HYBRID YARNS, METHOD OF MAKING HYBRID YARNS AND FABRICS MADE OF HYBRID YARNS

Abstract

A hybrid yarn and a fabric including the hybrid yarn are provided. The hybrid yarn is formed of a plurality of fibers of a plurality of different fiber compositions. The different fiber compositions are interspersed throughout the yarn. The yarn may be formed using fibers made of the same material or a plurality of different materials. The different fiber compositions may include fibers of three or more different cross sections, fibers made of different materials or a combination of the two. The materials may be synthetic and/or natural materials. The yarn may be constructed to impart selectable functional characteristics to a fabric without the need to include chemicals to impart those characteristics. Fabrics made with the hybrid yarn will have selectable functional features and also be of lighter weight than previously possible. Hybrid spinnerets may be used to produce hybrid yarns with three or more different fiber cross sections.

Claims

1. A hybrid yarn comprising a plurality of fibers, wherein the plurality of fibers includes fibers of a plurality of different compositions and wherein the fibers of the plurality of different compositions are interspersed with one another throughout the yarn.

2. The hybrid yarn of claim 1 formed of one or more polymeric materials.

3. The hybrid yarn of claim 1 wherein the plurality of different fiber compositions comprises three or more different cross sections and all of the plurality of fibers are made of the same material.

4. The hybrid yarn of claim 1 wherein the plurality of different fiber compositions comprises making the plurality of fibers of a plurality of different materials.

5. The hybrid yarn of claim 4 wherein the plurality of different materials includes one or more natural materials.

6. The hybrid yarn of claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of different fiber compositions is a material that can provide fire retardant functionality to the hybrid yarn.

7. The hybrid yarn of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of different fiber compositions is a fiber with a cross section that is at least partially voided.

8. The hybrid yarn of claim 7 wherein the fiber with a cross section that is at least partially voided comprises between about 15% and about 85% of the total number of fibers of the hybrid yarn.

9. The hybrid yarn of claim 1 wherein the number of fibers of each of the plurality of different compositions may be the same or different.

10. The hybrid yarn of claim 1 wherein the yarn is a spun yarn.

11. A fabric formed using one or more yarns wherein at least one of the one or more yarns is a hybrid yarn comprising a plurality of fibers, wherein the plurality of fibers includes fibers of a plurality of different compositions are interspersed with one another throughout the yarn.

12. The fabric of claim 11 wherein the at least one hybrid yarn is formed of a plurality of different materials.

13. The fabric of claim 11 wherein the plurality of different fiber compositions comprises fibers of three different or more different cross sections and all of the plurality of fibers are made of the same material.

14. The fabric of claim 11 wherein the plurality of different fiber compositions comprises making the fibers of a plurality of different materials.

15. The fabric of claim 14 wherein the plurality of different materials includes one or more natural materials.

16. The fabric of claim 11 wherein one of the plurality of different fiber compositions includes fibers made of a material that can provide fire retardant functionality to the fabric.

17. The fabric of claim 11 wherein at least one of the plurality of different fiber compositions is a fiber with a cross section that is at least partially voided.

18. The fabric of claim 17 wherein the at least one fiber with a cross section that is at least partially voided comprises between about 15% and about 85% of the total number of fibers of the hybrid yarn.

19. The fabric of claim 11 wherein the number of fibers of each of the plurality of different fiber compositions may be the same or different.

