first twist number and N represents a metric count) of
80 or more and 120 or less, have a final twist number of 80% or
more and 130% or less of the first twist number, and have a same
direction of final twists as a direction of first twists.
[0014] Clothes according to an aspect of the present invention
include a fabric, the fabric being formed of the synthetic fiber
blend fabric according to the present invention or including the
synthetic fiber blend fabric.
[0015] Through the synthetic fiber blend fabric according to the
present invention, provided is a fabric having texture with a sense
of high class comparable to 100-mass %-wool products because the
fabric is produced using blended yarns each obtained by mix
spinning of three or more kinds of fibers including wool fibers,
polyester fibers and acrylic fibers that have an average fineness
of 0.5 dtex or more and 1.4 dtex or less and are extra-fine. This
synthetic fiber blend fabric that contains not only the wool fibers
but also the polyester fibers and the acrylic fibers is less likely
to generate wrinkles even when dried after being wet with water or
washed with a domestic washing machine. This synthetic fiber blend
fabric is a woven fabric obtained using the blended yarns in each
of which the polyester fibers and the extra-fine (micro) acrylic
fibers are blended, and is therefore a fabric having good repulsive
feeling. The acrylic fibers that are easily plastically deformed by
heat or external force are configured to be extra-fine, and
therefore hardly affects stiffness and anti-drape stiffness of the
synthetic fiber blend fabric even when affected by heat or external
force.
[0016] That is, the synthetic fiber blend fabric according to the
present invention makes it possible to achieve both realization of
a high-value adding property involving affectiveness such as
texture and depth of color that are specific to wool clothing
fabrics and stabilization of functional properties (aspect of
physical properties) (being less likely to generate wrinkles even
when dried after being wet with water or washed with a domestic
washing machine). In addition, regular wool fibers are usable
without use of fine wool fibers, leading to reduction in production
costs, and the fabric having a sense of high class can be provided
at low costs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0017] FIG. 1 shows a weave diagram of one exemplary woven fabric
used as a synthetic fiber blend fabric according to the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
<Synthetic Fiber Blend Fabric>
[0018] A synthetic fiber blend fabric (hereinafter, also referred
to as "the present fabric") according to the present invention is a
woven fabric that is made from blended yarns each obtained by mix
spinning of three or more kinds of fibers including wool fibers,
polyester fibers, and acrylic fibers, or is a woven fabric
configured to include mainly the blended yarns. The present fabric
is used for production of mainly clothes and the like. In the
present fabric, the phrase "include mainly" means that the present
fabric has a content of the blended yarns of 70 mass % or more. In
the present fabric or the blended yarns, the word "content" means,
for example, when each of the blended yarns contains two or more
kinds of polyester fibers, the total content of the two or more
kinds of polyester fibers. The values of the content described in
the present specification correspond to values of the mixing ratio
based on corrected weight that are obtained in conformity with JIS
L 1030-2: 2012. The fineness described in the present specification
represents average fineness when the measured values are varied.
The twist number described in the present specification means a
twist number per 1 m unless otherwise specified.
[0019] Examples of the polyester fibers used in the present fabric
include polyethylene terephthalate fibers, polybutylene
terephthalate fibers, and copolymerized polyester fibers.
[0020] Examples of the acrylic fibers used in the present fabric
include general acrylic fibers containing polyacrylonitrile.
Alternatively, the acrylic fibers can be, for example, a
copolymerized polymer of acrylonitrile, and vinyl chloride or
vinylidene chloride. In this copolymerized polymer, the mass of the
constitutional unit derived from the acrylonitrile accounts for,
for example, 35 mass % or more and 85 mass % or less. The acrylic
fibers used in the present fabric is acrylic fibers (hereinafter,
referred to as "extra-fine AC fibers") having a fineness of 0.5
dtex or more and 1.4 dtex or less. If the acrylic fibers have a
fineness of less than 0.5 dtex, trouble is easily generated in a
spinning step of the production process due to the excessively
small fiber diameter. If the acrylic fibers have a fineness of more
than 1.4 dtex, it is difficult for the clothing fabric to obtain a
good elastic recovery property when recovering from deformation
such as flexural deformation, due to the excessively large fiber
diameter of the acrylic fibers or some other reason, and a fabric
having good texture cannot thus be obtained.
