Elastomeric filament and its woven fabric

• US 5,106,678 A
• Filed: 08/30/1990
• Issued: 04/21/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Abu-Isa, Ismat A.
• Primary Examiner(s): KENDELL, LORRAINE
• Application Number:
  US07/632,034
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 428/221, 428/224, 428/225, 428/232, 428/364, 428/401
• US Class Current: 442/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/7094 Upholstery springs
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 6/84 from copolyesters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249921 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2913 Rod, strand, filament or fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/298 Physical dimension
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/183 Synthetic polymeric fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3008 Woven fabric has an elastic quality

Abstract

A woven mat of oriented elastomeric filaments wherein the filaments are spun from a thermoplastic elastomeric material selected from the group consisting of a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate and polytetramethylene glycol, a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate/polybutylene isophthalate and polyethylene glycol/polypropylene glycol, a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate/polyhexene terephthalate and polytetramethylene glycol, and a block copolymer of polyurethane and polytetramethylene glycol, the mole fraction of the polybutylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate/polybutylene isophthalate and polybutylene terephthalate/polyhexene terephthalate in the block copolymers is less than 0.5, the elastomeric filament is further oriented after the spinning by stretching at temperatures between 20° C. to 120° C. to a draw ratio between 5 to 7 such that the oriented filament exhibits a two-stage low tensile modulus and high tensile modulus behavior when tested in accordance with ASTM D-638 tensile test in such a way that the high modulus is at least 2 times greater than the low modulus.

Claims

1. A woven mat having a first multiplicity of individual closely spaced side-by-side located elastomeric filaments and a second multiplicity of individual closely spaced side-by-side located elastomeric filaments extending perpendicular to said first multiplicity of filaments, said elastomeric filaments having a diameter between 0.1 to 1.5 millimeters and being spun from a thermoplastic elastomeric material selected from the group consisting of a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate and polytetramethylene glycol, a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate/polybutylene isophthalate and polyethylene glycol/polypropylene glycol, a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate/polyhexene terephthalate and polytetramethylene glycol, and a block copolymer of polyurethane and polytetramethylene glycol, the mole fraction of said polybutylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate/polybutylene isophthalate and polybutylene terephthalate/polyhexene terephthalate in said block copolymers being less than 0.5, said elastomeric filaments being further oriented after said spinning by stretching such that said oriented filaments exhibit a two-stage low tensile modulus and high tensile modulus behavior when tested in accordance with ASTM D-638 tensile test procedure.

2. A woven mat having a first multiplicity of individual closely spaced side-by-side located elastomeric filaments and a second multiplicity of individual closely spaced side-by-side located elastomeric filaments extending perpendicular to said first multiplicity of filaments, said elastomeric filaments having a diameter between 0.1 to 1.5 millimeters and being spun from a thermoplastic elastomeric material selected from the group consisting of a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate and polytetramethylene glycol, a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate/polybutylene isophthalate and polyethylene glycol/polypropylene glycol, a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate/polyhexene terephthalate and polytetramethylene glycol, and a block copolymer of polyurethane and polytetramethylene glycol, the mole fraction of said polybutylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate/polybutylene isophthalate and polybutylene terephthalate/polyhexene terephthalate in said block copolymers being less than 0.5, said elastomeric filaments being further oriented by stretching such that said oriented filaments exhibit a two-stage low tensile modulus and high tensile modulus behavior when tested in accordance with ASTM D-638 tensile test procedure, said oriented elastomeric filaments having a modulus of elasticity at 100 percent elongation which is at least five times more than natural rubber.

3. A woven mat having a first multiplicity of individual closely spaced side-by-side located elastomeric filaments and a second multiplicity of individual closely spaced side-by-side located elastomeric filaments extending perpendicular to said first multiplicity of filaments, said elastomeric filaments having a diameter between 0.1 to 1.5 millimeters and being spun from a thermoplastic elastomeric material selected from the group consisting of a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate and polytetramethylene glycol, a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate/polybutylene isophthalate and polyethylene glycol/polypropylene glycol, a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate/polyhexene terephthalate and polytetramethylene glycol, and a block copolymer of polyurethane and polytetramethylene glycol, the mole fraction of said polybutylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate/polybutylene isophthalate and polybutylene terephthalate/polyhexene terephthalate in said block copolymers being less than 0.5, said elastomer filaments being further oriented by stretching such that said oriented filaments exhibit a two-stage low tensile modulus and high tensile modulus behavior when tested in accordance with ASTM D-638 tensile test procedure, said first and second multiplicities of elastomeric filaments being slidable relative to each other and not bonded to each other.

