U.S. patent application number 17/355812 was filed with the patent office on 2022-04-14 for polyester-based fabrics and related products and method of making the same.
The applicant listed for this patent is AZ Texsourcing Pvt. Ltd.. Invention is credited to Kamal Garg, Karan Garg.
Application Number | 20220112633 17/355812 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005725902 |
Filed Date | 2022-04-14 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20220112633 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Garg; Kamal ; et
al. |
April 14, 2022 |
POLYESTER-BASED FABRICS AND RELATED PRODUCTS AND METHOD OF MAKING
THE SAME
Abstract
A fabric comprising one or more manmade yarns and one or more
natural yarns, wherein the one or more manmade yarns comprise more
than 50% by weight of the total yarn of the fabric. The manmade
yarn is preferably made of polyester fibers and the natural yarn is
preferably made of cotton fibers. The cotton yarn may be any of
100% cotton, Indian cotton, Egyptian cotton, Pima cotton, Supima
cotton, and cotton mixed with a manmade or a cellulosic fiber. The
polyester yarn may be any of 100% polyester, polyester mixed with
another manmade fiber, a texturized or multi-texturized polyester
yarn, and polyester mixed with cotton or cellulosic fiber. The warp
yarn or yarns may be a combination of one or more manmade yarns and
one or more natural yarns, and the weft yarn or yarns comprise a
combination of one or more manmade yarns and one or more natural
yarns.
Inventors: |
Garg; Kamal; (Gujarat,
IN) ; Garg; Karan; (Gujarat, IN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
AZ Texsourcing Pvt. Ltd. |
Gujarat |
|
IN |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005725902 |
Appl. No.: |
17/355812 |
Filed: |
June 23, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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17102144 |
Nov 23, 2020 |
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17355812 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D10B 2503/06 20130101;
D03D 15/283 20210101; D10B 2331/04 20130101; D03D 1/0017 20130101;
D03D 15/217 20210101 |
International
Class: |
D03D 15/283 20060101
D03D015/283; D03D 15/217 20060101 D03D015/217; D03D 1/00 20060101
D03D001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 10, 2020 |
IN |
202021044195 |
Claims
1-19. (canceled)
20. A bedding product comprising: a fitted sheet and one or more of
a flat sheet, a pillow cover, and a duvet cover, wherein the fitted
sheet and the one or more of the flat sheet, the pillow cover, and
the duvet cover are each formed of a fabric comprising a polyester
yarn and at least one cotton yarn, wherein the polyester yarn
comprises more than 50% of the total weight of the fabric.
21. The bedding product of claim 20 wherein the natural yarn is
cotton yarn and the cotton yarn is chosen from the group consisting
of 100% cotton, Indian cotton, Egyptian cotton, Pima cotton, Supima
cotton, and cotton mixed with a manmade or a cellulosic fiber.
22. The bedding product of claim 21 wherein the cotton has a weight
in the range of NE 20 to NE 120.
23. The bedding product of claim 20 wherein the polyester yarn is
chosen from the group consisting of 100% polyester, polyester mixed
with another manmade fiber, a texturized or multi-texturized
polyester yarn, and polyester mixed with cotton or cellulosic
fiber.
24. The bedding product of claim 23 wherein the polyester yarn is
formed of filaments in the range of 8 Denier to 250 denier and the
filament count is in the range of 14 to 324.
25. The bedding product of claim 20 wherein the fabric is woven and
the weave is selected from one or more of Percale, 4/1 Satin, 5/1
Satin, 2/1 Twill, 2/2 Twill, Jacquard, and Dobby.
26. The bedding product of claim 25 wherein there are a plurality
of weaves.
27. The bedding product of claim 19 wherein the fabric has a thread
count in the range of 120 to 2500.
28. A fabric comprising a polyester yarn and at least one cotton
yarn, wherein the polyester yarn comprises more than 50% of the
total weight of the fabric, and wherein the polyester yarn is
formed of filaments in the range of 8 Denier to 250 Denier and the
filament count is in the range of 14 to 324, and wherein the fabric
has a thread count in the range of 120 to 2500.
29. The fabric of claim 28 wherein the cotton yarn is chosen from
the group consisting of 100% cotton, Indian cotton, Egyptian
cotton, Pima cotton, Supima cotton, and cotton mixed with a manmade
or a cellulosic fiber.
30. The fabric of claim 28 wherein the polyester yarn is chosen
from the group consisting of 100% polyester, polyester mixed with
another manmade fiber, a texturized or multi-texturized polyester
yarn, and polyester mixed with cotton or cellulosic fiber.