20. The fabric of claim 11 wherein the at least one hybrid yarn is configured to enable fluid transport management through the fabric.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] FIG. 1 is a simplified representation of the primary components and steps associated with the prior art for making a synthetic yarn formed with three different filament types.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a simplified cross section representation of a portion of a prior yarn made of the three different filament types pursuant to FIG. 1.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a simplified representation of the primary components and steps associated with the process for making a synthetic hybrid yarn of the present invention formed with three different filament cross sections using a single spinneret.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a representation of a first set of example filament cross sections that may be used to make some forms of the hybrid yarn of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 5 is a representation of a second set of example filament cross sections that may be used to make some forms of the hybrid yarn of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 6 is a simplified front face view of a hybrid spinneret of the present invention suitable for use in making a hybrid yarn of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 7 is a graph showing the cooling capability of an example fabric made using a hybrid yarn of the present invention compared to the cooling capability of two fabrics made using conventional prior-art yarns.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0031] A hybrid yarn of the present invention includes a plurality of fibers with the plurality of fibers including a plurality of different fiber compositions wherein there may be three or more different fiber compositions. The different fiber compositions may be three or more different fiber cross sections formed of the same material such as a synthetic material. The different fiber compositions may be different filament materials. The different materials may be synthetic, natural or a combination of the two. The different fiber compositions may be a combination of different materials and different cross sections. In all instances, the plurality of fibers are combined together so that the fibers of different compositions are interspersed among themselves so that they are integrated with one another in a selectable yarn construction.

[0032] The hybrid yarn including the three or more different fiber cross sections can be made with a single synthetic material such as a polymeric material such as polyester or Nylon, for example. That single polymeric material may be used to form the fibers. As noted, fibers made of other materials, such as other polymeric materials and/or natural materials, may be combined with the fibers of different cross sections of the single synthetic material. A fiber composition of the present invention may also include the use of fibers of natural materials including, for example, cotton.

[0033] Spun yarns having the plurality of fibers with a plurality of different fiber compositions interspersed throughout the yarn also forms part of this invention. Continuous filament yarns produced by various hybrid spinneret designs such as those disclosed herein can be cut into staple fiber and then spun into spun yarns when a spun yarn is required, as is known by those skilled in the field of making spun yarns. The spun yarns created, may consist solely of the staple fibers produced from the filaments extruded through the spinneret or they may be combined with other fibers to produce the spun yarns desired. In these cases, natural fibers such as cotton or wool may be used as part of the blend of the spun yarn. Other fibers such as polyamide or aramid fibers may be used as part of the blend. The blend of fibers used to produce multi-function spun yarns is not limited to the fibers just mentioned herein, but is based strictly on the characteristics desired in the final product.

[0034] A process for making an example of a hybrid yarn 102 of the present invention made using a single polymeric material with three or more different cross sections is shown in simplified form in FIG. 3. In a first step of the process, the polymeric material, such as polyester, for example, from source 112 is melted and passed through a spinneret 114 to generate polyester filaments 116. In this example, spinneret 114 includes a plurality of ports of three different cross sections, including a first cross section, a second cross section and a third cross section, through which liquefied polyester passes. The polyester filaments 116 comprise first-shaped filaments 122, second-shaped filaments 124 and third-shaped filaments 126 interspersed with one another. The spinneret has three different port cross sections selected based on the desired characteristics of the yarn to be produced. Examples of the types of filament cross sections that may be fabricated are represented in FIGS. 4 and 5. These and other filament cross sections may be produced using spinnerets with portals having corresponding cross sections. In a second step of the process, the filaments 122, 124 and 126 are cooled and joined together, such as by twisting them together on twister 128 to produce the yarn 102. Prior to that, some or all of the filaments 122, 124 and 126 may be drawn, textured or otherwise modified, or a combination thereof. The filaments 122, 124 and 126 may be cut to form them into staple fibers. The resultant yarn 102 has fibers interspersed with one another as a function of the number and location of the spinneret portals associated with each of the different fiber cross sections. That is, they are not distinct and separate bundles of fibers that simply contact one another at their periphery. Other ways of making a yarn known to those of skill in the art may be used to make the hybrid yarn of the present invention with a single polymeric material, provided they enable selectable positioning of three or more different fiber cross sections for the fibers making up the yarn.