[0021] The configuration of the present fabric described above can
give a clothing fabric having good texture as, for example, a men's
clothing fabric or a women's clothing fabric. In the present fabric
that is made from blended yarns (hereinafter, also referred to as
"the present blended yarns)" each obtained by mix spinning of three
or more kinds of fibers including wool fibers, polyester fibers,
and extra-fine AC fibers, or that is configured to include mainly
the present blended yarns, a reason why the good texture can be
obtained is not clear, but is presumed as follows.
[0022] A polyester fiber is a fiber singly having by itself a good
elastic recovery property from flexural deformation. A fabric made
using blended yarns each obtained by mix spinning of wool fibers
and polyester fibers is generally improved in stiffness and is thus
sometimes washable with a domestic washing machine, but is inferior
to 100-mass %-wool fabrics in repulsive feeling (elastic recovery
property from deformation such as flexural deformation). A reason
for this fact is considered to be that the fabric is not a single
fiber, but a fiber assembly to make polyester fibers have a large
friction therebetween when the fabric recovering from deformation
such as flexural deformation, and the polyester fibers in the
fabric are thus prevented from elastically recovering from
deformation such as flexural deformation. In the present fabric,
however, extra-fine AC fibers are interposed between polyester
fibers blended in the present blended yarns, and therefore the
friction between polyester fibers is considered to be reduced by
these extra-fine AC fibers. Thus, it is considered that the present
fabric is less likely to be prevented from elastically recovering
from deformation such as flexural deformation and can obtain a good
elastic recovery property when recovering from deformation such as
flexural deformation.
[0023] Further, in general production of a 100-mass %-wool fabric,
wool fibers are considered to be swollen to increase the diameter
thereof during a finishing process, and reduce the fiber diameter
without changing the disposition of the fibers to generate gaps
between wool fibers when dried in the following drying step.
Therefore, the 100-mass %-wool fabric is assumed to reduce the
friction between wool fibers when recovering from deformation such
as flexural deformation, and to thus reduce the degree of being
prevented from elastically recovering from deformation such as
flexural deformation. Here, the extra-fine AC fibers blended in the
present blended yarns of the present fabric are presumed to have
the same action as the gaps between fibers in the 100-mass %-wool
fabric. Meanwhile, the acrylic fibers having a fineness of more
than 1.4 dtex make the fabric less likely to obtain a good elastic
recovery property when recovering from deformation such as flexural
deformation, due to difficulty exhibiting the action of reducing
the friction between polyester fibers or some other reason. That
is, the inventor of the present application has formulated a
hypothesis that even a woven fabric containing synthetic fibers as
the present fabric can exhibit, by use of the present blended yarns
containing the extra-fine AC fibers blended therein, an action
similar to the formation of gaps attained through swelling and
drying that is described above regarding the 100-mass %-wool
fabric.
[0024] On the basis of the hypothesis, the inventor of the present
application made samples of the present blended yarns in which wool
fibers, extra-fine AC fibers, and polyester fibers originally
having an excellent elastic recovery property as a material are
blended at an appropriate blending ratio, and has completed the
present invention. Blending the polyester fibers in the present
blended yarns allows the present fabric to solve the problem that
the clothing fabric generates noticeable wrinkles when dried after
being wet by rain or the like, and to make the clothing fabric
washable with a domestic washing machine. The present invention has
made it possible to achieve, even without using expensive fine wool
fibers but using regular wool fibers, both realization of a
high-value adding property involving affectiveness such as texture
and depth of color that are specific to 100-mass %-wool clothing
fabrics and stabilization of functional properties (aspect of
physical properties) (washing resistance and wrinkle resistance),
and therefore the present invention also leads to reduction of raw
material costs.
[0025] After a great deal of earnest consideration using the
present blended yarns, the inventor of the present application has
found that from the view point of making the high-value adding
property highly realizable, it is preferred to use, in the present
fabric, the present blended yarns twisted harder than conventional
yarns and further preferred to use, as the hard twisted present
blended yarns (hard twist yarns), two ply yarns final-twisted in
the same direction as the direction of first twists. While, a
clothing fabric that includes hard twist yarns containing fine wool
fibers has a problem of generating a change in dimension or surface
appearance caused by high humidity (for example, vapor or ironing
during sewing). In addition, the 100-mass %-wool clothing fabrics
that include hard twist yarns make it possible to achieve both
appropriate silky sensation and dry sensation to some degree but
cannot avoid coarse roughness sensation on the surface of the
clothing fabrics. In contrast, the present fabric that includes the
present blended yarns hard-twisted as described above can obtain
good texture without giving coarse roughness sensation on the
surface of the fabric while achieving both appropriate silky
sensation and dry sensation.
