Cellulosic substrates with reduced absorbent capacity having the capability to wick liquids

• US 7,008,887 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cotton, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cotton, Inc.
• Inventors: Rearick, William A., Andersen, Birgit
• Primary Examiner(s): Torres, Norca
• Application Number:
  US09/969,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20020064639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 442/79, 442 81- 82, 442/187, 442/211, 442/307, 442/86, 442/181, 428/365, 428/393, 428/364, 428/375, 428/292.1
• US Class Current: 442/79
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 31/12 Hygroscopic; Water retaining
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15577 Apparatus or processes for manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51121 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/512 characterised by its apertures, e.g. perforations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51305 having areas of different permeability
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/537 characterised by a layer facilitating or inhibiting flow in one direction or plane, e.g. a wicking layer A61F13/538 takes precedence
• 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 2262/0276 Polyester fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0292 Polyurethane fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/04 Cellulosic plastic fibres, e.g. rayon
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/065 Lignocellulosic fibres, e.g. jute, sisal, hemp, flax, bamboo
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/726 Permeability to liquids, absorption
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/73 Hydrophobic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2555/02 Diapers or napkins
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/306 comprising vinyl acetate or vinyl alcohol (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/32 comprising polyolefins comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/34 comprising polyamides
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/40 comprising polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 : Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/08 : the fibres or filaments of a layer being of different substances , e.g. conjugate fibres, mixture of different fibres
• 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 9/02 : comprising animal or vegetable substances , e.g. cork, bamboo, starch
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/045 : of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/425 : Cellulose series
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4374 : using different kinds of webs, e.g. by layering webs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249924 : Noninterengaged fiber-containing paper-free web or sheet which is not of specified porosity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2913 : Rod, strand, filament or fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2915 : including textile, cloth or fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2933 : Coated or with bond, impregnation or core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2965 : Cellulosic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2164 : Coating or impregnation specified as water repellent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/218 : Organosilicon containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2189 : Fluorocarbon containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2221 : Coating or impregnation is specified as water proof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/30 : Woven fabric [i.e., woven strand or strip material]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3049 : Including strand precoated with other than free metal or alloy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3244 : Including natural strand material [e.g., cotton, wool, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/419 : Including strand precoated with other than free metal or alloy

Abstract

The present invention relates to cellulosic substrates with reduced absorbent capacity having the capability to wick liquids, as well as to methods of manufacturing such cellulosic substrates. The cellulosic substrates provided by the present invention comprise an inside and an outside connected to the inside. The inside comprises cellulosic fibers and has a reduced absorbent capacity, and the outside comprises cellulosic fibers. The outside may have a reduced absorbent capacity and may have an absorbent capacity higher than the inside. The cellulosic substrate is capable of wicking liquid contacting the inside of the substrate to the outside of the substrate.

Claims

1. A woven or knit fabric comprising:

an inside surface comprising cellulosic fibers; and

an outside surface comprising cellulosic fibers;

wherein;

the inside surface has a discontinuous hydrophobicity, the outside surface has a higher absorbent capacity than the inside surface, and the fabric has channels of hydrophilic fibers for wicking liquid contacting the inside surface of the fabric to the outside surface of the fabric;

the inside surface comprises a first yarn formed from a blend of cellulosic fibers treated with a hydrophobic treatment and cellulosic fibers not treated with a hydrophobic treatment; and

the outside surface comprises a second yarn formed either from cellulosic fibers not treated with a hydrophobic treatment or from a blend of cellulosic fibers treated with a hydrophobic treatment and cellulosic fibers not treated with a hydrophobic treatment, the ratio of treated fibers to untreated fibers in the second yarn being lower than the ratio of treated fibers to untreated fibers in the first yarn.

2. The fabric of claim 1 wherein the ratio of treated fibers to untreated fibers in the first yarn is from 99:

1 to 10;

90.

3. A woven or knit fabric comprising:

an inside surface comprising cellulosic fibers; and

an outside surface comprising cellulosic fibers;

wherein;

the inside surface has a discontinuous hydrophobicity, the outside surface has a higher absorbent capacity than the inside surface, and the fabric has channels of hydrophilic fibers for wicking liquid contacting the inside surface of the fabric to the outside surface of the fabric;

the inside surface comprises a first yarn and a second yarn, the first and second yarns being formed from cellulosic fibers, the first yarn being treated with a hydrophobic treatment, the second yarn not being treated with a hydrophobic treatment; and

the outside surface comprises the first yarn and the second yarn, the first yarn being present on the outside surface of the fabric in a lower amount than on the inside surface of the fabric.

4. The fabric of claim 3 wherein the first yarn has been subjected to a discontinuous hydrophobic treatment.

5. The fabric of claim 3 wherein the ratio of the second yarn to the first yarn on the outside surface is from 99:

1 to 10;

90.