FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME

Abstract

A method of making a multi-ply fabric. The fabric has a top side and a back side with the top side being adjacent to an external environment when the fabric is in use and the back side being adjacent to an object to be cooled when the fabric is in use. The method includes providing a top yarn to form the top side of the fabric and providing a bottom yarn to form the back side of the fabric, with the bottom yarn having a higher SA:V than the top yarn. The two yarns are combined together to form a single fabric, with the top yarn looping through bobbins in the bottom yarn and the bottom yarn looping through bobbins in the top yarn so that the top and bottom yarns are linked and networked to-one-another.

Claims

1. A method of making a multi-ply fabric, the fabric having a top side and a back side, said top side being adjacent to an external environment when the fabric is in use and said back side being adjacent to an object to be cooled when the fabric is in use, the method comprising: providing a top yarn to form said top side of the fabric, said top yarn having a surface area to volume ratio (SA:V); providing a bottom yarn to form said back side of the fabric, said bottom yarn having a higher SA:V than said top yarn; and combining said top and bottom yarns together to form a single fabric, said top yarn looping through bobbins in said bottom yarn and said bottom yarn looping through bobbins in said top yarn so that said top and bottom yarns are linked and networked to-one-another.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising weaving said bottom yarn into a terry surface into said back side of the fabric.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising peaching said bottom yarn.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein weaving comprises circular knitting with a single sided knitting machine.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein weaving comprises separate yarn inflow knitting with a double sided knitting machine.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said top and bottom yarns are each hydrophilic, each yarn having different cross-sections.

7. A multi-ply fabric, the fabric having a top side and a back side, said top side being adjacent to an external environment when the fabric is in use and said back side being adjacent to an object to be cooled when the fabric is in use, the fabric comprising: a top yarn to form said top side of the fabric, said top yarn having a surface area to volume ratio (SA:V); a bottom yarn to form said back side of the fabric, said bottom yarn having a higher SA:V than said top yarn;, wherein said top and bottom yarns are combined together to form a single fabric, said top yarn looping through bobbins in said bottom yarn and said bottom yarn looping through bobbins in said top yarn so that said top and bottom yarns are linked and networked to-one-another.

8. The fabric of claim 7 wherein said bottom yarn is weaved to produce terry surface into said back side of the fabric.

9. The fabric of claim 7 wherein said bottom yarn is peached.

10. The fabric of claim 7 wherein said top and bottom yarns are each hydrophilic, each yarn having different cross-sections.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The preferred embodiment of the invention will be described by reference to the drawings thereof in which:

[0028] FIG. 1 is a close-up cross-sectional view of a prior art Y+O yarn;

[0029] FIG. 2 is a close-up cross-sectional view of a prior art wicking yarn with increased surface area for enhanced wicking;

[0030] FIG. 3 illustrates the movement of body heat and moisture moving from the human body to the environment through the fabric of the present invention

[0031] FIG. 4 illustrates the movement of body heat and moisture moving from the human body to the environment through the fabric of the present invention

[0032] FIG. 5. illustrates the movement of moisture and heat transferring from the human body to the environment of the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 6 is perspective view of a a cross fiber of FIG. 2;

[0034] FIG. 7 is a close up view of the fabric of the present invention showing a general form of the fabric stitching pattern including plurality of wrap yarns and single weft yarns;

[0035] FIG. 8 is a demonstration of the pattern construction form and arrangement of the yarns in perspective to a knitting machine;

[0036] FIG. 9 is a close up view of the fabric of the present invention showing a general form of the front of a single jersey knit face stitching pattern;

[0037] FIG. 10 is a close up view of the fabric of the present invention showing a general form of the back of a single jersey knit face stitching pattern;

[0038] FIG. 11 is a close up view of the fabric of the present invention showing a general form of the stitching of a type of yarn that will be combined in order to generate a final fabric;

[0039] FIG. 12 is a close up view of the fabric of the present invention showing a general form of the stitching of another type of yarn that will be combined in order to generate a final fabric;

[0040] FIG. 13. is a close up view of the fabric of the present invention showing a general form of the combination of the two types of yarns combined in order to accelerate the hydraulic abilities knit face stitching pattern;

[0041] FIG. 14 is a close up view of the fabric of the present invention showing the positioning of the bobbins and sinker on a knit machine in order to conduct the fabrication of the fabric;

[0042] FIG. 15 is a sample of the vertical wicking benefits of a yarn utilized in the present invention in comparison to other types of yarns;

[0043] FIG. 16 is a sample of the diffusion area that a yarn utilized in the present invention in comparison to other types of yarns; and

[0044] FIG. 17 is a sample of the specification of the fabric utilized in the present invention in comparison to other types of yarns.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0045] Objects with higher surface area to volume ratios (SA:V) move liquid molecules at a faster rate than objects with lower SA:V. This explains why fine salt crystals dissolve quicker in water than coarse salt crystals for any given mass. This occurs because objects with higher SA:V allow molecules to diffuse more quickly and easily than objects with lower SA:V. For this very reason, our lungs have a cluster of porous arteries and fish gills have numerous spikes in order to move molecules of air.

[0046] An increase in SA:V results in a corresponding increase in exposure to the environment. More contact with an environment increases the rate of absorption or loss of water. Objects with higher SA:V are also effective at regulating temperatures in unfavorable environments; for example, cacti have numerous pines and lizards spread their gills in order to dissipate heat. The higher the

[0047] SA:V an object possesses the faster a particle (including air or water) responds to change in environmental condition such as temperature or moisture.

