Woven or knitted fabric containing two different yarns and clothing comprising the same

• US 7,842,628 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2004
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd. (Teijin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Teijin Fibers Limited (Teijin Limited)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Kengo, Mizohata, Seiji, Yamaguchi, Takeshi, Yasui, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dye; Rena L
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEELE, JENNIFER A
• Application Number:
  US10/552,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20060223400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,357 Days
• Field of Search: 442/301, 442304-319, 442181-217, 66170-202
• US Class Current: 442/197
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 17/00 Selection of special materials for underwear
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 2400/60 Moisture handling or wicking function
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 31/00 Materials specially adapted for outerwear
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 31/145 using layered materials
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/28 Doubled, plied, or cabled threads D02G3/32, D02G3/36 take precedence; effect yarns D02G3/34; details of spindles, e.g. bearings D01H7/86
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/32 Elastic yarns or threads ; Production of plied or cored yarns, one of which is elastic
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/44 Yarns or threads characterised by the purpose for which they are designed protective gloves A41D19/00; protective clothing A62B17/00; ropes D07B1/02
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/00 Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/283 synthetic polymer-based, e.g. polyamide or polyester fibres cellulose-based artificial fibres D03D15/225
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/47 multicomponent, e.g. blended yarns or threads multicomponent fibres or filaments D03D15/292
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/16 synthetic threads
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 21/16 incorporating synthetic threads
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2201/02 Cotton
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2201/24 Viscose
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2201/28 Cellulose esters or ethers, e.g. cellulose acetate
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2321/022 polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2321/06 polymers of unsaturated alcohols, e.g. polyvinyl alcohol, or of their acetals or ketals
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2321/10 polymers of unsaturated nitriles, e.g. polyacrylonitrile, polyvinylidene cyanide
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2331/04 polyesters, e.g. polyethylene terephthalate [PET]
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/02 Moisture-responsive characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/046 : Shape recovering or form memory
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/061 : elastic
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/0114 : with one or more yarns appearing predominantly on one face, e.g. plated or paralleled yarns for pile fabrics D03D27/00, D04B1/02, D04B21/02; for intarsia fabrics D04B1/126
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/02 : Cross-sectional features for three-dimensional features D10B2403/033
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/023 : Fabric with at least two, predominantly unlinked, knitted or woven plies interlaced with each other at spaced locations or linked to a common internal co-extensive yarn system
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/0331 : with one or more convex or concave portions of limited extension, e.g. domes or pouches
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/00 : Wearing apparel
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/02 : Underwear
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2395 : Nap type surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/30 : Woven fabric [i.e., woven strand or strip material]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3065 : Including strand which is of specific structural definition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/313 : Strand material formed of individual filaments having different chemical compositions
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3154 : Sheath-core multicomponent strand material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3163 : Islands-in-sea multicomponent strand material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3179 : Woven fabric is characterized by a particular or differential weave other than fabric in which the strand denier or warp/weft pick count is specified
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3976 : Including strand which is stated to have specific attributes [e.g., heat or fire resistance, chemical or solvent resistance, high absorption for aqueous composition, water solubility, heat shrinkability, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/40 : Knit fabric [i.e., knit strand or strip material]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/438 : Strand material formed of individual filaments having different chemical compositions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/444 : Strand is a monofilament 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/45 : Knit fabric is characterized by a particular or differential knit pattern other than open knit fabric or a fabric in which the strand denier is specified

Abstract

A woven or knitted fabric, formed from two types of yarns different in self-elongating property upon absorbing water and capable of facilitating the air-permeability when wetted with water, is constituted so that a ratio A/B of a mean length A of yarns (1) having a high water-absorbing, self-elongating property to a mean length B of yarns (2) arranged in the same direction as that of the yarn (1) and having a lower water-absorbing, self-elongating property than that of the yarn (1) is adjusted to 0.9 or less.

Claims

1. A woven or knitted fabric containing yarns (1) having a high-water-absorbing and self-elongating property and yarns (2) having a low water-absorbing and self-elongating property,

wherein

(i) in the knitted fabric, the high water-absorbing and self-elongating yarns (1) and the low water-absorbing and self-elongating yarns (2) are combined in parallel with each other and the combined yarns form composite yarn loops in the fabric, and in the woven fabric, the high water-absorbing and self-elongating yarns (1) and the low-water absorbing and self-elongating yarns (2) are combined in parallel with each other, and the combined yarns form at least one of warps and wefts of the woven fabric,

or

the high water-absorbing and self-elongating yarns (1) and the low water-absorbing and self-elongating yarns (2) are formed into composite yarns or paralleled yarns, and the composite yarns or the paralleled yarns and the low water-absorbing and self-elongating yarns (2) are arranged alternately with every at least one yarn in at least one direction selected from the warp and weft directions of the woven fabric structure or in at least one direction selected from the wale and course directions of the knitted fabric structure,

or

at least one of the high water-absorbing and self-elongating yarns (1) is combined with at least one of the low water-absorbing and self-elongating yarns (2) to form a composite yarn,

