Woven fabric constructions having high cover factors and fill yarns with a weight per unit length less than the weight per unit length of warp yarns of the fabric

• US 6,668,868 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Warwick & York Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Warwick & York Incorporated
• Inventors: Hannigan, Mark, Howland, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Calvert, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Muromoto, Jr., Robert H
• Application Number:
  US09/943,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20020124904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 2/25, 139/DIG.1, 139/383.R, 442/205
• US Class Current: 139/383.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 19/01505 resistant to mechanical aggressions, e.g. cutting. piercing
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 31/245 using layered materials
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 next to a fibrous or filamentary 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: B60C 1/0016 Compositions of the tread
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 19/12 Puncture preventing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 9/0042 Reinforcements made of synthetic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 9/18 Structure or arrangement of belts or breakers, crown-reinforcing or cushioning layers
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 9/1821 comprising discrete fibres or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/02 Yarns or threads characterised by the material or by the materials from which they are made
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/442 Cut or abrasion resistant yarns or threads
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2209/103 Resistant to mechanical forces, e.g. shock, impact, puncture, flexion, shear, compression, tear
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2211/10 Clothing
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 3/0002 characterised by the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 3/0015 using fibres of specified chemical or physical nature, e.g. natural silk
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 3/0063 Inorganic compounding ingredients, e.g. metals, carbon fibres, Na2CO3, metal layers; Post-treatment with inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 139/01 Bias fabric digest
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3195 Three-dimensional weave [e.g., x-y-z planes, multi-planar warps and/or wefts, etc.]

Abstract

Puncture-resistant fabric layers such as a fabric layer with a high cover factor woven fabric having a fill yarn cover factor of at least about 75% of full and a warp yarn cover factor of at least about 100% of full formed of fill yarns and warp yarns, wherein the weight per unit length of the fill yarns is less than the weight per unit length of the warp yarns. Some embodiments have high tenacity fibers having a tensile breaking strength of at least about 10 g/Denier. Techniques for forming light weight yarns with high tenacity fibers for the small fill yarns and/or warp yarns. The high cover factor, small fill yarn-constructed woven fabrics can have natural and/or synthetic fibers with a tensile breaking strength less than about 10 g/Denier.

Claims

1. An article comprising:

a plurality of fill yarns, having a weight per unit length of a first value, and a plurality of warp yarns, having a weight per unit length of a second value greater than the first value, woven to form a fabric having a fill yarn round packed cover factor of at least about 75% and a warp yarn round packed cover factor of at least about 35%.

2. The article as in claim 1, wherein the fabric has a fill yarn round packed cover factor of at least about 75%.

3. The article as in claim 1, wherein the fabric has a fill yarn round packed cover factor of at least about 80%.

4. The article as in claim 1, wherein the fabric has a fill yarn round packed cover factor of at least about 88%.

5. The article as in claim 1, wherein the fabric has a fill yarn round packed cover factor of at least about 90%.

6. The article as in claim 1, wherein the fabric has a fill yarn round packed cover factor of at least about 90%.

7. The article as in claim 1, wherein the first value does not exceed about 400 Denier.

8. The article as in claim 1, wherein the second value is at least about 100 Denier.

9. The article as in claim 1, wherein the first value is about 200 Denier and the second value is about 400 Denier.

10. The article as in claim 1, wherein at least one yarn is at least partially formed of a fiber bundle comprising at least one fiber of a first type having a tensile breaking strength of at least about 10 g/Denier.

11. The article as in claim 10, wherein at least one yarn consists essentially of fibers having a tensile breaking strength of at least about 10 g/Denier.

12. The article as in claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of fill yarns and warp yarns consists of fibers having a tensile breaking strength of at least about 10 g/Denier.

13. The article as in claim 12, wherein the fiber bundle comprises a plurality of essentially continuous filament fibers.

14. The article as in claim 13, wherein the fiber bundle comprises a plurality of staple fibers spun together.

15. The article as in claim 14, wherein the fiber bundle has a primary twist multiplier of at least about 2.7.

16. The article as in claim 14, wherein the plurality of staple fibers includes at least one fiber of a first type having a tensile breaking strength of at least 10 g/Denier and at least one fiber of a second type having a tensile breaking strength less than about 10 g/Denier.

17. The article as in claim 16, wherein the at least one fiber of the first type is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of;

para-aramids, liquid crystal polyesters, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylenes, and poly(p-phenylene-2, 6-benzobisoxazole)(PBO).

18. The article as in claim 16, wherein the at least one fiber of the second type is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of;

polyamides, cellulosic materials, polyesters, acrylic polymers, meta-aramids, and polyolefins.

19. The article as in claim 14, wherein at least one yearn is at least partially formed of at least a first fiber bundle and a second fiber bundle plied together.

20. The article as in claim 19, wherein the yarn has a secondary ply twist of at least about ¼

that of a primary twist of the first fiber bundle and the second fiber bundle.

21. The article as in claim 19, wherein the first fiber bundle comprises the fiber bundle comprising at least one fiber of the first type and the second fiber bundle comprises at least one fiber of a second type having a tensile breaking strength less than about 10 g/Denier.