Description
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to fabrics and fabric
products. More specifically, the present invention relates to
fabrics comprising a combination of manmade fibers and natural
fibers. More particularly, the present invention also relates to
fabrics comprising a combination of polyester and cotton fibers
wherein polyester fibers form a majority of the combination. The
present invention includes a method for making such fabrics, and
bedding fabrics specifically.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0002] There is a wide array of fabric products for a wide array of
uses. Examples of fabric products that a person may come in contact
with include bedding, clothing and towels. Of course, other fabric
products exist. Fabric products comprising such consumer products
must comply with a range of characteristics of interest to people.
These characteristics include, but are not limited to, the feel or
"hand" of the fabric, the strength of the fabric, the appearance of
the fabric, the durability of the fabric, the ease of cleaning the
fabric, minimum wrinkling, if any, production convenience, and
pricing. These are not the only characteristics of interest but
they represent primary ones of interest.
[0003] These desired fabric characteristics tend to compete with
one another, with some characteristics more desirable than others
dependent on the particular products made with the fabrics. That
is, for example, it may be more important to have good durability
and less feel concern for a towel, but better feel and less
durability concern for a shirt. These competing characteristics
have led fabric manufacturers to combine different fabric
components together to take advantage of the beneficial features of
those components in a single fabric product. However, there
continue to exist limitations on the combination of characteristics
that can reside in a single fabric product.
[0004] Commercial woven and nonwoven fabrics are typically
comprised of yarns made of a plurality of fibers that are twisted
together. The yarns may be made of natural fibers, such as cotton,
and man-made fibers, such as synthetic polymers formed into fibers
such as polyester fibers. These fabrics are typically produced with
one or more yarns that are joined together by weaving, stitching or
other forms of joining. The yarns selected to make fabrics are
chosen based on the desired characteristics of the fabric.
Synthetic yarns are generally made of any of a variety of polymers
and are made with fibers of different thicknesses and shapes. The
yarns are formed of a plurality of fibers twisted together into a
bundle.
[0005] Synthetic yarns are identified by the polymer used, weight
per unit length, referred to as its Denier, and the number of fiber
filaments used to make it. For example, a 75.times.72 polyester
yarn has a Denier of 75 made with 72 filaments twisted together. A
"fiber" is a unit of matter, either natural or manmade that forms
the basic element of fabrics and other textile structures. A
"filament" on the other hand, is a fiber of indefinite length. It
can be found in natural materials, such as silk, for example, but
is more commonly available in manufactured materials. Manufactured
fibers are extruded into filaments that are converted into filament
yarn, staple or tow. A "filament yarn" is composed of continuous
filaments that may or may not be twisted together. A "spun yarn" is
a yarn of staple fibers usually held together by twist or a
melt-spun fiber before it is drawn. A "textured yarn" is a yarn
that develops stretch and bulk on subsequent processing.
[0006] As noted, fabrics are made with combinations of materials
because it is difficult to provide all desired fabric
characteristics with a single yarn formed with a single natural or
synthetic material. For example, a fabric may be made of a
polyester yarn tends to be wrinkle-free while a fabric made of a
cotton yarn has a desirable feel for most users. Polyester yarns
tend to be easier to manufacture and, so, tend to be less expensive
than cotton yarns to make into fabric products. Additional features
and limitations of note regarding materials used to make fabrics
such as bedding fabrics in particular include, but are not limited
to:
[0007] Polyester is cheaper than cotton;
[0008] Filament (manmade) yarn is easier to make than natural
(cotton) yarn, so that manufacturers tend to prefer using filament
yarns, which can reduce the price of fabrics that contain primarily
natural yarns;
[0009] Existing Chief Value Cotton (CVC), which comprises a
majority of cotton and a minority of polyester filaments, while
desirable to a certain extent, can still wrinkle;
[0010] The tensile strength and durability of fabrics made
primarily with manmade fibers is less than those made of manmade
filaments;
[0011] CVC fabrics tend to be less shiny than fabrics made
completely of manmade materials, and cotton fabrics have
essentially no shine;
[0012] Cotton yarns are not as "silky" as polyester yarns and so
polyester yarns may be softer to the touch;
[0013] Cotton is difficult to wash and to dry, and harder to
maintain wrinkle-free without ironing;
[0014] Cotton tends to pill;
[0015] Cotton is generally perceived to feel better to the touch
than does manmade yarns;
[0016] The price of cotton is more variable than is desired by
manufacturers, that is, cotton prices vary substantially depending
on the crop and other seasonal factors, which are hard to predict,
while manmade fibers tend to be more price stable; and
[0017] Cotton is not as durable as manmade fiber, and so its
existence as the majority component in a fabric product is not
suitable for all applications, including in the hospitality
industry, for example.
