COMPOSITE NYLON AND POLYESTER WOVEN FABRIC

Abstract

A ripstop woven fabric woven from a combination of nylon yarn and polyester yarn. The nylon yarn forms between 40% to 80% of the woven fabric while the polyester yarn forms between 20% to 60% of the finished woven fabric. The fabric may be woven in a ripstop pattern. The face side of the ripstop fabric may be coated with one or more of a durable water repellent (DWR) and silicone coating, while the back side of the ripstop fabric is coated with a polyurethane coating. The ripstop fabric has an uncoated fabric weight range of between 23 and 40 GSM while the ripstop fabric has a coated fabric weight range of between 29 and 50 GSM.

Claims

1. A composite woven fabric, comprising: nylon yarn in a predetermined percentage by weight in said composite woven fabric, said nylon yarn configured for being woven along with at least one other yarn into said composite woven fabric; polyester yarn in a predetermined percentage by weight in said composite woven fabric, said polyester yarn configured for being woven along with at least said nylon yarn into said composite woven fabric; wherein said nylon yarn and said polyester yarn each exhibit a predetermined denier range; and wherein said nylon yarn and said polyester yarns are woven together into a ripstop composite woven fabric.

2. The composite woven fabric of claim 1, wherein both said nylon yarn and said polyester yarn are woven in both warp and weft directions of said composite woven fabric.

3. The composite woven fabric of claim 1, wherein said nylon yarn is woven in the warp direction of said composite woven fabric and said polyester yarn is woven in said weft direction of said composite woven fabric.

4. The composite woven fabric of claim 1, wherein said predetermined percentage in said composite woven fabric of said nylon yarn is between 40% to 80% by weight.

5. The composite woven fabric of claim 1, wherein said predetermined percentage in said composite woven fabric of said polyester yarn is between 20% to 60% by weight.

6. The composite woven fabric of claim 1, wherein said nylon yarn and said polyester yarn each exhibit a predetermined denier range of between 10 D and 50 D.

7. The composite woven fabric of claim 1, wherein said ripstop composite woven fabric exhibits yarns per inch count in the weft direction in a range of between 129 to 169, and wherein said ripstop composite woven fabric exhibits yarns per inch count in the warp direction in a range of between 223 to 233.

8. The composite woven fabric of claim 1, wherein said ripstop composite fabric is woven on one of an air-jet loom, a water-jet loom, and a dobby loom.

9. The composite woven fabric of claim 1, wherein said ripstop composite woven fabric is coated on a face side and a back side of said ripstop composite woven fabric.

10. The composite woven fabric of claim 9, wherein said face side of said ripstop composite woven fabric is coated with one or more of a durable water repellent (DWR) and silicone coating.

11. The composite woven fabric of claim 9, wherein said ripstop composite woven fabric is coated on said back side with a polyurethane coating.

12. The composite woven fabric of claim 9, wherein said face side of said ripstop composite woven fabric is coated with one or more of a durable water repellent (DWR) and silicone coating, and wherein said back side of said ripstop fabric is coated with a polyurethane coating.

13. The composite woven fabric of claim 1, wherein said ripstop fabric has an uncoated fabric weight range of between 23 and 40 GSM.

14. The composite woven fabric of claim 12, wherein said ripstop composite woven fabric has a coated fabric weight range of between 29 and 50 GSM.

15. A composite woven fabric, comprising: nylon yarn in a percentage ranging from 40% to 80% by weight in a woven fabric, said nylon yarn configured for being woven along with at least one other yarn into said woven fabric; polyester yarn in a percentage ranging from 20% to 60% by weight in said woven fabric, said polyester yarn configured for being woven along with at least said nylon yarn into said woven fabric; wherein said nylon yarn and said polyester yarn are woven together into a ripstop fabric having a face side and a backside; and wherein said face side of said ripstop fabric is coated with one or more of a durable water repellent (DWR) and silicone coating, and wherein said back side of said ripstop fabric is coated with a polyurethane coating.

16. The composite woven fabric of claim 15, wherein said nylon yarn and said polyester yarn each exhibit a denier range of between 10 D to 50 D.

17. The composite woven fabric of claim 15, wherein said ripstop fabric exhibits a yarns per inch count in the weft direction in a range of between 129 to 169, and wherein said ripstop fabric exhibits a yarns per inch count in the warp direction in a range of between 223 to 233.

18. The composite woven fabric of claim 15, wherein said ripstop fabric has an uncoated fabric weight range of between 23 and 40 GSM and a coated fabric weight range of between 29 and 50 GSM.

19. A composite woven fabric, comprising: nylon yarn in a percentage ranging from 45% to 80% by weight in a woven fabric, said nylon yarn configured for being woven along with at least one other yarn into said composite woven fabric; polyester yarn in a percentage ranging from 20% to 60% by weight in said woven fabric, said polyester yarn configured for being woven along with at least said nylon yarn into said composite woven fabric; wherein said nylon yarn and said polyester yarn each exhibit a denier range of between 10 D to 50 D; and wherein said nylon yarn and said polyester yarn are woven together into a ripstop composite woven fabric.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description, taken together with the drawings wherein:

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of the composite nylon and polyester woven fabric according to the present invention illustrated in a double or twin ripstop pattern; and

[0015] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of the composite nylon and polyester woven fabric according to the present invention also illustrated in a ripstop pattern.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] The present invention features a composite fabric of nylon and polyester that may be manufactured as a lightweight fabric allowing for use in manufacturing various products including, but not limited to, backpacking tents, and in which the composite fabric does not sag in the rain or humid environments as much as 100% nylon fabric and has excellent water repellency.