22. The article as in claim 21, wherein the at least one fiber of the first type is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of;

para-aramids, liquid crystal polyesters, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylenes, and poly(p-phenylene-2, 6-benzobisoxazole)(PBO).

23. The article as in claim 21, wherein the at least one fiber of the second type is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of;

polyamides, cellulosic materials, polyesters, acrylic polymers, meta-aramids, and polyolefins.

24. The article as in claim 19, wherein each of the first fiber bundle and the second fiber bundle comprise at least one fiber of the first type and at least one fiber of a second type having a tensile breaking strength less than about 10 g/Denier.

25. The article as in claim 24, wherein the at least one fiber of the first type is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of;

para-aramids, liquid crystal polyesters, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylenes, and poly(p-phenylene-2, 6-benzobisoxazole)(PBO).

26. The article as in claim 25, wherein the at least one fiber of the second type is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of;

polyamides, cellulosic materials, polyesters, acrylic polymers, meta-aramids, and polyolefins.

27. An article of apparel formed, at least in part, from the fabric as recited in claim 1.

28. The article of apparel as in claim 27, wherein the article of apparel is selected from the group consisting of;

gloves, aprons, chaps, pants, boots, gators, shirts, jackets, coasts, socks, shoes, protective suits, undergarments, vests, waders, hats, and gauntlets.

29. An article as in claim 1, said fill yarns and said warp yarns comprised substantially of fibers at least about four inches in length.

30. A method comprising the step of:

weaving a plurality of fill yarns having a weight per unit length of a first value together with a plurality of warp yarns having a weight per unit length of a second value greater than the first value to form a woven fabric having a fill yarn round packed cover factor of at least about 75% and a warp yarn round packed cover factor of at least about 35%.

31. The method as in claim 30, further comprising before the weaving step, the steps of:

forming at least one fiber bundle by bundling together a plurality of essentially continuous filament fibers; and

forming at least one yarn of the plurality of yarns at least in part from the fiber bundle.

32. The method as in claim 30, said fill yarns and said warp yarns comprised substantially of fibers at least about four inches in length.

33. The method as in claim 30, further comprising before the weaving step, the steps of:

forming at least one fiber bundle by spinning together a plurality of staple fibers; and

forming at least one yarn of the plurality of yarns at least in part from the fiber bundle.

34. The method as in claim 33, wherein the fiber bundle is formed by a Cotton System spinning process and the length of the staple fibers does not exceed about two inches.

35. The method as in claim 33, wherein the fiber bundle is formed by a Worsted System spinning process and the length of the stable fibers exceeds about two inches.

36. The method as in claim 33, wherein the fiber bundle has a primary twist multiplier of between at least about 3.5 and at least about 5.0, and preferably of at least about 4.5.

37. The method as in claim 33, wherein the step for forming the at least one yarn comprises plying together the fiber bundle with at least one other fiber bundle.

38. The method as in claim 37, wherein the yarn has a secondary ply twist of at least about ¼

that of a primary twist of the fibers forming the at least one yarn.

39. An article comprising a plurality of fill yarns, having a weight per unit length of a first value, and a plurality of warp yarns, having a weight per unit length of a second value greater than the first value, woven to form a fabric having a fill yarn round packed cover factor of at least about 75% and a warp yarn round packed cover factor of at least about 35%, at least one of the plurality of yarns forming the fabric comprising at least one fiber bundle formed of spun stable fibers and having a primary twist multiplier of at least about 2.7.

40. The article as in claim 39, wherein the fabric has a fill yarn round packed cover factor of at least about 75%.

41. The article as in claim 39, wherein the fabric has a fill yarn round packed cover factor of at least about 80%.

42. The article as in claim 39, wherein the fabric has a fill yarn round packed cover factor of at least about 88%.

43. The article as in claim 39, wherein the fabric has a fill yarn round packed cover factor of at least about 90%.

44. The article as in claim 39, wherein the fabric has a fill yarn round packed cover factor of at least about 92%.

45. The article as in claim 39, wherein the fiber bundle has a primary twist multiplier of between at least about 3.5 and at least about 5.0, and preferably of at least about 4.5.

46. The article as in claim 39, wherein at least one of the plurality of yarns forming the fabric comprises at least two fiber bundles plied together to form a plied yarn.

47. The article as in claim 46, wherein the plied yarn has a secondary ply twist of between at least about ¼

and at least about equal that of a primary twist of the at least two fiber bundles.

48. The article as in claim 39, wherein the fiber bundle is formed by a Cotton System spinning process and the length of the staple fibers does not exceed about two inches.

49. The article as in claim 39, wherein the fiber bundle is formed by a Worsted System spinning process and the length of the stable fibers exceeds about two inches.

50. An article of apparel formed, at least in part, from the fabric as recited in claim 39.

51. The article of apparel as in claim 50, wherein the article of apparel is selected from the group consisting of;

gloves, aprons, chaps, pants, boots, gators, shirts, jackets, coasts, socks, shoes, protective suits, undergarments, vests, waders, hats, and gauntlets.