[0026] The extra-fine AC fibers are extra-fine and have a small
flexural stiffness, and makes therefore a small contribution to the
flexural rigidity in the entire present fabric. Therefore, even
when deformed in a finishing step of the production of the present
fabric or in washing of the present fabric, the extra-fine AC
fibers have a small influence on the flexural rigidity and the
repulsive feeling in the entire present fabric. In addition to this
reason, the present fabric is not a knitted fabric but a woven
fabric and therefore easily maintains good repulsive feeling and
anti-drape stiffness.
[0027] When having a content of the present blended yarns of 70
mass % or more and less than 100 mass %, the present fabric can be
a woven fabric configured to include, together with the present
blended yarns, other yarns in a content within the range of more
than 0 mass % and 30 mass % or less, as long as the object of the
present invention is contradicted. Examples of fibers constituting
the other yarns include synthetic fibers, regenerated fibers,
semisynthetic fibers, animal fibers, and plant fibers. Examples of
the synthetic fibers include polyamide-based fibers such as nylon
fibers, polyolefin-based fibers such as polypropylene fibers, and
polyvinyl-based fibers. Examples of the regenerated fibers include
rayon fibers. Examples of the animal fibers include wool fibers,
fur fibers, and silk fibers. Examples of the plant fibers include
cotton fibers and hemp fibers. The other yarns can be, for example,
filament yarns each of which is made from one or more kinds of
fibers selected from the group consisting of synthetic fibers,
regenerated fibers, semisynthetic fibers, and silk fibers. The
other yarns can also be other blended yarns each formed by mix
spinning of two or more kinds of fibers selected from the fibers
listed here without blending the extra-fine AC fibers.
[0028] From the viewpoint of allowing the present fabric to have a
sense of high class comparable to 100-mass %-wool products and
making the present fabric further less likely to generate wrinkles
after washed and dried, the present fabric has a content of the
present blended yarns of preferably 90 mass % or more, further
preferably 95 mass % or more, further more preferably 100 mass
%.
[0029] When each of the present blended yarns has an excessively
small content of the wool fibers, exploring the conditions of steps
such as a finishing process for obtaining good texture could
require substantial time and effort. From the viewpoint of avoiding
this burden, the present blended yarn has a content of the wool
fibers of preferably 30 mass % or more. In view of the fabric that
has washing resistance and is less likely to be affected by
humidity such as being wet, the present blended yarn has a content
of the wool fibers of preferably 70 mass % or less, further
preferably 50 mass % or less. The raw material costs of the present
fabric can be reduced as the present blended yarn has a smaller
content of the wool fibers. Therefore, from the viewpoint of
achieving both reduction of the raw material costs and realization
of the texture specific to the 100-mass %-wool clothing fabrics,
the present blended yarn further preferably has a content of the
wool fibers of 30 mass % or more and 50 mass % or less.
[0030] Each of the present blended yarns has a content of the
polyester fibers of preferably 20 mass % or more from the viewpoint
of imparting a sufficient anti-wrinkle property to the present
fabric, and preferably 50 mass % or less from the viewpoint of
imparting sufficient repulsive feeling to the present fabric. Each
of the present blended yarns has a content of the extra-fine AC
fibers of preferably 10 mass % or more from the viewpoint of easily
improving the repulsive feeling of the present fabric, and
preferably 30 mass % or less from the viewpoint of easily imparting
appropriate stiffness to the present fabric. As described above,
from the viewpoint of allowing the present fabric to easily realize
the texture specific to the 100-mass %-wool clothing fabrics,
reducing the raw material costs, improving the repulsive feeling,
and easily imparting appropriate stiffness, the present blended
yarn further more preferably has a content of the wool fibers of 30
mass % or more and 70 mass % or less, a content of the polyester
fibers of 20 mass % or more and 50 mass % or less, and a content of
the extra-fine AC fibers of 10 mass % or more and 30 mass % or
less.