4. A woven mat having a first multiplicity of individual closely spaced side-by-side located elastomeric filaments and a second multiplicity of individual closely spaced side-by-side located elastomeric filaments extending perpendicular to said first multiplicity of filaments, said elastomeric filaments having a diameter between 0.1 to 1.5 millimeters and being spun from a thermoplastic elastomeric material selected from the group consisting of a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate and polytetramethylene glycol, a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate/polybutylene isophthalate and polyethylene glycol/polypropylene glycol, a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate/polyhexene terephthalate and polytetramethylene glycol, and a block copolymer of polyurethane and polytetramethylene glycol, the mole fraction of said polybutylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate/polybutylene isophthalate and polybutylene terephthalate/polyhexene terephthalate in said block copolymers being less than 0.5, and oriented by stretching such that said oriented filaments exhibit a two-stage low tensile modulus and high tensile modulus behavior when tested in accordance with ASTM D-638 tensile test procedure, said woven mat having a wave density of no more than 12 filaments per centimeter in both directions.

5. A woven mat having a first multiplicity of individual closely spaced side-by-side located elastomeric filaments and a second multiplicity of individual closely spaced side-by-side located elastomeric filaments extending perpendicular to said first multiplicity of filaments, said elastomeric filaments having a diameter between 0.1 to 1.5 millimeters and being spun from a thermoplastic elastomeric material selected from the group consisting of a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate and polytetramethylene glycol, a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate/polybutylene isophthalate and polyethylene glycol/polypropylene glycol, a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate/polyhexene terephthalate and polytetramethylene glycol, and a block copolymer of polyurethane and polytetramethylene glycol, the mole fraction of said polybutylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate/polybutylene isophthalate and polybutylene terephthalate/polyhexene terephthalate in said block copolymers being less than 0.5, and oriented by stretching at temperatures between 20°

C. to 120°

C. to a draw ratio between 5 to 7.

6. A woven mat having a first multiplicity of individual closely spaced side-by-side located elastomeric filaments and a second multiplicity of individual closely spaced side-by-side located elastomeric filaments extending perpendicular to said first multiplicity of filaments, said elastomeric filaments having a diameter between 0.1 to 1.5 millimeters and being spun from a thermoplastic elastomeric material selected from the group consisting of a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate and polytetramethylene glycol, a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate/polybutylene isophthalate and polyethylene glycol/polypropylene glycol, a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate/polyhexene terephthalate and polytetramethylene glycol, and a block copolymer of polyurethane and polytetramethylene glycol, the mole fraction of said polybutylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate/polybutylene isophthalate and polybutylene terephthalate/polyhexene terephthalate in said block copolymers being less than 0.5, and oriented by stretching at temperatures between 20°

C. to 120°

C. to a draw ratio between 5 to 7 such that said oriented filaments exhibit a two-stage low tensile modulus and high tensile modulus behavior when tested in accordance with ASTM D-638 tensile test procedure.

7. A woven mat having a first multiplicity of individual closely spaced side-by-side located elastomeric filaments and a second multiplicity of individual closely spaced side-by-side located elastomeric filaments extending perpendicular to said first multiplicity of filaments, said elastomeric filaments having a diameter between 0.1 to 1.5 millimeters and being spun from a thermoplastic elastomeric material selected from the group consisting of a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate and polytetramethylene glycol, a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate/polybutylene isophthalate and polyethylene glycol/polypropylene glycol, a block copolymer of polybutylene terephthalate/polyhexene terephthalate and polytetramethylene glycol, and a block copolymer of polyurethane and polytetramethylene glycol, the mole fraction of said polybutylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate/polybutylene isophthalate and polybutylene terephthalate/polyhexene terephthalate in said block copolymers being less than 0.5, and oriented by stretching at temperatures between 20°

C. to 120°

C. to a draw ratio between 5 to 7 such that said oriented filaments exhibit a two-stage low tensile modulus and high tensile modulus behavior when tested in accordance with ASTM D-638 tensile test procedure, in such a way that said high modulus being at least two times greater than said low modulus.