Metalized fabric that dissipates and scatters infrared light and methods or making and using the same

Abstract

A metalized fabric and method for metallization of fabric. The fabric is formed using two threads with different affinities for metallization, but which threads are not metalized prior to forming into the fabric. The threads will typically be woven using an unbalanced weave to provide one side of the fabric with a resultant greater amount of metallization than the other but this is not required. Once the resultant fabric is metalized, it will typically be more suitable for consistent color dying than fabric which was formed from both metalized and unmetallized threads.

Claims

1. A method for producing a metalized fabric, the method comprising: providing a first thread having a first affinity for metallization; providing a second thread having a second affinity for metallization, said second affinity being greater than said first affinity; weaving said first thread and said second thread into a fabric using an unbalanced weave with more of said first thread on a first side and more of said second thread on an opposing second side; and metalizing said fabric so that said first thread and said second thread are both metalized to different amounts.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said fabric is formed into a garment with said first side on an inside of said garment and said second side on an outside of said garment.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said fabric is formed into a garment with said first side on an outside of said garment and said second side on an inside of said garment.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein both said first thread and said second thread each have some metallization after said metalizing.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising: dying said metalized fabric after said metallization.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said first thread comprises nylon.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said second thread comprises polyester.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said second thread comprises a treated nylon.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said metallization comprises autocatalysis.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said metalized fabric serves to scatter infrared (IR) waves incident on said fabric.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a garment made using an embodiment of a woven metalized fabric that serves an infrared deceptive camouflage.

(2) FIG. 2 depicts a flow chart of a process for making a woven metalized fabric.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

(3) The following detailed description and disclosure illustrates by way of example and not byway of limitation. This description will clearly enable one skilled in the art to make and use the disclosed systems and methods, and describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives and uses of the disclosed systems and methods. As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the disclosures, it is intended that all matter contained in the description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

(4) This disclosure primarily relates to infrared light dissipating and scattering fabrics although fabrics which scatter or dissipate other forms of electromagnetic radiation (including visible or ultraviolet light) are also contemplated. Such fabrics may also shift the wavelength of infrared light (or other light) emitted by a wearer of (or other object placed under) the fabric. Further, such fabrics may be metalized after or during construction of the fabric without requiring the use of previously metalized filaments, fibers, threads, or yarns (all considered to be threads as used herein).

(5) Throughout this disclosure, the inventions of this application will primarily be described as pertaining to a weave or a woven material. This focus on woven fabrics allows for the clear illustration of some of the embodiments of the inventions disclosed herein. For example, the use of an unbalanced weave provides an appropriate illustration of how materials having different affinities to metallization may be used together to make useful fabrics. However, this description is not intended to be limited only to weaves and woven material. Materials and fabrics within the scope of this disclosure include without limitation any materials woven, knitted, bound, bonded, crocheted, knotted, tatted, felted, braided, or otherwise formed. Such materials include fabrics or other materials formed by application of heat and/or pressure to filaments or other materials. For example, and without limitation, this application includes within its scope non-woven materials made to form fabrics that are not woven or knitted, such as felts. Accordingly, as would be appreciated by a person of ordinary skill in the art, the teachings herein are applicable to fabrics made by any method known to persons of ordinary skill in the art.

(6) Further, a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize some of the potential benefits of embodiments of fabrics made in accordance with this disclosure. Generally, by metalizing filaments, fibers, threads, or yarns after weaving, knitting, or other processing, certain benefits may be had. For example, weaving fabrics using metalized threads may increase maintenance costs associated with weaving machinery. This may be because metalized threads may be more abrasive than non-metalized threads, leading to increased wear on thread-handling portions of weaving machinery. This increased wear may lead to increased maintenance costs as machine parts need to be replaced or otherwise maintained more frequently. This increase in maintenance may, in some cases, lead to additional machine downtime, which downtime may have its own associated costs.