[0031] The polyester fibers in the present blended yarns have a
fineness of preferably 1.6 dtex or more from the viewpoint of
imparting, to the present fabric, rigidity sufficient enough as a
clothing fabric, and preferably 3.3 dtex or less from the viewpoint
of avoiding making the present fabric excessively firm as a
clothing fabric. That is, from the viewpoint imparting appropriate
firmness (stiffness) as a clothing fabric, the polyester fibers in
the present blended yarns further preferably have a fineness of 1.6
dtex or more and 3.3 dtex or less.
[0032] Either of the polyester fibers and the acrylic fibers in the
present blended yarns can be composite fibers. By being formed as
the composite fibers, the polyester fibers and the acrylic fibers
can have a property of easily fitting into the characteristics of
the wool fibers.
[0033] The present blended yarns can have other fibers blended
therein together with the wool fibers, the polyester fibers, and
the extra-fine AC fibers, as long as the object of the present
invention is contradicted. In this case, each of the present
blended yarns has a content of the other fibers of 10 mass % or
less. For example, the present blended yarn preferably has a
content of the wool fibers of 30 mass % or more and less than 70
mass %, a content of the polyester fibers of 20 mass % or more and
50 mass % or less, a content of the extra-fine AC fibers of 10 mass
% or more and 30 mass % or less, and a content of the other fibers
of more than 0 mass % and 10 mass % or less. Examples of the fibers
include synthetic fibers, regenerated fibers, semisynthetic fibers,
animal fibers other than wool fibers, and plant fibers. Thus, use
of the present blended yarns containing the other fibers blended
therein is not prevented in the present fabric.
[0034] From the viewpoint of allowing the present fabric to realize
texture with a sense of high class comparable to 100-mass %-wool
products, the three or more kinds of fibers (wool fibers, polyester
fibers, extra-fine AC fibers, and other fibers as necessary) are
subjected to mix spinning so as to be approximately uniformly
distributed at a prescribed blending ratio along a longitudinal
direction of the present blended yarn to make the present blended
yarn. When the mix spinning is performed according to a usual
method without operation of clearly changing the blending ratio
during the mix spinning, the three or more kinds of fibers are
blended so as to be approximately uniformly distributed at the
prescribed blending ratio along the longitudinal direction of the
present blended yarn. While, even when the mix spinning is
performed according to a usual method, the present blended yarn
obtained can unintentionally generate slight blending unevenness.
The phrase "approximately uniformly" in the present blended yarn
means that even when generated, the slight blending unevenness is
not contradictory to the contents and the nature of the present
invention and is thus tolerated. For example, when three or more
kinds of fibers having different colors are subjected to mix
spinning according to a usual method to give a blended yarn and
when the blended yarn has the entire appearance thereof simply
looked at with the naked eye in a short time and cannot be
perceived as "clearly generating a change in color hue along the
longitudinal direction of the blended yarn" in objective view of,
for example, a general consumer, the three or more kinds of fibers
are blended so as to be approximately uniformly distributed at a
prescribed blending ratio along the longitudinal direction of the
blended yarn. Even when three or more kinds of fibers having
substantially the same color are subjected to mix spinning to give
a blended yarn, the mix spinning can be performed in the same
manner according to the usual method. Further, a spun yarn for
weaving a woven fabric is made using the present blended yarn. From
the viewpoint of easy spinning, selection is preferably made such
that the spun yarn (single yarn) here has a sectional average
number of fibers of 30 or more.
[0035] With the twist number of the present blended yarn (single
yarn) defined as T (unit "T/m") and the metric count as N, the
twist coefficient is defined by T/ N. From the viewpoint of easily
imparting strength to the single yarn and easily imparting
sufficient stiffness to the present fabric, the present blended
yarn (single yarn) is preferably twisted so as to have a twist
coefficient of 80 or more. In addition, from the viewpoint of
avoiding deterioration of texture as a result of coarseness on the
surface of the present fabric, the present blended yarn (single
yarn) is preferably twisted so as to have a twist coefficient of
120 or less. The direction of twists of the single yarn can be
either a Z-twist or an S-twist.
[0036] The single yarn is preferably doubled and further twisted.
The present blended yarn (two ply yarn) obtained has a count
indication (metric count) of further preferably 2/36 to 2/140,
further more preferably 2/70 to 2/100 (here, the number "2"
represents a two ply yarn) from the viewpoint of allowing the
present fabric to easily satisfy a sensuous sense of high class,
i.e., a fine clothing fabric being abundant in the sense of high
class. A yarn having a finer count than described above is likely
to be very expensive due to, for example, constraints of wool raw
materials. The present blended yarn (two ply yarn) can be a yarn
obtained by putting together two single yarns having different
count indications and further twisting the two single yarns, as
long as the present blended yarn has a count indication within
these ranges.
