Ultra-resilient fabric

Abstract

A structure for use in industrial fabrics such as paper machine clothing and engineered fabrics is disclosed. The structure includes axially and radially elastic hollow members, and relatively inelastic yarns in various patterns. The structure has a high degree of both compressibility under an applied normal load and excellent recovery (resiliency or spring back) upon removal of that load.

Claims

1. A compressible resilient industrial fabric, wherein the fabric includes a structure having an original thickness, the structure comprising: a laminated structure further comprising; a plurality of substantially parallel cross-machine direction (CD) yarns; a plurality of substantially parallel machine direction (MD) yarns; and a plurality of substantially parallel hollow elastic members in CD and/or MD; a first layer of the parallel yarns running in either the CD or the MD direction; a second layer of the hollow elastic members on one side of the first layer, the second layer's hollow elastic members running in the CD or MD direction different from that of the first layer; and a third layer of the parallel yarns on the opposite side of the second layer as the first layer and running in the same direction as those of the first layer, wherein the parallel yarns of the third layer are aligned such that the parallel yarns of the third layer nest between the parallel yarns of the first layer without interfering with one another to allow the structure to compact to form a planar structure in a through thickness direction when the fabric is under a compressive load, and wherein the hollow elastic members are elastic in their thickness or radial direction and length or axial direction such that under the compressive load the hollow elastic members stretch and compress to conform to the nesting and the structure springs back to substantially the original thickness after removal of the load, and wherein the fabric is formed in an endless structure in the form of a continuous loop.

2. The fabric of claim 1 wherein the number of yarns in the third layer is less than the number of yarns in the first layer.

3. The fabric of claim 1 wherein the hollow elastic members of the second layer are orthogonal to those of the first and third layers.

4. The fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hollow elastic member is selected from the group consisting of: a monofilament, a multifilament, a plied monofilament or multifilament, a wrapped member of different materials, a knitted member, a twisted member, a multicomponent member, and a braided member.

5. The fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hollow elastic member is selected from the group consisting of: a polyurethane and rubber.

6. The fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hollow elastic member is selected from members having a cross-section of differing geometric configurations.

7. The fabric as claimed in claim 6, wherein the hollow elastic member is selected from the group consisting of: circular, non-circular, square, rectangular, triangular, elliptical, polygonal, trapezoidal and lobate.

8. The fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hollow elastic member has one or more holes running along a length or axial direction thereof.

9. The fabric as claimed in claim 8, wherein the one or more holes are selected from the group consisting of: circular, non-circular, square, rectangular, triangular, elliptical, trapezoidal, polygonal, and lobate.

10. The fabric of claim 1 wherein the layer of hollow elastic members is inside a double layer construction.

11. The fabric of claim 1 wherein the fabric is selected from the group of fabrics including: paper machine clothing; a forming fabric; a press fabric; a dryer fabric; a through air dryer fabric; a shoe press belt base; a calendar belt base; an engineered fabric base; a transfer belt base; a belt used in the production of nonwovens by processes such as airlaid, melt blowing, spunbonding, and hydroentangling; and an industrial process belt such as a textile finishing belt.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Thus by the present invention its objects and advantages will be realized, the description of which should be taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a fabric incorporating the teachings of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of the fabric shown in FIG. 1 in an uncompressed state;

(4) FIG. 3 is a side view of the fabric shown in FIG. 1 in a compressed state;

(5) FIGS. 4A-B are a side view and a profile view of a further embodiment of the inventive fabric, respectively;

(6) FIG. 5 is a dryer fabric, according to a further embodiment of the invention;

(7) FIG. 6 is top view of another embodiment of the invention;

(8) FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment showing a multi-component wound member comprising the hollow elastic material for a fabric having a 2 layer construction;

(9) FIG. 8A shows an embodiment of a laminated fabric;

(10) FIG. 8B shows a woven crossless base fabric;

(11) FIG. 9 shows a 5-layer compressible resilient fabric comprising a CD binder;

(12) FIG. 10 illustrates another embodiment of the fabric;

(13) FIGS. 11A-11E show another interwoven variant of the embodied fabric; and

(14) FIG. 12 shows different cross sections of the hollow elastic member of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(15) Initially although a press fabric will be discussed, as aforesaid the present invention has application to other type fabrics or belts including forming fabrics, dryer fabrics, through air dryer fabrics, shoe press belts, calendar belts, or transfer belts; engineered fabrics; or fabrics used in the production of nonwovens by processes such as airlaid, melt blowing, spunbonding, and hydroentangling; or industrial process belts such as textile finishing belts, or other belts that require a high degree of compressibility and resiliency.