(7) Further, because metalized threads may be more abrasive, weaving them with other threads may result in sticking between threads, which may result in imperfect weaves. In some cases, the metalized threads may even damage adjacent threads during fabric weaving. In addition, metalized threads may be more expensive to handle and manage than non-metalized threads, at least due to their increased weight. Finally, metalized threads may be limited in the number of processing steps that they may be subjected to due to their abrasiveness and/or their relatively hard outer surfaces. For example, many fabrics are dyed or scoured after being woven. Such dying or scouring processes may not be performed on metalized threads because either the processes would be ineffective (such as in the case of dying), the threads may damage related machinery (such as in the case of scouring), the threads may be damaged by the processing, or due to other factors. Accordingly, the ability to metalize fabrics at a later stage of processing the fabrics will often have a number of advantages over the use of metalized thread.

(8) FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a garment (100) made using an embodiment of a woven metalized fabric (101) that serves an infrared deceptive camouflage. The woven metalized fabric includes a first surface (103) and a second surface (105) that is opposite to the first surface (103). The woven metalized fabric (101) may be made from any material, but it will always include at least two types of thread, with each type of thread having different affinities for being metalized. For example, the two threads may be different materials, such as one being nylon and the other being polyester. As another example, one thread may be untreated nylon and the second may be nylon that has been treated to increase the thread's affinity for being metalized by, for example, increasing surface roughness. Moreover, more than two different types of thread may be used. In an embodiment, three or more different materials, each having their own affinity for being metalized, may be used. In other embodiments, some materials may have the same or similar affinities for metallization, while that affinity being different from other materials used. For example, a fabric may be made from three materials, one having a low metallization affinity, another having a medium affinity for metallization, and another having a high affinity for metallization.

(9) In any case, the threads may be made from cotton, nylon, polyester, spandex, and/or another material known to persons of ordinary skill in the art or any combinations of these materials. In an embodiment, the woven metalized fabric (101) may be made from nylon and polyester threads. In another embodiment, the woven metalized fabric (101) may be made from nylon, polyester, and another material such as, but not limited to, polyether-polyurea copolymer (e.g. spandex) threads. Each thread may be used in equal or unequal amounts in the woven metalized fabric. Further, each thread will typically include only a single material, but this is by no means required and a thread may comprise filaments of multiple materials with the same or different affinities for metallization.

(10) The two or more threads may be woven together to form an intermediate woven material. The resulting weave may have any thickness. For example, a weave having two threads may have a thickness equal to about two threads' width. However, such a weave with two threads may have a greater or lesser thickness. Further, a thread having three threads may have a thickness equal to about three threads' width. Again, such a weave with three threads may have a greater or lesser thickness. Further, the various threads may be distributed in any combination, pattern, or other arrangement throughout the various layers. For example, and without limitation, three threads in a three layer thick fabric may be each confined to their layer, evenly distributed throughout each layer, or unevenly distributed throughout some or all layers.

(11) FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of an embodiment of a method of making an embodiment of a woven metalized fabric (101). The first step (201) of the method depicted in FIG. 2 is to select the threads to be used. The second step (203) of the method depicted in FIG. 2 is to weave the selected threads together to form the intermediate woven material. The weave used to produce the intermediate woven material may be any weave known to persons of ordinary skill in the art to produce an unbalanced weave, which unbalanced weave features a first thread predominantly on a first side of the intermediate woven material and a second thread predominantly on a second side of the intermediate woven material that is opposite the first side. In an embodiment, the first side of the intermediate woven material will feature a nylon thread and the second side of the intermediate woven material will feature a polyester material. Once woven, this intermediate woven material will be metalized in a third step (205) of the method depicted in FIG. 2.

(12) The intermediate woven material may be metalized (a) immediately after being woven, while other portions of the intermediate woven material are being woven, (b) after an entire length of intermediate woven material has been woven, (c) after some portions of the intermediate woven material have be subsequently processed in any way, (d) after some portions of the intermediate woven material have been processed into a garment, (e) or at some other time subsequent to at least some of the intermediate woven material being woven. In any case, all threads of the intermediate woven material will be subjected to metallization. Any metallization process known in the art may be used, but in any case, the metallization process will preferentially, and may exclusively, metalize the second thread over the first thread. In some embodiments, the metallization process will use autocatalysis to coat the intermediate woven material with a metal.