[0037] From the viewpoint of allowing the present fabric to easily
give dry sensation on the surface thereof, the present blended yarn
(two ply yarn) preferably has a same direction of final twists as a
direction of first twists (Z-Z twists or S-S twists). In this case,
the final twist number is preferably 80% or more of the first twist
number. While, when the final twist number is lower than 80% of the
first twist number, the appearance sometimes has color impression
insufficient in stereoscopic effect and depth impression.
Meanwhile, from the viewpoint of avoiding losing appropriate silky
sensation as a result of having remarkable roughness on the surface
of the fabric to become coarse, the final twist number is
preferably 130% or less of the first twist number. Regarding the
present blended yarn (two ply yarn) obtained by putting together
two single yarns having different count indications and twisting
the two single yarns, the average value of the twist numbers of the
single yarns is regarded as the first twist number of the blended
yarn (two ply yarn). In the twist configuration described above,
when the direction of first twists is different from the direction
of final twists, the twists (first twists) of the single yarns are
got back by the final twists to weaken tightness of the yarn. When
the direction of first twists is the same as the direction of final
twists, the tightness of the yarn is enhanced compared to the state
of the single yarn. In the present invention, this tightness in the
two ply yarn structure has been found to be preferable in
combination with the two ply yarn structure to obtain dry and good
texture.
[0038] In the present fabric, use of the present blended yarns each
obtained by hard twisting with the twist number set in the range
described above can give a woven fabric that is dry, gives
appropriate silky sensation without sticky sensation, and has
further good texture and depth of color that are specific to wool
clothing fabrics. This depth of color is considered to be obtained
by the hard twists described above and the use of the extra-fine AC
fibers. In addition, the present fabric hardly has a problem of
generating a change in dimension or surface appearance caused by
moistness or high humidity (for example, vapor or ironing during
sewing).
[0039] The present fabric is preferably a woven fabric that is
woven using the present blended yarns (two ply yarns) obtained by
hard twisting in the aspect described above. The weave of the woven
fabric can be selected from three foundation weaves and derivative
weaves thereof. That is, the weave is selected from the group
consisting of general three foundation weaves, i.e., a plain weave,
a twill weave, and a sateen weave, or selected from any derivative
weaves to obtain an appropriate weave according to, for example,
application of the final product (such as clothes). A cover factor
K of a woven fabric is represented by the following mathematical
formula. The present fabric preferably has a cover factor K
represented by the following mathematical formula of 6 or more and
13 or less, from the viewpoint of easy impartation of appropriate
firmness (stiffness) as a clothing fabric and an excellent weaving
property.
K=(K.sub.1+K.sub.2)/2 [Mathematical 1] [0040] K.sub.1: weave
density of warp (yarns/2.54 cm)/ metric count of warp (inverse of
linear density of yarn (g/m)) [0041] K.sub.2: weave density of weft
(yarns/2.54 cm)/ metric count of weft (inverse of linear density of
yarn (g/m))
[0042] The present fabric is preferably used as a men's clothing
fabric or a women's clothing fabric, from the viewpoint of having
texture with a sense of high class comparable to 100-mass %-wool
products regardless of the fact that the raw material costs of the
present fabric are suppressed lower than those of the 100-mass
%-wool clothing fabrics. The present fabric is preferably used as a
clothing fabric for clothes used mainly in spring or summer, from
the viewpoint of having dry touch.
<Clothes>
[0043] Clothes according to the present invention can be obtained
using the present fabric described above. That is, the clothes
according to the present invention are clothes configured to
include the synthetic fiber blend fabric according to the present
invention. The clothes are Wester clothes (fabric to be worn).
Examples of the clothes include a top, trousers, a skirt, a dress,
a business suit, a uniform, and outerwear.
[0044] Additionally, the present invention can be implemented in
aspects with various modifications, corrections, or transformations
made on the basis of knowledge of a person skilled in the art in
the range not departing from the spirit of the present invention.
Further, the present invention can be implemented in a form of
replacing any of the matters specifying the invention with another
technique in the range generating an identical action or
effect.