(16) A hollow member that is defined as elastic in its thickness or radial direction and length or axial direction is required for all the embodiments discussed herein. The hollow elastic member can have any form as appropriate for the application and can be, for example, single monofilament, plied monofilament or multifilament, wrapped member of different materials, multicomponent member, knitted member, twisted member, or braided. The hollow elastic members can be partially composed of an elastic material, such as a multicomponent member where one component is the elastic material, or the hollow elastic member can be wholly comprised of the elastic material. The hollow elastic member may have a circular or non-circular cross sectional shape. The non-circular cross sectional shapes may include, but are not limited to, square, rectangular, triangular, elliptical, trapezoidal, polygonal, and lobate shapes. The hollow elastic member can have one or more holes running along its length or axial direction, and the holes themselves can have a circular or non-circular cross sectional shape including square, rectangular, triangular, elliptical, trapezoidal, polygonal, and lobate shapes, and can be of any suitable size. Some non-limiting examples of cross-sectional shapes for the hollow elastic member are illustrated in FIG. 12. It should be noted that the hollow elastic member of the present invention weighs less and compresses more (in a thickness direction) than an elastic member of the same outer diameter but without any hole(s) running along its length or axial direction. Examples of a few good elastic materials include, but are not limited to, polymers such as polyurethane, rubber, or that sold under trademarks Lycra by Invista or Estane by Lubrizol.

(17) With that said turning now more particularly to the drawings, a press fabric base structure 10 is shown for example in FIG. 1, having a first or top (1) layer 12 comprised of functional yarns 14 in a parallel array oriented in the machine or running direction. They can be of any size, shape, material or form suitable for the purpose. This applies to all the yarns referred to herein.

(18) A second or middle (2) layer 16 of hollow elastic members 18 is provided oriented orthogonal or 90 degrees to the first layer 12. The hollow elastic members 18 have the elastic features as aforesaid.

(19) A third or bottom (3) layer 20 comprised of functional yarns 22 is provided in the form of a parallel array orthogonal to layer 16. The yarns 22 in layer 20 are positioned or aligned within the space between yarns 14 in top (1) layer 12.

(20) The yarns/members of adjacent layers can be attached as aforesaid in a variety of ways suitable for the purpose. A batt layer (not shown) can be applied to the top (sheet side) surface and/or the bottom surface using techniques known in the art.

(21) Upon application of a compressive load as the press fabric enters a press nip on a paper machine, the hollow elastic members 18 will stretch allowing the yarns 14 and 22 to move towards each other and to nest between each other, virtually almost in the same plane, as shown in FIG. 3. At this point, hollow elastic members 18 in layer 16 conform to this nesting, and bend and flatten around yarns 14, 22 in the top layer 12 and bottom layer 20. Upon release of the load as the fabric exits the nip, due to the elastic behavior of the member 18, they will cause the yarn layers 12 and 20 to move apart from each other or spring back, returning the fabric to its desired thickness and openness as shown in FIG. 2. Therefore, a fabric having a total thickness of the thickness of yarns 14 plus the thickness of yarns 22 plus the thickness of hollow elastic member 18 under normal uncompressed state is compressible and resilient to almost an entire yarn thickness, i.e. the thickness lost is some portion of the hollow elastic member 18, and the fabric can be almost as thin as the thicker diameter of yarn 14 or 22, in a compressed state.

(22) These properties are important as they affect: uniformity of pressure distribution under load as well as the total contact area; fast startup as the fabric compresses easily to the desired in nip void volume; vibration dampening as the structure acts as a dampening spring; and the quick recovery of thickness may help to minimize rewet during the expansion phase of post mid nip dewatering.

(23) It is important to note that the member arrays of layers 12 and 20 can be oriented either in the MD or CD in the fabric in use, and so can the hollow elastic member array of layer 16. It is also important to note that although functional yarns 14, 22 are illustrated as having a square cross-section in some figures, they can be of any size, shape, material or form suitable for the purpose.