[0048] When we apply this phenomena to textile yarn, a yarn with an intricate cross section has a higher SA:V than an ordinary spherical round yarn. An intricately cross sectioned yarn, therefore, moves moisture much faster than a spherical yarn or hollow yarn. A cross sectioned or Y section yarn diffuses water from a person's skin into the air at a very high rate. Textiles made from these yarns are typically referred to as wicking yarn as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0049] FIGS. 3 to 5 generally illustrate the workings of the present fabric. Advantageously, the present invention employs a combination of two yarns in constructing a singular fabric. The fabric is created by either knitting or weaving two yarns with differing SA:V. Doing so, regulates the rate of water flow within the fabric and controls the rate of evaporation of a person's perspiration. By creating a fabric with two yarns of differing SA:V, the fabric cools a person's skin more rapidly than traditional wicking fabric.

[0050] The two yarn system of the present invention combines a yarn with higher SA:V with a yarn with a lower SA:V. The fabric is constructed so that the yarn with the higher SA:V is situated next to a person's skin (bottom yarn) and the yarn with the lower SA:V (top yarn) is placed over the fabric with the higher SA:V, and is exposed to the external environment as best illustrated in FIG. 7. The bottom yarn is placed next to a person's skin so that water molecules (sweat) are absorbed at a fast rate and conducted away from the skin through yarn bobbin linkages between the bottom and top yarns. Water molecules stored at the surface of the top yarn will evaporate due to flow of air from the environment or body heat. The evaporation of liquid into the air absorbs heat energy from the body to help cooling down a persons' body temperature.

[0051] Currently, there are many fabrics made from a single yarn with high SA:V ratios such as: Coolmax™, Coolpass™, Coolbest™, Cooltouch™, and Cooldry™. These fabrics are produced from Y cross sections and other various cross sections as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6. Such fabrics also tend to maximize their SA:V of their yarns in order to maximize their wicking properties and are hydrophilic in nature.

[0052] Unlike these traditional wicking fabrics, which use a single wicking yarn, the present invention uses a two yarn multi SA:V system. The combination of two yarns with differing SA:V is applicable to not only synthetic fibers, but to various combinations of yarns for example, combinations of synthetic fiber with natural fibers.

[0053] To increase the SA:V of a particular yarn, one can also break the yarn structure by brushing, sanding or peaching. When a yarn is brushed or peached, the SA:V is increased to help trap more liquid and to increase the variance of SA:V among the two layers of yarn.

[0054] Yarns embedded with a polymer with additional features such as: anti-odor, anti-microbial, and infra-red absorption, does not affect the cooling feature of the present invention so long the bottom yarn (the yarn next to a person's skin) has a higher SA:V than the top yarn (the yarn exposed to the external environment).

[0055] The present invention is a multi-ply fabric. The present fabric: cools when exposed to a liquid, such as perspiration from an individual's body, for example;

[0056] is able to wick (transport) perspiration, water or other liquid from an object such as an individual's skin; is able to absorb a liquid at a weight that is a plurality of the weight of the fabric; efficiently regulates the evaporation rate and retains a liquid with minimal loss of the liquid over an extended period of time; controls moisture release, that is, it provides moisture management; and is reusable, while retaining all of these characteristics from use-to-use. The present invention also is a method of making the fabric having these characteristics.

[0057] The side of the fabric to be positioned adjacent to the object to be cooled, referred to herein as the back side, is configured to enhance the transfer of liquid away from the object, such as by wicking, while the other side of the fabric that is spaced away from the object is configured to slow evaporation. The back side may be relatively more porous than the front side as a mechanism to facilitate liquid transfer. Further, its wicking characteristics may be optimized, such as by using fibers made of hydrophobic material and/or with large peripheral surface area. On the other hand, the front side may be relatively less porous than the back side as a mechanism to slow liquid evaporation (by trapping the liquid, or at least slowing its progression to the outer surface of the fabric). Further, its wicking characteristics may be minimized, such as by using fibers made of absorptive or at least relatively hydrophilic material and/or with reduced peripheral surface area.

[0058] The selected materials and material configurations for the back side and the front side, when peached as described herein, act in concert to enhance the movement/transportation of liquid from the surface of the object to the core of the fabric's construction. Cooled liquid either moves back toward the object or dwells long enough within the fabric to establish a sufficient heat gradient to effectively draw heat away from the object surface. This results in moisture movement in a controlled manner that enhances and extends the ability of the fabric to transfer heat between the object and the interior of the fabric. In effect, warm liquid adjacent to the surface of the object is drawn away from the object surface at the back side of the fabric and moved to the front side, while cooled liquid within the fabric is sufficiently close to the object at the back side to effect cooling. The regulated slower evaporation of the liquid from the fabric at the top side provides the extension of time for the cooled liquid within the fabric to act as a heat sink for the object.

[0059] While some manner of making a fabric creates interstices that act as fluid pathways, the combination of the material selection and peaching of the fabric as described herein makes that pathway characteristic much more substantial, creating a capillary web system that stores and orients the moisture molecules and holds them in suspension until such time as the fabric is activated; thus setting the molecules in motion and causing a disorientation of the moisture molecules so that they are inclined to move toward or away from an object to be cooled or maintained at a temperature. This recycling of moisture to and from the fabric core creates a regulated, controlled, extended evaporative cooling device.

[0060] 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. While embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only. The invention may include variants not described or illustrated herein in detail. Thus, the embodiments described and illustrated herein should not be considered to limit the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying claims.