[0018] What is needed is a fabric product that combines the best
features of manmade fibers and natural fibers. In particular, what
is needed is a fabric product that is affordable to make and sell,
that has good feel with limited pilling and is durable for the
anticipated usage. What is further needed is such a fabric and
related method of making such a fabric that can be used to produce
affordable, high quality, bedding.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0019] It is an object of the present invention to provide a fabric
product that combines the best features of manmade fibers and
natural fibers. It is also an object of the invention to provide a
fabric product that is affordable to make and sell, that has good
feel with limited pilling and is durable for the anticipated usage.
A further object of the invention is to provide such a fabric and
related method of making such a fabric that can be used to produce
affordable, high quality, bedding. In particular, the bedding
includes, but is not limited to, flat sheets, fitted sheets,
duvets, pillow covers, or any other similar article, all sold
individually or in any combination thereof.
[0020] These and other objects are achieved with the present
invention, which is a fabric product that is formed of one or more
manmade fibers and one or more natural fibers in which the manmade
fibers are a majority of the fibers used to make the fabric. The
manmade fibers are polymeric fibers including polyester, nylon and
acrylic, and the natural fibers are selected from cotton, wool,
silk and alpaca.
[0021] The fabric of the present invention is formed by weaving or
knitting a plurality of yarns, wherein the yarns are made of fibers
comprising at least the one or more manmade fibers and the one or
more natural fibers. The fabric comprising one or more manmade
fibers, which may be referred to herein as manmade yarns, and one
or more natural yarns, which may be referred to herein as natural
yarns, is configured with the one or more manmade yarns comprise
more than 50% by weight of the total yarn of the fabric, and the
one or more natural yarns comprising less than 50% by weight of the
total yarn of the fabric. In one instance, the one or more manmade
yarns is a polyester yarn and the one or more natural yarns is a
cotton yarn. The cotton yarn may be chosen from the group
consisting of 100% cotton, Indian cotton, Egyptian cotton, Pima
cotton, Supima cotton, and cotton mixed with a manmade or a
cellulosic fiber. The cotton can have a count in the range of NE 20
to NE 120 but is not limited thereto. The polyester yarn may be
chosen from the group consisting of 100% polyester, polyester mixed
with another manmade fiber, a texturized or multi-texturized
polyester yarn, and polyester mixed with cotton or cellulosic
fiber. The polyester yarn may be formed of filaments in the range
of 8 Denier to 250 denier and the filament count is in the range of
14 to 324 but is not limited thereto. The fabric may be woven and
the weave may be selected from Percale, 4/1 Satin, 5/1 Satin, 2/1
Twill, 2/2 Twill, Jacquard, and Dobby but is not limited thereto.
Weaving may be carried out on one or more of Sulzer Looms, Rapier
Looms, Waterjet Looms, or Airjet Looms, but not limited thereto.
The fabric can be formed into bedding with a thread count in the
range of 120 to 2500 but is not limited thereto.
[0022] The fabric may also be configured with a plurality of yarns
in a warp orientation and a plurality of yarns in a weft
orientation, wherein the warp yarns comprise a combination of one
or more manmade yarns and one or more natural yarns, the weft yarns
comprise a combination of one or more manmade yarns and one or more
natural yarns, and wherein the one or more manmade yarns of the
warp and weft together comprise more than 50% by weight of the
total yarn of the fabric. Any yarn described herein regarding the
fabric includes any sort of filament yarn, as well as yarns with
any desirable characteristic of interest including, but not limited
to, yarns with moisture-wicking properties, yarns with cooling
properties, yarns with anti-microbial properties, as well as yarns
made with any other such characteristics of interest.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] FIG. 1 is a close-up view of a fabric of the present
invention showing a general form of the fabric as including a
plurality of warp yarns and a single weft yarn in a plain weave
configuration.
[0024] FIG. 2 is a simplified representation of a 4/1 Satin weave
of the fabric.
[0025] FIG. 3 is a simplified representation of a 5/1 Satin weave
of the fabric.
[0026] FIG. 4 is a simplified representation of a 2/1 Twill weave
of the fabric.
[0027] FIG. 5 is a simplified representation of a 2/2 Twill weave
of the fabric.
[0028] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram showing the general steps, some of
which are optional, that may be taken to carry out a method of
making the fabric of the present invention.
[0029] FIG. 7 is a table representing the results of tests
conducted on a fabric example of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0030] The present invention is a fabric that may be single-ply or
multi-ply. The fabric is formed of a combination of yarns with the
yarns being made of fibers. At least one of the fibers used is a
manmade fiber that may be polyester, and the manmade portion of the
fabric forms a majority by weight of the fabric content. At least
one of the other fibers used is a natural fiber that may be cotton.
The fabric is less expensive than cotton as it is not fully made of
cotton. The manmade fiber of the fabric produces a filament yarn,
which filament yarn is easier to make than cotton yarn and so
fabric productivity is improved than when manufacturing a fabric of
cotton alone. That improved productivity can lead to lower
manufacturing costs. In addition, there is a tendency for
reasonable price stability for manmade fibers as opposed to the
price uncertainty that can be experienced with natural fibers such
as cotton, which can be subject to adverse impact from weather
conditions required to produce those fibers. That price stability
aids in the manufacturing process. The fabric including a majority
of the manmade fiber by weight is a more wrinkle-free fabric than a
fabric made of the natural fiber alone or in a majority by weight
and has better wrinkle-free characteristics than CVC.
[0031] The fabric of the present invention made with the majority
by weight manmade fiber based yarn has better tensile strength and
durability than does a fabric made primarily with a natural fiber
based yarn, including cotton or CVC. This is of great utility when
the fabric is subjected to substantial and regular stress, such as
occurs for commercial bedding, including in the hospitality
industry, that must be rigorously cleaned on a regular basis. That
fabric is also easier to clean, faster to dry, and requires little
to no ironing given its substantially wrinkle-free characteristic.
For those consumers interested in having a "shiny" fabric product,
such as bedding, for example, use of a majority of manmade fiber in
the product improves shine and gives a richer fabric appearance
than does cotton alone or CVC. In addition, the fabric made with a
majority of manmade fiber is softer to the touch and has a better
hand feel than does a fabric made solely or primarily with natural
fibers.
[0032] The fabric of the present invention that combines the
manmade fiber based yarn with the natural fiber based yarn such as
cotton eliminates some undesirable characteristics of natural
fibers including, but not limited to, a reduction in pilling and an
increase in durability. The present fabric includes positive
qualities of natural fibers, including the feel of a natural
fiber-based yarn, particularly in an embodiment of the invention in
which fabric is produced with the natural fiber yarn of the fabric
positioned as the "top" portion of the fabric; that is, as either
or both of the exterior surfaces of the fabric.
[0033] The fabric of the present invention includes more than 50%
content by weight of yarn made with manmade fiber components and
less than 50% by weight of yarn made with natural fiber components.
As shown in FIG. 1, an embodiment of the fabric 10 of the present
invention, which is shown in single-ply form, includes a plurality
of warp yarns 12 through which at least one weft yarn 14 is woven
or knitted. It is to be understood that the weft yarn 14 may be a
single, integral yarn or it may be a plurality of yarns. When the
weft yarn 14 is a plurality of yarns, the plurality of yarns may be
fastened together, such as by tying, for example, or they may be
separately woven or knitted through the warp yarns 12. When formed
by the warp and weft yarns 12/14, the fabric 10 has a front side 16
and a back side 17, which is opposite the front side 16.
[0034] The warp and weft yarns 12/14 include a plurality of fibers.
(Hereinafter, whenever the term "yarn" is not referred to
specifically as either a "warp yarn" or a "weft yarn", it is to be
understood that "yarn" is to include both a "warp yarn" and a "weft
yarn".) The fibers of the yarns 12/14 are formed of a combination
of manmade materials and natural materials comprising polyester and
cotton. Specifically, the warp yarn 12 may be formed of cotton,
CVC, cotton mixed with one or more other manmade or natural fibers
including cellulosic fibers, polyester, or polyester mixed with any
other manmade fibers. The warp yarn 12 is made with a density in
the range of 64 Reed (Ends) to 240 Reed (Ends) per inch. The weft
yarn 14 may also formed of cotton, CVC, cotton mixed with one or
more other manmade or natural fibers including cellulosic fibers,
polyester, or polyester mixed with any other manmade fibers. The
weft yarn 14 may be made in the range of 30 Pick to 120 Pick,
without limitation, up to any number of insertions for a single-ply
yarn, a multi-ply yarn or a parallel yarn.
[0035] The cotton used to make the fabric 10 of the present
invention may be selected from the group including 100% cotton,
Indian cotton, Egyptian cotton, Pima cotton, Supima cotton, and
CVC. The cotton count (Number English or "NE") is preferably NE 20
to NE 120 but is not limited thereto. The polyester used to make
the fabric 10 of the present invention may be selected from the
group including 100% polyester, textured or multi-textured
polyester yarn, polyester combined with one or more other manmade
fibers, and polyester mixed with one or more natural fibers.
Filament thickness of the polyester component of the fabric 10 may
be in the range of 8 denier to 250 denier but is not limited
thereto. The weave of the fabric 10 may be any of Satin (FIGS. 2
and 3), Twill (FIGS. 4 and 5), Jacquard, Dobby, and any combination
thereof. Further, the Satin weave may be a 4/1 weave (FIG. 2) or a
5/1 weave (FIG. 3), for example, and the Twill weave may be a 2/1
weave (FIG. 4) or a 2/2 weave (FIG. 5), for example. The weave may
also be a Percale weave.
[0036] A fabrication method 100 of the present invention suitable
for forming the fabric 10 of the first embodiment of the invention
includes a plurality of steps, several of which are optional, in
the fabrication of the first embodiment of the fabric. Generally,
the steps of the method 100 may be carried out as shown in FIG. 6.
In step 110, one or more warp yarns are selected wherein the warp
yarns may be formed of or include cellulosic fibers, and in step
112, one or more weft yarns are selected, wherein the weft yarns
may be formed of or include spun and/or texturized yarns. In step
114, a weave or knit is chosen. In step 116, the fabric 10 is
formed by weaving or knitting the selected warp yarn and selected
weft yarn together. For purposes of the description of the present
invention, the two terms may be used interchangeably, such that
when it is stated that the method 100 includes a weaving step, that
means weaving or knitting the yarns together. In optional step 118,
the fabric 10 may be sized simultaneously with the step 116 of
weaving. In optional step 120, the fabric 10 may be pre-treated to
prepare it for subsequent dyeing and/or printing, for example, or
for any other purpose. In optional step 120, the woven fabric 10
may be further processed as desired to produce a finished product,
such as bedding, for example.
[0037] The skilled artisan will recognize that the yarns 12/14 may
be woven or knitted to form the fabric 10 by using any one or more
of a variety of techniques that are well known in the art. For
example, the skilled artisan will recognize that such weaving may
be carried by using an air jet frame, and that such knitting may be
carried out by using a 28-gauge double loop circular frame, but the
method 100 is not restricted or limited to using these exact type
of machines. Other weaving methods include, but are not limited to,
the use of Airjet Looms, Sulzer Looms, Rapier Looms, and Waterjet
Looms in manners known to those of skill in the art. Further
description of manufacturing steps and equipment suitable for
making the fabric 10 of the present invention is provided in the
course materials document of Professors Emel Onder and Omer Berkalp
in the Istanbul Technical University course entitled "Weaving
Technology II Basic Operations in Weaving Process" available at
[0038] The content of that course materials document is
incorporated herein by reference but is not intended to be
limiting.
EXAMPLE
[0039] A fabric of the present invention was manufactured and
tested for fabric characteristics of interest. Specifically, a
woven fabric of 60.times.15 Denier configuration was manufactured
and was formed with a polyester yarn and a cotton yarn, with the
cotton forming the warp component of the fabric and the polyester
forming the weft component of the fabric, with the polyester yarn
comprising more than 50% by weight of the weight of the fabric. A
sample of the manufactured fabric was delivered to Intertek India
Private Limited, an independent fabric testing facility located in
Kanjurmarg (West), Mumbai, India. The Intertek testing of the
fabric example of the present invention was conducted and the
results are shown in FIG. 7. It can be seen by those skilled in the
art from the test results that the structural and wear
characteristics of an example of the fabric of the present
invention with a combination of manmade and natural fibers
including a majority of manmade fibers are positively comparable to
corresponding characteristics of fabrics with a combination of
manmade and natural fibers made with a minority amount of manmade
fibers. Specifically, the tensile and tear strengths of the fabric
are consistent with that which is desired in fabric products
including but not limited to bedding. Further, the color fastness,
absorbency and shrinkage characteristics are also consistent with
that which is desired in fabric products including but not limited
to bedding.
[0040] The skilled artisan will recognize that the fabric 10 of the
present invention having more than 50% by weight of manmade yarn
may be used for any one or more of a large variety of purposes and
to partially or wholly form any one or more of a large variety of
products. For example, the fabric 10 may be used to partially or
wholly form apparel or non-apparel products such as bedding,
towels, and clothing, but not limited thereto.
[0041] The present invention has been described with respect to
various examples. Nevertheless, it is to be understood that various
modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention as described by the following claims.
* * * * *