(24) In another embodiment similar to that of the above, yarn layers 12 and 20 have the same position and relative orientation/spacing as above, but hollow elastic member layer 16 is oriented at less than 90 degree angle to layers 12 and 20, preferably at a 45 degree angle.

(25) Another embodiment employs a similar principle as above, but the structure is made using a process as taught in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/893,874, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In this embodiment, a full length, full width array of functional (e.g. tensile load bearing) MD yarns is created according to the method disclosed in the '874 application. To this array is attached another layer of the required hollow elastic members in the CD direction. These CD hollow elastic members can be orthogonal or at an angle less than 90 degrees relative to the MD yarns. When the fabric is then folded over according to the method in the application, yarn layers 12 and 20 are formed, sandwiching two layers 18 of hollow elastic members which are either stacked perpendicular and on top of each other, or crisscross each other an acute angle. The spacing of the MD yarns after folding over has to be arranged to allow the yarns to nest, as explained in the previous embodiment. When used as a press fabric, additional batt fiber can be attached to at least one surface to further consolidate the structure.

(26) In another embodiment, a structure is woven similar to that taught in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,440, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. For purposes of illustration in the present application, only two layers of yarns in one direction 12 and 20, and one layer 16 of hollow elastic members in the other orthogonal direction 16 are shown in FIG. 1. The structure is held together with woven in binder yarns 24 as shown in FIG. 1. It should be noted, however, that layers 12, 16 and 20 do not weave with each other, but are only stacked on one another in an orthogonal direction. It should also be noted that the woven-in binder yarns can be either in MD or CD, and can run parallel to the hollow elastic members 18, for example, as being alternated with hollow elastic members 18, or orthogonal to the hollow elastic members 18. Yarn layers 12 and 20 are functional yarns. If they are MD yarns, one or both layers can be tensile load bearing yarns.

(27) They can be the same or different from each other in shape, form, material, etc. Layer 16 has the hollow elastic members. Again, the spacing of yarns 14 and 22 relative to each other has to be such to allow nesting. Binder yarns 24 can act just as binder yarns or also be functional yarns as well which for example can positively affect CD fabric stability. As in the other embodiments above when used as a press fabric for example, batt can be applied at least to one surface. Also depending on the application instead of batt a porous or non-porous film may be laminated to the structure. The structure can have a layer of coating on either or both surfaces and the coating can also partially or fully encapsulate or impregnate the entire structure.

(28) When a load is applied normal to the fabric plane, yarn layers 12 and 20 will move towards each other and nest, allowing compression of the base fabric to almost a full yarn diameter. More importantly, as the load is removed, the hollow elastic members 18 will spring back, causing yarn layers 12 and 20 to move apart from one another, and causing the fabric to regain its original shape and thickness.

(29) Furthermore, there can be more than two layers of functional MD yarns and more than one layer of CD yarns as shown in FIG. 4A. With three layers of MD yarns, for example, two of the three yarn layers must be spaced apart relative to each other to allow nesting. For example, top and middle layers can be oriented such that yarns in the middle layer fit in the space between two adjacent yarns of the top and yarns in the bottom layer are stacked in vertical orientation with either the top or middle layers. Furthermore, both layers in CD can include the hollow elastic members, or only one layer can include the hollow elastic members and the other layer can be a functional yarn layer to aid in CD stability or to provide a greater degree of void volume under load. Again yarns in the top, middle and bottom layers can be the same or different from each other in form, material, shape, etc. Another variant of the crossless woven structure is shown at FIG. 4B, in which the base substrate 10 is shown comprising five layers in generally parallel planes with each layer comprising a plurality of parallel yarns/members. The yarns of the first, third and fifth layer (i.e. layers 12, 20 and 28) are oriented in the machine direction, for example, while the hollow elastic members of the second and fourth layers (i.e. layers 16 and 26) are oriented in the cross-machine direction, for example. As shown therein, MD functional yarns 22 in the third layer 20 are spaced apart in the manner described above such they fall between the yarns 14 of the first layer 12 and the fifth layer 28, thereby causing the nesting described above. The second layer 16 and the fourth layer 26 include the hollow elastic members 18. The binder yarns 24 are disposed in the CD, for example, though they can be disposed in MD too. Though some embodiments described herein have the first, third and fifth layer oriented in the machine direction, and the hollow elastic members of the second and fourth layers oriented in the cross-machine direction, the layers can be interchangeably used, so long as there is at least one MD layer of tensile load bearing yarns to provide adequate strength and stretch resistance to the structure in use. For example, the first and fifth layers can be oriented in the cross-machine direction, and the hollow elastic members of the second and fourth layers in combination with the functional yarns of the third layer can be oriented in the machine direction. Similarly, the binder yarns 24 can be disposed in CD or MD, or both, as required.