[0035] Hybrid yarns of different configurations can be made using a process similar to that generally disclosed herein with respect to FIG. 3. The particular configuration of the hybrid spinneret employed with selectable portal constructions, and polymeric material selected will dictate the specific characteristics of any hybrid yarn of interest made using a single synthetic material. A spinneret comprising a plurality of ports wherein there are three or more different spinneret port cross sections is provided to form mixed fiber hybrid yarns. The different spinneret ports can be provided at any selected ratio, and any types of cross-sectional fiber geometries can be formed (e.g., multi-lobal, mixed multi-lobal, fully voided, partially voided and round, for example). Fibers with voids through the cross section for at least a portion of the fibers may comprise between about 15% and about 85% of the total fiber count of the hybrid yarn. The fibers of the hybrid yarns may be otherwise manufactured using existing techniques beginning with the polymer selected, its pre-spinneret processing and any post-spinneret filament processing, such as cutting into staple fibers, without deviating from the present invention. The present invention includes the formation of spinnerets that produce the hybrid yarns of the present invention. That is, by specifying particular yarn constructions, the construction of corresponding spinneret configurations is also established.

[0036] A fabric made from a hybrid yarn of the present invention may be made using one or more materials. The fabric may be single-ply or multi-ply. The fabric may be made by weaving or knitting, for example. Any other processes known to those of skill in the art of making a fabric from a yarn may also be used to make a fabric of the present invention and that fabric may be further processed as desired. The fabric may be made with any of a variety of functional characteristics dependent on the fiber compositions selected and the yarn construction made using the selected fiber compositions. For purposes of this invention, the yarn construction refers to the particular fiber positioning and numbers. The fiber positioning may be controlled by spinneret design and/or fiber integration.

[0037] An example of a fabric of the present invention made with a hybrid yarn of the present invention may be made with any one or more of the following characteristics: (1) it cools when exposed to a fluid, such as perspiration from an individual's body, for example, and/or it cools a surface, such as an area of the body, for example; (2) it is able to wick (transport) perspiration, water or other fluid from an object such as an individual's skin so as to dry the object; (3) it is able to absorb a fluid at a weight that is a plurality of the weight of the fabric so as to act as an absorbent; (4) it efficiently regulates the evaporation rate of fluid retained within the fabric while also enabling extended cooling of an underlying surface such as the skin of a person; (5) it controls moisture release, that is, it provides moisture management; and (6) is reusable, while retaining all of these characteristics from use-to-use. The example fabric has one or more of these characteristics using a hybrid yarn of the invention without requiring additional chemicals, if none are desired, to provide satisfactory fluid transport characteristics. Beyond that, a fabric made with the yarn of the present invention may have one or more other desired characteristics, such as a comfortable feel, fire retardancy or anti-microbial, to name a few examples, wherein the yarn is made to incorporate filaments of different types, materials, treatments or shapes with the three or more synthetic filaments such that the additional incorporated filaments impart the desired functionality to the yarn and, thus, to a fabric made with that yarn. That is, minerals, metals and other materials may also be incorporated into the yarn of the present invention, whether in fiber or other form, to impart or enhance desired characteristics of a fabric made with the present yarn.

[0038] A fabric made from the hybrid yarn of the present invention may be used for thermoregulation. That is, it may be fabricated with one or more hybrid yarns selected to have filaments arranged to enable the control of movement of fluid through the fabric. The characteristics of the hybrid yarn alone may provide the desired thermoregulation characteristics of the fabric. In addition, the fabric may be modified mechanically to enhance and/or complement the inherent thermoregulation characteristics of the yarn. For example and without limitation, the fabric may be made with a hybrid yarn to regulate the movement/transportation of fluid from the surface of an object to the core of the fabric's construction and through the opposite side of the fabric. The yarn may be constructed to move fluid away from the object, allow the fluid to dwell in the fabric and then exit the fabric if cooling is desired. This may be accomplished using first yarn fibers that wick fluid, second yarn fibers that transport the fluid relatively quickly through the fabric and third yarn fibers that provide evaporative characteristics, for example. Alternatively, the yarn may be constructed to retain fluid within the fabric, such as air that is warmed as a result of being retained, when warming is desired. This may be accomplished with first yarn fibers that wick fluid, second yarn fibers that extend fluid dwell time within the fabric and third yarn fibers that limit evaporation, for example.