(ii) when the high water-absorbing and self-elongating yarns (1) and the low water-absorbing and self-elongating yarns (2) are respectively subjected to a measurement of self-elongating on absorbing water in such a manner that each of the yarns is wound 10 times around a reel for hank having a circumference of 1.125 m long under a load of 0.88 mN/dtex to form a hank;

the hank is removed from the reel and left to stand in the air atmosphere having a temperature at 20 C and a relative humidity at 65% for 24 hours to dry the hank;

then the length (Ld, mm) of the dry hank is measured under a load of 1.76 mN/dtex when the yarn is a non-elastic yarn having an elongation at break of 200% or less, or under a load of 0.0088 mN/dtex when the yarn is an elastic yarn having an elongation at break higher than 200%;

the hank is immersed in water at a temperature at 20°

C. for 5 minutes;

then the hank is taken out from water;

a length (Lw, mm) of the wet hank is measured under the same load as described above in response to the elongation at break of the hank; and

the self-elongation of each yarn is calculated in accordance with the following equation;

Self-elongation of yarn(%);

[(Lw−

Ld)/(Ld)]×

100

one (1) of the two type of yarns is a high water-absorbing, self-elongating yarn having a mean self-elongation of +5% or more and the other (2) is a low water-absorbing, self-elongating yarn having a mean self-elongation lower than +5%;

(iii) the high water-absorbing, self-elongating yarns (1) are constituted from polyetherester monofilament formed from polyetherester elastomer comprising hard segments comprising polybutylene terephthalate blocks and soft segments consisting of polyoxyethylene glycol blocks having a number average molecular weight of 1,000 to 6,000; and

the ratio by mass of the hard segments to the soft segments in the polyetherester elastomer is in the range of from 30/70 to 70/30; and

(iv) when a test piece is prepared from the woven or knitted fabric in such a manner that the fabric is stabilized in dimension in the atmosphere having a temperature at 20°

C. and a relative humidity at 65% and then cut into pieces of 30 cm long in the warp or wale direction and 30 cm long in the weft or course direction, and when high water-absorbing and self-elongating yarns (1) and low water-absorbing and self-elongating yarns (2) arranged in the same direction as that of the high water-absorbing and self-elongating yarns (1) in the test piece are picked up from the test piece, the high water-absorbing and self-elongating yarns (1) and the low water-absorbing and self-elongating yarns (2) satisfy the following requirement;

A/B≦

0.9

wherein A represents a mean length of the picked up high water-absorbing and self-elongating yarns (1) and B represents a mean length of the picked up low water-absorbing and self-elongating yarns (2) which have been arranged in the same direction as that of the high water-absorbing and self-elongating yarns (1) in the test piece, the length of each of the picked up yarns having been measured under a load of 1.76 mN/dtex when the yarn is a non-elastic yarn having an elongation at break of 200% or less or under a load of 0.0088 mN/dtex when the yarn is an elastic yarn having an elongation at break higher than 200%, and whereby the air-permeability of said woven or knitted fabric increases when wetted with water.

2. The woven or knitted fabric containing two different types of yarns as defined by claim 1, wherein the difference (E₍₁₎-E₍₂₎) between the self-elongation (E₍₁₎) upon absorbing water of the yarn (1) and the self-elongation (E₍₂₎) upon absorbing water of the yarn (2) is in a range of from 5 to 40%.

3. The woven or knitted fabric containing two different types of yarns as defined by claim 1, having a knitted fabric structure, in which the yarns (1) and (2) are combined in parallel with each other, and the combined yarns form composite yarn loops in the fabric.

4. The woven or knitted fabric containing two different types of yarns as defined by claim 1, having a woven fabric structure in which the yarns (1) and (2) are combined in parallel with each other, and the combined yarns form at least one of warps and wefts of the woven fabric.

5. The woven or knitted fabric containing two different types of yarns as defined by claim 1, wherein composite yarns or paralleled yarns are formed from the two types of yarns (1) and (2), and the composite yarns or paralleled yarns and the yarns (2) are arranged alternately with every at least one yarn in at least one direction selected from the warp and weft directions of the woven fabric structure or in at least one direction selected from the wale and course directions in the knitted fabric structure.