(30) Layers 12, 16, 20, 26 and 28 are not interwoven, as illustrated in FIG. 4A. Instead one or more relatively thin threads or binder yarns 24 are used to bind the layers vertically together. For example two threads, 24 and 24 may be used to bind the yarns of the center or middle layer to the top and bottom layers respectively. This type of construction insures that the individual yarns of the layers do not shift laterally. Binder yarns 24 and 24 can alternate from one row to another, each row extending in a cross-machine direction, for example.

(31) According to another embodiment of the invention, all the structures described above can be employed to produce spiral wound strips of material as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,656, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

(32) All the structures above can be made endless in the machine direction. They can also have a seam to allow on-machine seaming capability. One method to make such a seam in crossless structures is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,543, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

(33) Again it is important to note that the layer of hollow elastic members can be employed in either the MD or CD layers, or in both MD and CD layers, as long as there is at least one MD layer of tensile load bearing yarns to provide adequate strength and stretch resistance to the structure in use.

(34) Also the degree of compression/resiliency is controlled by the elasticity of the required elastic members, number of layers of the elastic members, size, shape and number of elastic members in each layer of the elastic members, and of course the totality of the structure itself. The inventive structure can also be part of a laminate with other yarn arrays or base fabrics attached thereto.

(35) Moreover, in the case of a dryer fabric, the three layer embodiment, shown in the figures, may be particularly advantageous in that as the fabric structure passes around a roll, for example a dryer can, the yarns in the dryer fabric will at least partially nest improving contact area of the paper sheet to the dryer can surface and therefore improve heat transfer. This would be caused by a temporary increase in MD tension as the dryer fabric passes around a roll and not due to any applied load normal to the fabric. The invention, according to another embodiment, is a support layer of a dryer fabric, where the inventive fabric forms the sheet side component of the dryer fabric, such as shown in FIG. 5. In this fabric, the angled or backside is the non-sheet contact side of the fabric. This side chops up laminar flow and induces vertical flow in the dryer pocket, and reduces axial (to the side) or CD direction air flow, and helps mass transfer. In such an arrangement, the support fabric compresses on the dryer can, increasing sheet contact area with the can and therefore improves heat transfer. Therefore, the embodiment forms an improved dryer fabric with an engineered sheet side for heat transfer promotion and optimization, and engineered backside for mass transfer promotion and optimization. The structure can be an integrally woven structure, a laminate or a combination of both.

(36) In yet another embodiment, the fabric may be woven, and the layers of the fabric may each be formed by mixing different weave repeats or shed patterns. By way of background, in flat weaving, a warp, or MD, yarn is threaded through a heddle, and the weave pattern is created by raising and lowering the heddle position for each yarn in the warp direction before the weft or pick is inserted into the shed created by raising or lowering the warp yarns or MD yarns. The number of yarns intersected before a weave pattern repeats is known as a shed. With this understanding, a plain weave utilizes, for example two sheds in a loom for changing the warp yarn positions, and can therefore be termed a two shed weave pattern. Accordingly the fabric of the present invention can be constructed using a 2, 4, 6 or 8 shed weave pattern, and so on.

(37) FIG. 6 shows a 2-shed weave pattern, for example, with a 0.35 mm MD yarn; the figure showing two differing densities for the hollow elastomeric yarn 18 and the binder yarn 24. For weaving a 2-shed surface for, for example, a 5-layer fabric with a hollow elastic member 18, a 16 harness (16/4=4, 4/2=2 shed) pattern can be used. In one exemplary design, the top pattern can be a 2-shed for the loop yarns for an on-machine seamable version of the fabric. The on-machine seamable fabric can be formed using the method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,645, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. The pick count for the loop yarn in 2-shed can be the same as that in, for example, 4-shed patterns, in order to maintain the loop strength. In another example, a 2-layer, 4/8-shed weave can have a 4 ply Lycra or Estane hollow elastic member as a weft. Alternatively, the fabric of the present invention, according to one embodiment, can be woven endless or seamless in that the functional yarns, which lay in MD, may be inserted as wefts or picks in a continuous manner, and the layer(s) of the hollow elastic members and binder yarns may comprise the warp yarns of the fabric.

