EP1372813A1

EP1372813A1 - Application of brushed textiles as pollen filters

Info

Publication number: EP1372813A1
Application number: EP02750537A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Andreas Schröder
Original assignee: Tesa SE
Current assignee: Tesa SE
Priority date: 2001-03-09
Filing date: 2002-03-08
Publication date: 2004-01-02
Also published as: WO2002072230A1; DE10111308A1; WO2002072232A1; US20040112217A1; DE10111308B4

Abstract

Use of a flat textile piece for fixing across doors and windows to protect against dust-like allergens such as pollen or house-dust with at least one brushed side.

Description

description

Use of roughened textiles as a pollen filter

The invention relates to the use of roughened textile fabrics as a protection system against the ingress of dust-like allergens transported through the atmospheric air, such as pollen dust and fungal spores, in living and working spaces by means of the full-surface attachment in front of windows and doors.

The occurrence of pollinosis (hay fever), i.e. the allergic reaction of the mucous membranes of the eye and the upper and lower respiratory tract with bee pollen and other airborne allergens, has been observed in the Federal Republic of Germany for years. It was determined that the population share in Germany has been around 11 to 15% in recent years. The allergic reaction to a pollen allergy usually manifests itself as reddening and tearing of the eyes (conjunctivitis), sneezing attacks (rhinitis) and irritable cough (bronchial asthma) as early reactions. For example, neurodermatitis or eczema on the skin are known as a late reaction to pollen allergy. As far-reaching consequences in addition to the personal complaints of those affected, loss of earnings or incapacity to work during the pollen period or increase in medical treatment costs can be easily deduced, so that there is a great need for a pollen protection grille in the sense of the invention for attachment to windows and doors of living and working spaces. Further information about pollinose can be found in the pollen allergy guide, Ute Künkele, Munich 1992.

Pollen allergies are triggered by the hereditary factors of wind-flowering plants, which, in contrast to insect-flowering plants, use the air movement to transmit their male hereditary factors. For this reason, pollen from wind-flowered plants is generally smaller than that from insect-flowered plants. Frequently occurring sizes are in the range from 15 to 50 μm. Well-known examples of wind-flowered plants that trigger pollenailergic reactions are birch, hazel, mugwort and a number of types of grass. Protective systems installed in front of windows and doors to prevent the penetration of larger objects such as insects into living spaces are known as fly screens. DE 30 45 723 A1, for example, describes curtains, nets, filters or sieves for such a purpose, which are attached to window or door frames by means of push buttons. Due to their relatively large mesh sizes of 1 to 2 mm, they do not have sufficient protection against pollen dust.

Filtration systems that remove air from pollen, germs and spores are used, for example, in air conditioning technology and in automobiles. The filter effect is achieved in DE 39 04 623 A1, for example, by using multi-layer filter mats made of nonwovens. To increase the contact of the particle-laden air with the filter, the laminate of filter mats is additionally zigzag folded. The filter effect against pollen is achieved by the fibrousness of the nonwovens, since the spaces between the fibers are smaller than the pollen to be filtered.

A window protection device against pollen, germs and spores is given, for example, in DE 197 22 326 A1. Here, too, a fleece is applied as a protective device, but not over the full area in front of the window pane, but rather in the two wedge-like spaces and the rectangular opening at the top of a window in the tilted position.

Another possibility for filtering pollen etc. is proposed in DE 297 01 218 U. The filter is designed as a full-surface system to be installed in front of the window. The arrangement consists of a shrink film to be attached in front of the window, which has a recess in one area into which a filter fleece is glued by means of a double-sided adhesive tape.

DE 198 56 490 A1 describes a more sophisticated approach to a pollen filter. In this case, the filter consists of a nonwoven made of plastic fibers with an electrostatic effectiveness and very fine pores for the separation of dust particles with a particle size below 1 μm. In this example, the fleece is additionally reinforced by a scrim. An example of the filtering of pollen and dust particles by tissue is illustrated in WO 94/09884 A1. In this case, the filter effect is achieved by a fabric made of microfilaments with spacing of the filaments in the order of 30 μm.