[0039] FIG. 6 illustrates a simplified representation of a hybrid spinneret 300 having a configuration for producing a hybrid yarn formed of a plurality of first cross section fibers, second cross section fibers and third cross section fibers, in which the cross sections are different and the filaments formed by passing polymeric material through the spinneret 300 are interspersed with one another throughout the resultant yarn that is made. Portals A, B and C of the spinneret 300 represent selectable spinneret portal shapes. The portal shapes, number of different portal shapes and the arrangement of the portals of the spinneret 300 may be chosen based on the desired characteristics of a fabric made with the yarn formed using fibers from the spinneret 300 and/or other combinations of fibers that are interspersed throughout the yarn. For one example, and without limiting the options for spinneret portal configurations, portal A may have a cross section that produces a “W” filament cross section, portal B may have a cross section that produces a voided filament cross section, and portal C may have a cross section that produces a “Y” filament cross section. For another example, portal A may have a cross section that produces an “H” filament cross section, portal B may have a cross section that produces a voided filament cross section, and portal C may have a cross section that produces a “Y” filament cross section, with a fourth cross section that may produce filaments with an “X” cross section. In yet another example, portal A may have a cross section that produces a “W” filament cross section, portal B may have a cross section that produces a “Y” filament cross section, and portal C may have a cross section that produces a “4T” filament cross section. Any of the fiber cross sections represented in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be formed as a function of the shape of the portals of the spinneret. Other fiber shapes may be created as well. The number of portals of each of the different portal shapes may be equal, as shown in FIG. 6 or they may be different. The number of portals is also selectable. The ability to make such hybrid yarns enables the manufacture fabrics of lighter weight and better functionality than has previously been possible.

[0040] A fabrication method of the present invention suitable for forming a fabric of the invention using one or more hybrid yarns of the present invention includes a plurality of steps, several of which are optional, in the fabrication of the fabric. In the first step, the fabric is formed by weaving or knitting one or more yarns including one or more hybrid yarns of the present invention. For purposes of the description of the present invention, the two terms may be used interchangeably, such that when it is stated that the method includes a weaving step, that means weaving or knitting the yarn(s). In optional steps, the fabric may be sized and/or pre-treated to prepare it for subsequent dyeing and/or printing on either or both of its front and back sides, for example, or for any other purpose. The fabric may also be brushed, peached or sheared and it may be tentered.

[0041] The skilled artisan will recognize that the fabric of the present invention may be used for any one or more of a large variety of purposes and to partially or wholly form any one or more of a large variety of products. For example, the fabric may be used to partially or wholly form apparel or non-apparel products such as towels, facecloths, shirts, pants, jackets, shorts, vests, ties, footwear, gloves, bandanas, hats, handkerchiefs, underwear, hosiery, bras, and bandages. Further, these products may be designed for recreational, exercise, medical, and military use, for example. For example, the fabric may be used to form a towel that is to be sold or otherwise distributed to individuals who will be exposed to hot temperatures for a long period of time, such as patrons of an outdoor theme park, beachgoers, or athletes, for example. As another example, the fabric may wholly or partially form a compress that may be wetted and placed on the forehead of an individual having an elevated body temperature for the purpose of keeping the individual cool. Regardless of how and for what reason such an example fabric of the present invention is to be used, however, it is especially useful for being included to wholly or partially form a product that is meant to provide instant and/or extended cooling to its user.

[0042] The hybrid spinneret of the present invention may be used to make hybrid yarns that can in turn be used to make improved fabrics and improved fabric products. The use of hybrid yarns comprising a plurality of fibers of which there are a plurality of fiber compositions interspersed together in a selectable way enable the fabrication of fabrics with selectable functionality, such as improved fluid transport regulation, that has not been possible. For example, a yarn that is configured to emphasize drying may be formed with a certain fiber configuration. As another example, a yarn that is configured to emphasize wicking may be formed with a different fiber configuration. Further, a yarn that is configured to emphasize thermoregulation may be formed with a third fiber configuration. Corresponding different spinneret configurations may be used to produce those different yarn configurations when the yarn is configured of the same material or is configured with a plurality of materials of which at least one has fibers of a plurality of cross sectional shapes. It is also to be noted that the use of these optional hybrid spinnerets also reduces the cost and quality variability associated with the prior fabrication methods in which multiple spinnerets and multiple twisters were required to make the yarns necessary to produce fabric characteristics as described herein. Additionally, it is to be noted that lighter weight fabrics with selectable functionality can be produced as an aspect of the present invention.