(13) In such an embodiment of a method that uses autocatalysis to metalize the intermediate woven material, or even a portion of the intermediate woven material, the intermediate woven material may be immersed in a bath of metal salts and a reducing agent, along with complexing agents, stabilizers, and buffers that may enhance the autocatalytic process and/or maintain the necessary pH for the process. In an embodiment, the metal deposited on the intermediate woven material is silver. In other embodiments, the metal may be any metal that provides for the refection and scattering of infrared light.

(14) In any case, the metalizing process will preferentially metalize the second thread over the first thread. For example, in an embodiment that includes nylon and polyester threads, the first thread may be polyester and the second thread may be nylon. Some of the first thread of polyester may be metalized, such as by having a thinner layer of metallization, a more patchy layer of metallization, or having metalized and unmetalized threads, but the second thread of nylon will be metalized to a greater extent typically by having more of the total thread metalized and/or metalized with a thicker, more consistent, layer of metal.

(15) The end product will be woven metalized fabric (101). Any other steps known to persons of ordinary skill in the art may be included in the method depicted in FIG. 2. Further, the steps may be performed in any order. In an embodiment, the first step (201) is performed first, the second step (203) is performed second, and the third step (205) is performed third. In such an embodiment, there may be other steps performed before or after any of the first through third steps.

(16) Returning to FIG. 1, the depicted embodiment of the woven metalized fabric (101) may be used to fabricate a garment (100). The garment (100) may be made using the woven metalized fabric (101) such that the first threads (of less metalized material) predominately form the inner first surface (103) and the second threads (of more metalized material) predominately form the outer second surface (105). This allows the second surface (105) to better mask the infrared light emitted by the wearer due to the second surface's (105) infrared reflection and opacity properties. Further, the second surface (105) may increase a wearer's ability to deceive infrared observation by scattering infrared light around the wearer's silhouette (or infrared shadow), which scattering may obscure or blur the wearer's silhouette (or infrared shadow) when viewed from infrared sensing equipment. Further still, the woven metalized fabric (101) may be capable of shifting the wavelength of the infrared light emitted by the wearer, which shift may also assist in increasing a wearer's ability to deceive infrared observation. Such a shift in the wavelength of the emitted light may assist in blending the emitted light into the background light, helping to mask the wearer's infrared shadow.

(17) Moreover, the second surface (105) made mostly from the second more metalized thread may still be dyed or printed upon to increase the garment's (100) ability to deceive visible observation. In prior fabrics, if the second surface (105) were metalized, dying and printing would be overly difficult at least because metal threads typically do not retain dye or printing materials well, as discussed above. However, using the processes and materials discussed herein, the second surface (105) may be readily dyed. In some embodiments, this is due to the relatively lightly-colored nature of the second surface (105) when compared to metalized surfaces of prior fabrics. In alternative embodiments, it may be because the presence of metallization on the less metalized threads presenting surfaces in both threads which accept at least some level of dye, even if different.

(18) In other embodiments, the positioning of the metalized thread may be reversed. That is that the outer surface of the resultant woven material may include less of the thread having greater affinity than the inner surface. In effect, the first surface (103) and the second surface (105) may be the opposite from what is shown in FIG. 1, such that the first surface (103) is on the exterior of the garment and the second surface (105) is on the interior of the garment. In a still further embodiment, a balanced weave may be used between the two threads such that the metallization is essentially equally distributed between the first surface (103) and the second surface (105) in the resultant garment. These types of fabrics may be desired where increased skin contact with the metallization may be desired. Regardless of which side of the fabric has more or less metallization affinity, it should be recognized that the specific weave may also be selected to provide the thread with greater affinity for metallization with a particular pattern within the resultant fabric. This pattern may provide for improved blocking or dissipating of infrared light compared to a different pattern of metallization and/or may provide for the ability to use the metallization to dye such patterns into the resultant fabric.