(38) Illustrating other embodiments of the fabric, in FIG. 7 is shown a multi-component wound hollow elastic member comprising elastic material 16 for a fabric having a 2 layer construction. In FIG. 8 are shown embodiments of laminated structures of the fabric. FIG. 8A shows a base fabric with the hollow elastic member 18 and functional yarns 14, 22 laminated between two fabrics.

(39) FIG. 8B shows a woven crossless base. The base shows the hollow elastic member 18 and the functional yarns 14 and 22 as well as a binder yarn 24. Also contemplated are other embodiments where the hollow elastic member can be a knitted member instead of a ply/twisted member.

(40) In another embodiment, FIG. 9 shows a 5-layer compressible resilient fabric comprising a CD binder 24. Member layer 16 including hollow elastic members 18 running in the CD is positioned between the first yarn layer 12 and the third yarn layer 20. A fourth layer 26 including hollow elastic members 18 has the members positioned such that they are in alternating spaces in the vertical plane from the parallel hollow elastic members of the second layer 16. The yarns 14 of the fifth layer 28 are in the same vertical plane as the yarns 14 of the first layer 12. As shown in the figures, each CD binder yarn 24 alternately weaves under and over three parallel yarns in the first and fifth layers, and is spaced in the MD such that long floats are created by each of the yarns 14 of the first layer 12 and the fifth layer 28. As shown, the hollow elastic members are inside a double layer weave construction, which can use 16 harnesses for endless weaving or 8 harnesses for flat weaving. The fabric woven in accordance with this embodiment can use single or monofilament warp yarns, or the 4 ply/twisted type warp yarns. It is also possible to use two different size warp yarns/members; a coarser (larger) warp including the hollow elastic member 18, and a smaller warp for the binder yarn 24. A fabric as shown in FIG. 9 can also be formed using two separate warp beams; for example, the coarser warp including the hollow elastic member 18 on one beam and the smaller warp including the binder yarn 24 on another beam. However, if two warp beams are not desired, the smaller binder yarns can be alternated with the hollow elastic warp members on the same beam.

(41) The weave must be such that the hollow elastic members are allowed to stretch and compress, and the base compresses under a normal load then springs back after removal of the load.

(42) FIG. 10 illustrates another embodiment. As shown therein four ends of yarns 14 in the first layer 12 weave above the layers 16, 20, 26 of hollow elastic members 18, and changes over to a two-layer binder every second repeat, and four ends of yarns 14 weaving under the layers 16, 20, 26 and changes over to a two-layer binder every second repeat. Each layer need not be composed of hollow elastic members. However, the fabric structure should include at least one layer of hollow elastic members to exhibit the spring back nature desired.

(43) Another variant of the embodied fabric is shown in FIGS. 11A-11E, configuring the fabric with more or less MD crimp weaves, and having the hollow elastic members in the interior layers. The Figures show three layers 12, 16, 20, of hollow elastic members 18; a top layer 12 and bottom layer 20 running in the CD and a middle layer 16 arrayed lengthwise in the MD. Loop or binder yarns 24 (for a on-machine seamable) run or weave through the structure as illustrated, where on the uppermost surface the yarns 24 extend over two of the top CD layer 12 hollow elastic members 18 and thread downward to loop under a single CD hollow elastic member 18 in the bottom layer 20 of arrayed hollow elastic members, whereupon it threads upward again. As shown, the binder yarns 24 are formed with a crimp 30, resulting in long floats on the surface of the fabric and small knuckles on the machine side or non-sheet contact side of the fabric. However, the weave and placement of the hollow elastic members must be such that the hollow elastic members compress upon a normal load being applied to the base fabric, and the base fabric springs back upon removal of that load.

(44) Modifications to the present invention would be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of this disclosure, but would not bring the invention so modified beyond the scope of the appended claims.