Textile fabrics such as woven fabrics, knitted fabrics and knitted fabrics often offer advantages in terms of mechanical stability compared to nonwovens. For this reason, nonwovens have to be consolidated in a further step in the manufacturing process. A disadvantage of using nonwovens is also the less favorable air permeability and visual transparency with the same basis weight, for example in the order of 50 to 100 g / m ² . In addition, irregularities in the transparency over the fleece surface often occur due to which they are additionally processed by combing processes. The problem of visual transparency was therefore avoided in some of the pollen protection systems described by the special type of attachment to the window.

The approach of using a roughened textile fabric to achieve a filter effect against ^■ pollen is new and should be protected.

The expression textile fabrics describes the entirety of all possibilities to represent textiles from thread material through common surface formation processes such as knitting, knitting or weaving, without wishing to commit to a technique here. Fundamentals about textile surface formation processes can be researched in Alfons Hofer: "Stoffe 2", 1983, German specialist book publisher or "Kettnittpraxis", Issue 4, 1970, pages 19-20, technologies of warp knitting.

The roughening of fabrics is carried out by a roughening process after the surface forming process. It is generally done by guiding the textile web over scratching tools; these are usually implemented as sharp-edged rollers with blades or steel brushes. When roughening, individual filaments of the thread material are pulled out of the thread or even severed, but the filament ends remain in the thread. Further information can be found in Peter / Rouette: "Fundamentals of Textile Finishing", Deutscher Fachbuchverlag Frankfurt, 1989.

Often, textured textiles are used due to their pleasant feel for clothing, for example as a front fixture in high-quality outerwear. uses, but they are also used as paving material. The use of roughened textile fabrics as pollen protection in front of window areas and door openings as well as for other ventilation entrances is a new field of application and should be protected.

The use of a roughened textile fabric offers the advantage over the cited approach of achieving a filtration of pollen by means of the small distance between warp and weft threads in fabrics that the filaments narrow the distance between the threads due to the roughening process and thereby the distances between the threads Filaments of two adjacent threads and / or the filaments of a single thread come about, which are impassable for pollen. In addition, the filaments expand the two-dimensional fabric into the third dimension. The filaments thus set up mean, on the one hand, a longer flow path means a longer contact time of the air with the filter material and, on the other hand, an increase in the filter surface, which leads to improved filter properties.

In this way, for example, a higher air permeability is possible, which enables better ventilation of the premises, since the spacing of warp and weft threads does not have to be reduced to the diameter of the pollen to be filtered for the filter property.

The object of the proposed invention is to provide a woven or knitted fabric which can be used as a pollen protection over the entire area of windows and doors.

This task is solved as set out in the main claim. The subclaims relate to advantageous developments of the subject matter of the invention.

Thereafter, the invention relates to a textile fabric, preferably a knitted fabric, which has at least one roughened surface.

The weight per unit area of the textile fabric is from 30 to 200 g / m ² , preferably between 40 and 100 g / m ² . The filaments of the threads consist in particular of a polyester and are continuous filaments with a diameter of 10 to 100 μm, preferably 10 to 50 μm, particularly preferably 10 to 25 μm.

The thread material has in particular a diameter of 50 to 500 μm, preferably 50 to 300 μm.

The textile fabric consists in particular of a multi-thread system.

The warp threads are meshed in particular in the form of the tricot weave according to DIN 53883 with a number of wales from 50 to 500, preferably from 100 to 300 and a number of stitches from 100 to 600, preferably from 150 to 300.

With the structure of the warp threads, further warp threads in the form of the closed cloth weave were combined.

Areas of application for the pollen protection system include windows in house walls, roof windows and door openings such as balcony and terrace doors and the like. The problem of the impassability of the door can be solved by a special design of the fastening system. Another application is in car windows, which allows a pollen allergy to open the window during the summer months.

The pollen protection system is attached to the outer rebates for windows that are swung into the interior of the room when the swivel opening is opened, for windows that swivel outwards on the inner rebates.

Other embodiments for roof windows, as a permanent bed net or easily removable travel bed net are part of the inventive concept. Other forms of pollen protection consist of a system to be attached to a stroller and as a bed net for baby beds, as a conventional curtain or in a pollen protection roll that is only unrolled in front of the window when required. Additional embodiments of pollen protection arise from the use of pollen protection in ventilation openings on roofs, such as in buses. Another embodiment of the pollen protection system consists of the assembly into a wedge-like system, which is attached in the opening gap that is formed when the tilt-and-turn window or a tilt-and-tilt door is open in the tilted position. In addition, the pollen protection can be designed in such a way that it is also possible to mount it in the opening gaps that form in swing-sash windows, the sash of which can be swung open via two horizontal, centrally arranged bearings.

