ULTRA-HIGH-QUALITY TOWEL AND YARN USED TO WEAVE IT

Abstract

An ultra-high-quality towel having unique sensory characteristics and manufactured from renewable resources is woven from a yarn spun from 50% washable merino-type wool fiber and 50% rayon fiber from bamboo. The towel is lustrous, luxuriously smooth and warm, highly absorbent, resistant to pilling, and durable.

Claims

1. A multi-ply yarn for use in toweling, comprising 45%-55% wool fiber.

2. The yarn of claim 1, further comprising cellulosic rayon fiber.

3. The yarn of claim 2, comprising 50% wool fiber and 50% cellulosic rayon fiber.

4. The yarn of claim 2, wherein the cellulosic rayon fiber is rayon fiber from bamboo.

5. The yarn of claim 1, wherein the yarn is four-ply.

6. The yarn of claim 1, wherein the wool fiber is washable merino-type wool fiber.

7. A yarn for use in toweling, comprising a four-ply yarn made up of 50% washable merino-type wool fiber and 50% rayon fiber from bamboo.

8. A towel, comprising a yarn that includes wool fiber.

9. A towel, comprising a yarn that includes wool fiber and cellulosic rayon fiber.

10. The towel of claim 8, wherein the yarn is multi-ply.

11. The towel of claim 9, wherein the cellulosic rayon fiber is rayon fiber from bamboo.

12. The towel of claim 8, wherein the wool fiber is washable merino-type wool fiber.

13. The towel of claim 9, wherein the yarn is 45%-55% wool fiber.

14. A towel, comprising a four-ply yarn that includes 45%-55% wool fiber and rayon fiber from bamboo.

15. A towel, comprising a four-ply yarn that includes 50% washable merino-type wool fiber and 50% rayon fiber from bamboo.

16. The towel of claim 14, wherein the towel has an unbalanced weave.

17. The towel of claim 16, wherein the towel has a weft-facing weave.

18. A towel having warp threads and weft threads, comprising: a. a four-ply yarn that is used for the warp threads and for the weft threads, the yarn including 50% washable merino-type wool fiber and 50% rayon fiber from bamboo; and b. the warp threads and weft threads being woven into a weft-facing weave.

19. The towel of claim 18, wherein the weave has a density of 36-38 ends per inch and 22-28 picks per inch.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The invention will be better understood with reference to the following illustrative and non-limiting drawings, in which:

[0011] FIG. 1A is a representation of a Weave Information File for producing a historical M's and O's weave for a towel in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention;

[0012] FIG. 1B is an image showing the M's and O's weave produced by the Weave Information File of FIG. 1A when weaving a towel in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention using yarn in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention;

[0013] FIG. 2A is a representation of a Weave Information File for producing a Tree weave for a towel in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention; and

[0014] FIG. 2B is an image showing the Tree weave produced by the Weave Information File of FIG. 2A when weaving a towel in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention using yarn in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] An extensive experimental program has been carried out using yarn spun from wool fiber. As a result of these experiments, it has been determined that a yarn spun from 50% wool fiber and 50% rayon fiber makes a towel that has ideally luxuriously sensory characteristics. However, it is believed that a yarn containing between 45%and 55% wool fiber will be commercially acceptable. If wool fiber exceeds 55%, a towel made from the yarn performs like a wet blanket; if less than 45%, a towel made from the yarn is insufficiently warm and insufficiently water-absorbent.

[0016] In the preferred embodiment, the wool fiber is washable and of the merino type (i.e. the wool may or may not be from the Merino sheep, but has a staple or fiber length of 2.6 inches to 3.9 inches and a diameter of between 19 and 24 microns), and the rayon fiber is derived from bamboo. Wool fiber and rayon fiber from bamboo are renewable resources. This is valued by environmentally conscious consumers.

[0017] The yarn spun from 50% washable merino-type wool fiber and 50% rayon fiber from bamboo is a multi-ply yarn and is advantageously four-ply. Experiment has shown that a four-ply yarn is smooth, drapes well, durable when washed in warm or cold water, and does not pill. There is little reason to use more than four plies, because that increases cost without improving performance; using fewer than four plies diminishes the insulation, water-absorbency, and durability of the finished towel.

[0018] The preferred embodiment of a towel in accordance with the invention is woven exclusively from the above-described four-ply yarn, i.e. yarn in accordance with the above-described preferred embodiment is used for the warp threads and the weft threads. Advantageously, the weave is unbalanced and weft-facing, i.e. the floats (the threads that do not intersect and that lie on the surface of the woven fabric) are formed from the weft threads. (This is merely for convenience; it would alternatively be possible to weave the fabric using an unbalanced warp-facing weave.) Advantageously, and in accordance with the preferred embodiment, the weave has a density of 36-38 ends per inch and 22-28 picks per inch. Experiment has shown that this produces a towel fabric that is not only luxuriously warm and smooth, highly absorbent, durable when washed in cold or warm water, but that also dries quickly and does not pill. A towel in accordance with the preferred embodiment improves with its initial use (i.e. becomes smoother, warmer, and more absorbent after its initial few washings).

[0019] Although any unbalanced weave with an appropriate density will be appropriate for a towel woven from yarn in accordance with the above-described preferred embodiment, the two weaves illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 were so woven and have been shown to produce excellent results. The M's and O's weave of FIGS. 1A and 1B is historical; the Tree weave of FIGS. 2A and 2B is new.

[0020] Although a preferred embodiment has been described above, the scope of the invention is determined only by the following claims: