Breathable light weight unidirectional laminates

• US 10,443,160 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Arvidson, Brian Duane, Ardiff, Henry Gerard, Bhatnagar, Ashok, Ehle, Tamara L., Litow, Shari E., Waring, Brian, Boone, Mark Benjamin, Tam, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Hern, Brent T
• Application Number:
  US15/621,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20170275790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 428113
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/02 on fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/26 Polymeric coating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/021 Fibrous or filamentary layer layers of natural mineral fibres or particles being impregnated in a plastic substance B32B19/02
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/046 Synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/02 Synthetic macromolecular fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0223 Vinyl resin fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0246 Acrylic resin fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0253 Polyolefin fibres vinyl or acrylic copolymers B32B2262/0223 or B32B2262/0246
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0261 Polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0269 Aromatic polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0276 Polyester fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0284 Polyethylene terephthalate [PET] or polybutylene terephthalate [PBT]
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/062 Cellulose fibres, e.g. cotton
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/101 Glass fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/106 Carbon fibres, e.g. graphite fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/14 Mixture of at least two fibres made of different materials
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/025 Polyolefin vinyl or acrylic copolymers B32B2266/0221, B32B2266/0242
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/0278 Polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/402 Coloured
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/41 Opaque
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/412 : Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/414 : Translucent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/54 : Yield strength; Tensile strength
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/554 : Wear resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/5825 : Tear resistant
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/712 : Weather resistant
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/724 : Permeability to gases, adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/7265 : Non-permeable
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/73 : Hydrophobic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/732 : Dimensional properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2437/00 : Clothing anti-ballistic clothing B32B2571/02
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2437/02 : Gloves, shoes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 : next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/285 : comprising polyethers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 : comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/40 : comprising polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/30 : characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 : Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/024 : Woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/026 : Knitted fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/028 : Net structure, e.g. spaced apart filaments bonded at the crossing points
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/18 : characterised by features of a layer of foamed material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/245 : another layer next to it being a foam layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 : another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/04 : Interconnection of layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/14 : applied in spaced arrangements, e.g. in stripes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/025 : comprising leather
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/047 : made of fibres or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/0052 : Antiballistic fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/46 : Flat yarns, e.g. tapes or films
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/47 : multicomponent, e.g. blended yarns or threads multicomponent fibres or filaments D03D15/292
• CPC Class Codes: D06C 7/00 : Heating or cooling textile fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/041 : thermoplastic; thermosetting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24124 : Fibers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/30 : Woven fabric [i.e., woven strand or strip material]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3146 : Strand material is composed of two or more polymeric materials in physically distinct relationship [e.g., sheath-core, side-by-side, islands-in-sea, fibrils-in-matrix, etc.] or composed of physical blend of chemically different polymeric materials or a physical blend of a polymeric material and a filler material

Abstract

Lightweight, breathable, non-woven fibrous materials and composite articles incorporating the same are provided. Composite articles are formed by merging an open, non-woven grid formed from high tenacity elongate bodies with at least one substrate, forming an article having excellent tensile strength, excellent breathability and a unique aesthetic appearance.

Claims

1. An open, non-woven fabric comprising:

a) a first array comprising a plurality of laterally spaced first elongate bodies, wherein immediately laterally adjacent first elongate bodies are spaced apart from each other at their nearest longitudinal edges whereby an empty space is between said immediately laterally adjacent first elongate bodies;

wherein each of said first elongate bodies comprises at least one filament and comprises a polymeric binder material coating, said polymeric binder material coating comprising less than 50% by weight of each of said first elongate bodies, and wherein at least about 75% of the surface area of each of the first elongate bodies is covered with the polymeric binder material;

b) a second array comprising a plurality of laterally spaced second elongate bodies, wherein immediately laterally adjacent second elongate bodies are spaced apart from each other at their nearest longitudinal edges whereby an empty space is between said immediately laterally adjacent second elongate bodies;

wherein each of said second elongate bodies comprises at least one filament and comprises a polymeric binder material coating, said polymeric binder material coating comprising less than 50% by weight of each of said second elongate bodies, and wherein at least about 75% of the surface area of each of the second elongate bodies is covered with the polymeric binder material;

wherein the first array overlies the second array and wherein the first elongate bodies are oriented at an angle relative to the second elongate bodies, whereby gaps are defined at junctions of pairs of overlying, adjacent first elongate bodies and pairs of underlying, adjacent second elongate bodies;

wherein each of the first elongate bodies overlies and is bonded to a plurality of the second elongate bodies, and wherein each of the second elongate bodies underlies and is bonded to a plurality of the first elongate bodies, whereby the first elongate bodies and the second elongate bodies are bonded to each other at their junctions.

2. The open, non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein said first elongate bodies and said second elongate bodies each comprise high tenacity elongate bodies having a tenacity of at least about 14 g/denier and a tensile modulus of at least about 300 g/denier.

3. The open, non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein said first elongate bodies of said first array are unidirectionally oriented and wherein said second elongate bodies of said second array are unidirectionally oriented, wherein said adjacent first elongate bodies are spaced apart from each other at their nearest longitudinal edges by at least about 1/16 inch and wherein said adjacent second elongate bodies are spaced apart from each other at their nearest longitudinal edges by at least about 1/16 inch.

4. The open, non-woven fabric of claim 3 wherein said adjacent first elongate bodies are spaced apart from each other at their nearest longitudinal edges by at least about 1/16 inch to about 1/12 inch and wherein said adjacent second elongate bodies are spaced apart from each other at their nearest longitudinal edges by at least about 1/16 inch to about 1/12 inch.

5. The open, non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein all of the surface area of all of said first and second elongate bodies is coated with said binder coating.

6. The open, non-woven fabric of claim 5 wherein said resin comprises a polyurethane.

7. The open, non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein said first and second elongate bodies each comprise multifilament tapes, each multifilament tape comprising a compressed and flattened fiber.

8. The open, non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein said first and second elongate bodies each comprise multifilament fibers.

9. The open, non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein said first and second elongate bodies comprise a combination of multifilament polyethylene tapes and multifilament polyethylene fibers, wherein each tape comprises a compressed and flattened polyethylene fiber and wherein each fiber comprises a bundle of filaments.

10. The open, non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein the first array and the second array bonded together form a first layer, wherein said non-woven fabric further comprises a second layer, said first layer having a composition and construction and said second layer having a composition and construction, wherein the composition and construction of said second layer are the same as the composition and construction of the first layer, and wherein said first layer and said second layer are bonded together.

11. The open, non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein the first array and the second array are substantially the same, wherein the elongate bodies forming the first array and the elongate bodies forming the second array all comprise the same fiber/tape type, have substantially the same dimensions, and have substantially the same spacing between adjacent elongate bodies.

12. The open, non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein the first array and the second array are different, wherein the elongate bodies forming the first array have different deniers than the elongate bodies forming the second array.

13. The open, non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein the first array and the second array are different, wherein the spacing between adjacent elongate bodies of the first array is different than the spacing between adjacent elongate bodies of the second array.

14. The open, non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein each of said first elongate bodies and said second elongate bodies has a denier of from about 100 to about 800.

15. The open, non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein the fabric has a total areal density of from about 6 grams/m² to about 50 grams/m².

16. The open, non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein said gaps are open.

17. The open, non-woven fabric of claim 5 wherein said gaps are open.

18. The open, non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein at least about 85% of the surface area of each of the first elongate bodies is covered with the polymeric binder material and wherein at least about 85% of the surface area of each of the second elongate bodies is covered with the polymeric binder material.

19. The open, non-woven fabric of claim 1 wherein at least about 95% of the surface area of each of the first elongate bodies is covered with the polymeric binder material and wherein at least about 95% of the surface area of each of the second elongate bodies is covered with the polymeric binder material.