Enhanced thickness fabric and method of making same

• US 7,786,026 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Adfors Canada Ltd. (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Saint Gobain Technical Fabrics America Inc (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain S.A.)
• Inventors: Tucker, Mark W., Newton, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruddock; Ula C
• Application Number:
  US10/742,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20050136758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,447 Days
• Field of Search: 442/2, 442/20, 442/29, 442/42, 442/43, 442/45, 442/46, 442/48, 442/49, 442/164, 442/180, 442/208
• US Class Current: 442/2
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/22 oriented in at least two directions forming a two dimensional structure woven fabrics per se D03D; knitted fabrics per se D04D; braid per se D04C
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/56 Tensioning reinforcements before or during shaping
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/267 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 19/00 Gauze or leno-woven fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2505/02 Reinforcing materials; Prepregs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/102 Woven scrim
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/133 Inorganic fiber-containing scrim
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/148 Including a coating or impregnation containing particulate material other than fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/171 Including a layer derived from a water-settable material [e.g., cement, gypsum, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/172 Coated or impregnated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/176 Three or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/178 Synthetic polymeric fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/181 Bitumen coating or impregnation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/183 Synthetic polymeric fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2861 Coated or impregnated synthetic organic fiber fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2992 Coated or impregnated glass fiber fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/322 Warp differs from weft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3301 Coated, impregnated, or autogenous bonded

Abstract

The present invention provides thickened fabrics and reinforcements for use as a spacer or reinforcement for a matrix system. The fabric includes in a first embodiment a woven fabric comprising weft and warp yarns containing glass fibers. A portion of the weft yarns are undulated, resulting in an increased thickness for the fabric. The fabric is coated with a polymeric resin or bonding agent, for substantially binding the weft yarns in the undulated condition. This invention also includes methods for making such fabric by increasing the thickness of a woven or non-woven material by such methods as applying tension during weaving operations, or using unbalanced yarns.

Claims

1. A reinforcing fabric comprising:

a plurality of X axis yarns and Y axis yarns comprising reinforcing fibers, wherein the yarns are combined to form a layer of the fabric;

a selected some of the yarns in the layer being subject to tensile force, which applies torque on other yarns in the layer, such that said other yarns become undulated from first orientations to second orientations to increase a thickness of the layer by at least about 50% when viewed in a plane of the fabric; and

a bonding agent on the layer holding said other yarns in said second orientations.

2. The fabric of claim 1, wherein the bonding agent comprises a polymeric material.

3. The fabric of claim 1, wherein the bonding agent comprises a coating on the yarns.

4. The fabric of claim 1 wherein, the yarns are combined in the layer to form a woven layer, a scrim layer, a mesh layer, a braided layer or a combination thereof.

5. The fabric of claim 1 wherein, the yarns are combined in the layer to form a woven layer or a non-woven layer.

6. The fabric of claim 1 wherein, the yarns comprise glass reinforcing fibers.

7. The fabric of claim 1 wherein, the yarns and the bonding agent are resistant to corrosion.

8. The fabric of claim 1 wherein, said other yarns having moved to the new orientations comprise undulated yarns.

9. The fabric of claim 1 wherein, the weight of said some yarns comprising warp yarns is greater than the weight of said other yarns comprising weft yarns.

10. The fabric of claim 1 wherein, said some yarns comprise warp yarns, said other yarns comprise weft yarns, and the number of said weft yarns is less than that of said warp yarns.

11. The fabric of claim 1 wherein, the weight of said some yarns comprising warp yarns is greater than the weight of said other yarns comprising weft yarns, and the number of said weft yarns is less than that of said warp yarns.

12. The fabric of claim 1 wherein, said some yarns comprise warp yarns, said other yarns comprise weft yarns, and said warp yarns and said weft yarns, respectively, are spaced apart at least about 1 mm.

13. The fabric of claim 1, wherein the fabric is embedded in a matrix material to comprise, a road reinforcement, a soil reinforcement, a cement or gypsum board reinforcement, a water drainage pipe reinforcement, a roofing membrane reinforcement, a shingle reinforcement or a medical cast reinforcement.

14. The fabric of claim 1 wherein, said some yarns comprise warp yarns, and said other yarns having moved to the new orientations comprise undulated weft yarns.

15. The fabric of claim 14 wherein, said warp yarns and said weft yarns, respectively, are spaced apart at least about 1 mm.

16. The fabric of claim 14 wherein, the yarns are combined in the layer to form a woven layer, a scrim layer, a mesh layer, a braided layer or a combination thereof.

17. The fabric of claim 14 wherein, the yarns are combined in the layer to form a woven layer or a non-woven layer.

18. The fabric of claim 14, wherein the bonding agent comprises a polymeric material.

19. The fabric of claim 14, wherein the bonding agent comprises a coating on the yarns.

20. The fabric of claim 14 wherein, the yarns comprise glass reinforcing fibers.

21. The fabric of claim 14 wherein, the yarns and the bonding agent are resistant to corrosion.

22. The fabric of claim 14 wherein, the weight of said warp yarns is greater than the weight of said weft yarns.

23. The fabric of claim 14 wherein, the number of said weft yarns is less than that of said warp yarns.