[0043] An example of a hybrid yarn fabric made with a hybrid yarn of the present invention was tested for cooling effectiveness. Two fabrics made with conventional yarns, referred to as conventional yarn fabric 1 and conventional yarn fabric 2, were also tested for cooling effectiveness using the same test method so that they could be compared to one another. All three fabrics were single jersey, 100% polyester with a weight of about 140 grams/meter.sup.2. The hybrid yarn fabric made using the hybrid yarn of the present invention had voided, “W” and “X” cross sectional fibers interspersed throughout the yarn. The cross sections of the fibers used to make conventional yarn fabric 1 and conventional yarn fabric 2 were not known. The testing was carried out by the Hohenstein Institute for Textile Innovation of Bonnigheim, Germany. A test developed by Hohenstein to simulate heat management of the human skin was used to determine the cooling effectiveness of the three fabrics. The measurement of the cooling effect was performed on the Hohenstein Heat Release Tester, referred to as “WATson,” which technically simulates the heat management of the human skin in a climatic chamber under defined climatic conditions. The measurements of the fabrics were conducted with the following parameters:

Temperature of the WATson measuring head: T.sub.s=32° C.
Area of the WATson measuring head: A.sub.w=400 cm2 (20×20 cm)
Ambient climate in the climate chamber: T.sub.a=30° C., RH.sub.a=70% rel. hum.
Environmental condition 1: wind (light breeze @ 1 m/s
Environmental condition 2: IR radiation (simulating sunlight @ 13.2 W)
The temperature of the WATson measuring head was held constant at the set temperature by controlled electrical heating. This electrical heating power is identified as “P.sub.heating” in Watts. The higher the heating power, the higher is the cooling effect; i.e., the cooler the fabric is perceived on the skin. The fabric samples were pre-conditioned in the climatic chamber for 12 hours under the above mentioned test conditions. The samples were put on the WATson measuring head in a dry state. Sweating, equivalent to the human body sweating at a rate of 2 liters per hour, was switched on after 10 minutes and remained in effect until a constant heating power (P.sub.heating) was achieved again (i.e., heat loss in wet state). Then sweating was turned off (time=70 minutes) and the test was performed until the samples were dry again (i.e., drying time, decay of heat loss over time). The electrical heating power to maintain the set temperature of the WATson measuring head was recorded. This heating power is equivalent to the heat loss of the skin—which is identical with the heat loss of the fabric—due to evaporation of sweat and can be described as the ability to lose evaporative heat when wearing this kind of clothing. That measure corresponds to the heat loss and, therefore, the “cooling power” due to evaporation of sweat and equates to the ability to lose evaporative heat when wearing clothing containing the fabric under evaluation. In other words, the higher the heating power required to account for heat loss associated with the fabric is equivalent to the cooling effect of the fabric. The higher the heating power required in the test, the better the cooling power of the fabric

[0044] FIG. 7 shows a summary graph of the indicated testing performed on the hybrid yarn fabric of the present invention, conventional yarn fabric 1 and conventional yarn fabric 2. The test results show that the hybrid yarn fabric provides an average cooling power that is about 30% better than the average cooling power of either of the two conventional yarn fabrics that were tested. It can be seen that a fabric made with a hybrid yarn of the present invention is substantially more effective at cooling. The particular cooling characteristic desired may be used to determine which hybrid yarn to produce. Similarly, other desired fabric characteristics can be considered in the formation of other forms of the hybrid yarn.

[0045] The present invention has been described with respect to various examples. Nevertheless, it is to be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described by the following claims.