6. The woven or knitted fabric containing two different types of yarns as defined by claim 1, wherein at least one of the yarns (1) is combined with at least one of the yarns (2) to form a composite yarn.

7. A woven or knitted fabric containing two different types of yarns as defined by claim 1, wherein fibers from which the yarn (2) having a low water-absorbing and self-elongating property is constituted, are selected from polyester fibers.

8. A woven or knitted fabric containing two different types of yarns as defined by claim 1 wherein, when the fabric is subjected to a measurement of change in opening area of the fabric in such a manner that a plurality of test pieces of the woven or knitted fabric are left to stand in the air atmosphere having a temperature at 20°

C. and a relative humidity at 65% for 24 hours to prepare a plurality of dry test pieces and, separately, a plurality of other test pieces of said woven or knitted fabric are immersed in water at a temperature at 20°

C. for 5 minutes, then taken out from water, and sandwiched between a pair of filter papers under the pressure of 490 N/m² for one minute to remove water existing in the interstices between fibers in the test pieces to prepare a plurality of wet test pieces, surfaces of each of the dry and wet test pieces are observed by an optical microscope at a magnification of 20 and the opening areas of the dry and wetted test pieces are calculated in accordance with the following equation;

Opening area(%)=

[(total area of openings between yarns)/(observed

area)]×

100

then, a mean value of the measured opening areas of each of the dry and wetted test pieces are calculated and a change between the mean opening area of the wetted test pieces and the mean opening area of the dry test pieces was calculated in accordance with the following equation;

Change in opening area(%)=

[(mean opening area of wetted test pieces)−

(mean opening area of dry test

pieces)]/(mean opening area of dry test pieces)×

100,

the resultant change in the opening area is at least 10%.

9. A woven or knitted fabric containing two different types of yarns as defined by claim 1 wherein, when a plurality of test pieces of the woven or knitted fabric are left to stand in the air atmosphere having a temperature of 20°

C. and a relative humidity of 65% for 24 hours to prepare a plurality of dry test pieces and, separately, a plurality of other test pieces of the woven or knitted fabric are immersed in water at a temperature of 20°

C. for 5 minutes, taken out from water, and sandwiched between a pair of filter papers under the pressure of 490 N/m² for one minute to remove water existing in the interstices between fibers in the test piece to prepare a plurality of wet test pieces, air-permeabilities of the dry and wetted test pieces are measured in accordance with JIS L 1096-1998, 6.27.1, Method A (Frazir type method), and a mean air-permeability of the dry test pieces and a mean air-permeability of the wet test pieces are calculated from the measurement data, and the change in air-permeability is calculated in accordance to the following equation;

Change in air-permeability=

[(mean air-permeability of wetted test pieces)−

(mean air-permeability of dry test

pieces)]/(mean air-permeability of dry test pieces)×

100,

the resultant change in air-permeability is 30% or more.

10. A woven or knitted fabric containing two different types of yarns as defined by claim 1, having a change in roughness of at least 5%;

determined in such a manner that a plurality of test pieces of the woven or knitted fabric are left to stand in the air atmosphere at a temperature of 20°

C. at a relative humidity of 65% for 24 hours to prepare a plurality of dry test pieces and, separately, a plurality of other test pieces of the woven or knitted fabric are immersed in water at a temperature of 20°

C. for 5 minutes, are taken out from water, and then are sandwiched between a pair of filter papers under the pressure of 490 N/m² for one minute to remove water existing in the interstices between fibers in the test pieces to prepare a plurality of wet test pieces, thickness (H1) of convexities and thickness (H2) of concavities formed in the woven or knitted fabric structure of each dry and wetted test pieces are measured, a roughness of each of the dry and wetted test pieces is calculated in accordance with the following equation;

Roughness(%)=

(thickness H1 of convexities)−

(thickness H2 of concave portion)/(thickness H2 of

concavities)×

100

wherein the thickness H1 of the convexities is a mean thickness of a convexities having an area of 1 mm×

1 mm and the thickness H2 of the concavities is a mean thickness of the concavities having an area of 1 mm×

1 mm and located in an approximately center part between two convexities adjacent to the concavities in the warp or course direction thereof, and the change in roughness is calculated in accordance with the following equation;

Change in roughness=

[(roughness of wetted test piece)−

(roughness of dry test piece)]/100.