(19) Moreover, the process of metalizing the threads after being woven can result in less metal being applied to the less metalized side than would be true if a metalized thread were used to make the fabric and/or less metal being used in total. For example, the points of contact between threads may get metalized less (or not at all) compared to those points that are not in contact with another thread. This arrangement can thus allow for specifically positioned metallization within the fabric. Further, preferential metallization of the resultant fabric instead of the utilization of metalized and non-metalized threads can result in less binary metallization. Specifically, as the preference for metallization between the two threads will generally not be binary (that is one thread will 100% metalize while the other does not metalize at all), the difference in metallization between any two threads in any small section of the fabric can actually be closer together than the metallization between threads in the fabric overall. This may allow for better printing and/or dying on the more metalized side of the fabric as there can be less color distinction between the threads. Thus, the metalized threads do not stand out from the other threads nearly as much.

(20) This alteration and increased similarity between the threads can allow the garment (100) to include prior visible camouflage patterns and colors dyed or printed on the second surface (105) to decrease the wearer's visibility to observers that are not possible on a fabric from two distinct thread types where one is metalized and the other is not. To use as an example in a fabric with 100% metalized threads and 0% metalized threads, a dye may dye the 0% metalized threads a selected color (e.g. bright green) and fail to dye the metalized threads at all. This can result in the metalized pattern being completely visible in the fabric as the typically silver metalized threads are in stark contrast to the bright green threads. In effect, the fabric would appear as a patterned fabric. However, in a fabric with 80% metalized threads and 20% metalized threads, the 80% metalized threads may be dyed a light green while the 20% metalized threads are dyed darker. This results in increased difficulty in seeing the pattern of the threads as the human eye will often blend the greens together. As a result, the garment (100) may improve the wearer's ability to be both visibility and infrared deceptive.

(21) In other embodiments, the woven metalized fabric (101) may not be formed into a garment, but instead, may be used as a covering for a vehicle. In some embodiments, a large tarp of the woven metalized fabric (101) may be used to cover some or all of a vehicle intended to be camouflaged. In this case, the vehicle may be made more difficult to detect from both visual and infrared observation. In other embodiments, the woven metalized fabric (101) may be integrated into the vehicle. For example, the woven metalized fabric (101) may be used as a covering or external layer of the vehicle being camouflaged.

(22) In other embodiments, structures may be fabricated using the woven metalized fabric (101). In such a case, the woven metalized fabric (101) may be used to form an outer shell of the structure, which may be a tent or any other structure. Such a structure may allow for the camouflaging of materials, persons, equipment, or other resources to avoid their detection.

(23) While the invention has been disclosed in conjunction with a description of certain embodiments, including those that are currently believed to be the preferred embodiments, the detailed description is intended to be illustrative and should not be understood to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, embodiments other than those described in detail herein are encompassed by the present invention. Modifications and variations of the described embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

(24) It will further be understood that any of the ranges, values, properties, or characteristics given for any single component of the present disclosure can be used interchangeably with any ranges, values, properties, or characteristics given for any of the other components of the disclosure, where compatible, to form an embodiment having defined values for each of the components, as given herein throughout. Further, ranges provided for a genus or a category can also be applied to species within the genus or members of the category unless otherwise noted.

(25) The qualifier generally, and similar qualifiers as used in the present case, would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to accommodate recognizable attempts to conform a device to the qualified term, which may nevertheless fall short of doing so. This is because terms such as orthogonal are purely geometric constructs and no real-world component or relationship is truly orthogonal in the geometric sense. Variations from geometric and mathematical descriptions are unavoidable due to, among other things, manufacturing tolerances resulting in shape variations, defects and imperfections, non-uniform thermal expansion, and natural wear. Moreover, there exists for every object a level of magnification at which geometric and mathematical descriptors fail due to the nature of matter. One of ordinary skill would thus understand the term generally and relationships contemplated herein regardless of the inclusion of such qualifiers to include a range of variations from the literal geometric meaning of the term in view of these and other considerations.