[0017] In a first preferred embodiment, the composite nylon and polyester woven fabric according to the present invention is woven in a double or twin ripstop pattern 10, FIG. 1. The composite fabric is preferably manufactured from recycled polyester yarn 12 and recycled nylon yarn 14. The nylon yarn comprises between 40% and 80% and preferably between 46% and 79% by weight of the finished woven composite fabric while the polyester yarn comprises between 15% to 65% and more preferably between 21% to 55% by weight of the finished woven composite fabric.

[0018] In each preferred embodiment, the finished woven composite nylon and polyester fabric is designed and well-suited for lightweight backpacking fabrics typically less than 50 GSM, although this is not a limitation of the present invention as a higher weight range utilized for non-backpacking tents or other fabric uses could be in the range of up to 150 GSM.

[0019] Typically, the nylon and polyester yarns have a yarn denier range of between 10 D and 50 D although this is not a limitation of the present invention as yarns having a denier of up to 150 or more are contemplated by the present invention. Denier is a unit of measure of the linear density or weight based on the length and weight of a yarn or fiber. In the first preferred embodiment, the finished composite fabric is preferably woven as a double or twin ripstop pattern 10, FIG. 1, on an air-jet or water-jet loom or a dobby loom, for example only without limiting the present invention.

[0020] Ripstop fabrics are woven fabrics using a reinforcing technique that makes them more resistant to tearing and ripping. In one embodiment as described in the first preferred embodiment herein and illustrated in FIG. 1, during weaving, stronger and often thicker reinforcement yarns 12 made of polyester are interwoven at regular intervals in a crosshatch pattern. The intervals are typically 5 to 8 mm although in the preferred embodiment, the interval 16 between polyester yarns of 2 different patterns is approximately 3.5 mm while the interval between the double or twin ripstop pattern 18 is approximately 1 mm.

[0021] In the first embodiment of the present invention illustrated ion FIG. 1, the polyester yarn 12 serves as the reinforcement yarn. The first embodiment of the present invention preferably uses the polyester yarn not only in a thicker interlocking thread pattern but also to feature it quite prominently visually so it can be seen and recognized from a distance. Advantages of ripstop fabrics are the favorable strength to weight ratio and the fact that small tears cannot easily propagate. In this first preferred embodiment, the polyester yarn 12 is woven into the nylon base yarn in both the warp and weft directions as shown in FIG. 1. The fabric is woven in a typical “plain weave” format or method weaving one of the various yarns over and then under the other yarn.

[0022] In a second preferred embodiment 10A represented schematically in FIG. 2, nylon yarn 14 is woven in only the warp direction 20, while the polyester yarn 12 is woven in the weft direction 22. The warp direction. 20 refers to the yarns that run the length of the fabric. This is also known as the machine direction because it is the direction the yarns run on the loom. It forms the longer dimension of the fabric and is the direction of the roll length. The second preferred embodiment results in a non-checkered pattern fabric without the visual impact of the first preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1 but with the same “ripstop” strength as that disclosed in the pattern shown in FIG. 1.

[0023] The yarn density (weft) per inch in the finished woven composite fabric 10, FIG. 1 according to a first embodiment and the composite fabric 10A, FIG. 2 according to a second embodiment is in the range of 129 to 169 while the yarn density (warp) in the finished woven composite fabric 10/10A is in the range of 223 to 233 per inch. The fabric is typically woven in a width of 145 to 150 cm although this is not a limitation of the present invention.

[0024] In each case, both the nylon and polyester yarns are typically made from multifilaments. The filaments are entangled together in some manner and using techniques which are known in the art.

[0025] Once the finished composite fabrics 10 and 10A are woven, the fabrics, if desired, will be dyed to the desired color. The finished woven composite fabric includes a face side and a backside. Uncoated, the fabric has a weight range of between 23 to 40 GSM. Both sides are preferably coated. The face side is typically coated with a durable water repellent (DWR) and/or silicone coating which is responsible for the water repellency of the woven fabric 10. A polyurethane coating applied to the back side provides waterproofing for the fabric. Once coated, the fabric has a weight range of between 29 to 50 GSM.

[0026] Accordingly, the present invention provides a novel and nonobvious composite fabric utilizing nylon and polyester yarns to provide a lightweight composite fabric that, when woven in a ripstop pattern, exhibits superior strength and tear resistance while also providing low stretch and water repellency and waterproofness properties due to the fabrics themselves and the applied coatings.

[0027] As stated above, the present invention is not intended to be limited to a device or method which must satisfy one or more of any stated or implied objects or features of the invention and should not be limited to the preferred, exemplary, or primary embodiment(s) described herein. Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinary skill in the art are within the scope of the present invention, which is not to be limited except by the allowed claims and their legal equivalents.