11. A woven or knitted fabric containing two different types of yarns as defined by claim 1, having a woven fabric structure in which structure a warp yarn group W₍₂₎ consisting of a plurality of warp yarns, each formed solely from the yarns (2) having a low water-absorbing, self-elongating property and a warp yarn group (W₍₁₊₂₎) consisting of a plurality of warp yarns, each formed of a composite yarn or a paralleled yarn formed from the yarns (1) having a high water-absorbing, self-elongating property and the yarns (2) having a low water-absorbing, self-elongating property, are alternately arranged with each other and the warp yarn groups intersect a weft yarn group F₍₂₎ consisting of a plurality of weft yarns, each formed solely from the yarns (2) having a low water-absorbing, self-elongating property, and a weft yarn group (F₍₁₊₂₎) consisting of a plurality of well yarns, each formed from composite yarns formed from the yarns (1) having a high water-absorbing, self-elongating property and the yarns (2) having a low water-absorbing, self-elongating property, whereby a plurality of regions having a high water-absorbing and self-elongating property and formed by the intersection of the warp group (W₍₁₊₂₎) and the well group (F₍₁₊₂₎), are arranged with spaces from each other both in the warp and well directions, in the form of islands in sea.

12. A woven or knitted fabric containing two different types of yarns as defined by claim 1, having a double knitted structure comprising a cylinder side knitted layer and a dial side knitted layer tucked from either one of said layers to the other, wherein the cylinder side knitted layer is formed from the yarns (2) having a low water-absorbing, self-elongating property, and in the dial side knitted layer, regions composed solely of the yarns (2) having a low water-absorbing, self-elongating property and regions composed of composite yarns, each formed of the yarn (1) having a high water-absorbing, self-elongating property and the said yarn (2) having a low water-absorbing, self-elongating property, are arranged alternately with each other in the course direction and/or the wale direction.

13. A woven or knitted fabric, containing two different types of yarns as defined by claim 1, having a triply knitted structure comprising a cylinder side knitted layer, a dial side knitted layer and an intermediate knitted layer disposed between the above-mentioned two layers;

either one of the intermediate layer and the cylinder side knitted layer or the dial side knitted layer being tucked from the other, wherein the intermediate knitted layer is formed solely of the yarns (2) having a low water-absorbing, self-elongating property, and in each of said dial side and cylinder side knitted layers, regions composed solely of the yarns (2) having a low water-absorbing, self-elongating property and regions composed of composite yarns, each formed of the yarn (1) having a high water-absorbing, self-elongating property and the yarn (2) having a low water-absorbing, self-elongating property, are alternately arranged with each other in the course direction and/or the wale direction.

14. A woven or knitted fabric containing two different types of yarns as defined by claim 1, having a knitted fabric structure formed from of the two types of yarns (1) and (2), wherein the knitted fabric structure has a yarn density satisfying the following equation:

Co×

We≧

2,000

wherein Co represents the number of courses per 2.54 cm in the transverse direction of said knitted fabric, and We represent the number of wales per 2.54 cm in the longitudinal direction of said knitted fabric.

15. A woven or knitted fabric, containing two different types of yarns as defined by claim 1, having an air-permeability of 50 ml/cm².sec or less, determined in accordance with JIS L 1096-1998, 6.27.1, Method A (Frazir type method), in the air atmosphere having a temperature of 20°

C. and a relative humidity of 65%.

16. A woven or knitted fabric, containing two different types of yarns as defined by claim 1, having a woven fabric structure in which one of warp and weft of the fabric is formed from composite or paralleled yarns, each formed from at least one yarn having a high water-absorbing, self-elongating property and at least one yarn having a low water-absorbing, self-elongating property, and the other one of warp and weft is formed from the yarns having a low water-absorbing, self-elongating property, and further exhibiting a cover factor CF in the range of from 1,800 to 2,800, determined in accordance with the following equation:

CF=(DWp/1.1)^1/2×

MWp+(DWf/1.1)^1/2×

MWf

wherein DWp represents a total yarn thickness (dtex) of the warp yarns, MWP represents a weaving density (yarns/3.79 cm) of the warp yarns, DWf represents a total yarn thickness (dtex) of the weft yarns, and MWf represents a weaving density (yarns/3.79 cm) of the weft yarns.

17. A woven or knitted fabric containing two different types of yarns as defined by claim 16, wherein the composite yarn comprises a core portion formed from at least one yarn having a high water-absorbing, self-elongating property and a sheath portion surrounding the core portion and formed from a plurality of yarns having a low water-absorbing, self-elongating property.

18. Clothing comprising the woven or knitted fabric containing two different types of yarns as defined by claim 1, and capable of increasing the air-permeability thereof upon absorbing water.

19. Clothing as defined by claim 18, wherein at least one portion of said clothing selected from an armhole, a side, a bust, a back and a shoulder is formed from the woven or knitted fabric containing two different yarns.

20. Clothing as defined by claim 18, selected from underwear.

21. Clothing as defined by claim 18, selected from sportswear.