EXAMPLES
<Spinning Step>
[0045] In each of Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Example 1
described below, the following spinning step was performed to
produce a blended yarn (two ply yarn). Regarding wool fibers and
polyester fibers, dyed tops thereof each produced by a usual method
were used. Regarding extra-fine AC fibers, a tow was formed into a
sliver with a converter and thereafter made into a top, which was
subjected to top dyeing to give a dyed top, and the dyed top thus
obtained was used. Thereafter, these three kinds of dyed tops were
subjected to mix spinning (mixing and fine spinning by a usual
worsted spinning step) to give a blended yarn (single yarn), and
this blended yarn (single yarn) was doubled and subjected to
twisting to give a blended yarn (two ply yarn). The spinning step
described here is, in every procedure, performed by a usual method
and is therefore not described.
Example 1
[0046] As the wool fibers, fibers having a grade with a fiber
diameter of 18.5 .mu.m were prepared. As the polyester fibers,
polyethylene terephthalate staple fibers having a fineness of 2.2
dtex were prepared. As the extra-fine AC fibers, an acrylic-fiber
tow having a fineness of 1.1 dtex was prepared. With these kinds of
fibers used as raw materials, the spinning step described above was
performed for mix spinning at a blending ratio of a content of the
wool fibers of 35 mass %, a content of the polyester fibers of 40
mass %, and a content of the extra-fine AC fibers of 25 mass %, to
give a blended yarn (single yarn) having a metric count of 1/80 and
a Z-twist number of 1,000 T/m. This single yarn was doubled and was
further subjected to Z-twisting of 1,100 twists per 1 m (final
Z-twist number of 1,100 T/m) to give a blended yarn (two ply yarn).
Using this blended yarn (two ply yarn), weaving was performed
according to a weave diagram illustrated in FIG. 1 and a finishing
process was performed on the woven fabric by a usual method to give
a fabric according to Example 1. The fabric according to Example 1
had a basis weight of 211 g/m.sup.2, a warp density of 91
yarns/2.54 cm, and a weft density of 77 yarns/2.54 cm.
Example 2
[0047] The mix spinning was performed with the same material and at
the same blending ratio (the same content of each kind of fibers in
blended yarn) as in Example 1 to give a blended yarn (single yarn)
having a metric count of 1/80 (first S-twist number of 1,000 T/m).
This blended yarn (single yarn) was doubled and was subjected to
S-twisting of 1,100 twists per 1 m (final S-twist number of 1,100
T/m). Using the obtained blended yarn (two ply yarn), a fabric was
woven in the same manner as in Example 1 to give a fabric according
to Example 2.
[0048] The fabric obtained in each of Examples 1 and 2 had good
repulsive feeling and good texture equivalent to 100-mass %-wool
clothing fabrics. In addition, these fabrics had non-sticky, dry,
and comfortable touch while having, as in the touch specific to the
100-mass %-wool clothing fabrics, the specific silky sensation on
the surface thereof, and had depth of color equivalent to the depth
of color specific to the 100-mass %-wool clothing fabrics.
Therefore, the fabric obtained in each of Examples 1 and 2 was
suitable as a spring or summer men's or women's clothing fabric.
These fabrics had no problem of generating a change in dimension or
surface appearance caused by vapor or ironing during sewing.
Comparative Example 1
[0049] The same wool fibers and polyester fibers were used as in
Example 1, but an acrylic fiber tow having a fineness of 2.2 dtex
was used in place of the extra-fine AC fiber tow used in Example 1.
These kinds of fibers were subjected to mix spinning at the same
ratio as in Example 1 to give a two ply yarn having the same yarn
count and twist configuration as in Example 1. Using this two ply
yarn, weaving was performed in accordance with Example 1 to give a
fabric according to Comparative Example 1.
[0050] The fabric according to Comparative Example 1 was inferior
in repulsive feeling to the fabrics in Examples 1 and 2. In
addition, the fabric according to Comparative Example 1 did not
have the touch specific to the 100-mass %-wool clothing fabrics,
the specific silky sensation, and the non-sticky, dry, and
comfortable touch. The fabric according to Comparative Example 1
also did not obtain depth of color equivalent to the depth of color
specific to the 100-mass %-wool clothing fabrics. The inventor of
the present application found, from these test results, the
usefulness of the present blended yarn containing the extra-fine AC
fibers blended therein as acrylic fibers.
[0051] The present fabric is not only used as a material for
clothes, but is also usable as a material for high-value adding
fashion using a high-grade clothing fabric.
* * * * *