Further embodiments of the pollen protection are the insertion of the filter according to the invention into a recess in a film or other material by means of conventional fastening techniques, for example for reasons of cost or for framing, which is then attached in front of the ventilation device to be covered, such as a window. The content of the invention also covers covering the pollen protection by a protective device against mechanical loads such as, for example, a grid or a coarse-mesh fabric or the like.

Furthermore, the invention encompasses the use of the filter material in air-conditioning ventilation devices, for example in ventilation for buildings, caravans or motor vehicles, also as a filter insert in window frame material or even a glass pane itself. Further embodiments are in the leisure sector, for example use in tents or in front of manholes of boat cabins.

An additional embodiment is the use of the filter material as a head protection hood or face, eye, mouth or nose protection.

Some fastening systems according to the invention are explained below using the example of attaching the pollen protection to windows without wishing to restrict the fastening options to this embodiment.

The pollen protection system can be installed in different ways. For example, an attachment by means of a mushroom tape provided with adhesive on one side is advantageous. The mushroom tape is glued into the fold of the window so that it frames the window opening to be fitted. After adjusting to the size of the window, the pollen protection fabric is pressed onto the mushroom band and held in place by the mushrooms. Instead of a mushroom tape instead of the use of a Velcro tape, this is another embodiment.

Another possibility of attachment is the use of an additional mushroom tape, which has a felt-like material instead of the adhesive. After equipping the window frame with the adhesive mushroom tape, the additional mushroom tape with the fleece side is applied to the bonded mushroom tape, then the pollen protection fabric is attached. The advantage of using an additional mushroom band is that it is easier to dismantle and reassemble the pollen protection, for example at the end and when the pollen flight period resumes. Since the pollen protection knitted fabric is individually cut by the user, the knitted fabric structure must also be protected against damage to the knitted fabric structure, such as unintentional pulling out of the weft threads. By attaching the fleece mushroom tape, a protective effect similar to that of a hem can be achieved on the pollen protection fabric. For the application of the pollen protection fabric to doors, there is also the advantage that the pollen protection fabric equipped with the fleece mushroom tape can be rolled up along the door rebate in the applied state, thus allowing the door to be passed without having to completely remove the system. A vertical slit in the knitted fabric, which can be closed with the help of a similarly designed fleece mushroom tape system, is also conceivable to enable passage.

A further embodiment of the fastening system consists in the use of adhesive materials such as, for example, single-sided or double-sided adhesive tapes, types of other double-sided adhesive materials such as tesa® power strips or the gluing in of the pollen protection only with the aid of an adhesive. Additional embodiments represent the fastening of the pollen protection by means of nails, tacks, hooks, screws, clamps, buttons, snap fasteners, staples or with the aid of a curtain rail. An attachment is also conceivable by means of a hem located on the edge of the pollen protection or attached to it in other ways Auxiliary struts that are fixed in clamping devices attached to the window frame.

example In the following example, the filtration effect against birch pollen is compared from non-roughened to roughened knitted fabric with an even lower stitch density, without wishing to restrict the invention to the example mentioned. The measuring methods used are also explained.

a) Comparison of the filtration effect from non-roughened to roughened surface

Knitted fabric 1: Manufacturer: Mattes & Ammann Pattern number: 30961 Material: polyester Structure: fringe laying with non-textured weft threads in partial weft Non-textured weft thread inserted into the fringe connects two fringes zigzag separated by a fringe Mesh density: 39200 Weight: 85 g / m ²

Filter effect against birch pollen F: 3%

Knitted fabric 2: Manufacturer: Mattes & Ammann

Pattern number: 30608

Material: polyester

Structure: combination of cloth / tricot binding

Grammage: 55 g / m ² mesh density: 35800

Filter effect against birch pollen F: 40%

A comparison of the results for the filtration action against birch pollen clearly shows the knitting effect of the roughened knitted fabric in the sense of the invention to be protected in the case of knitted fabric 2 even with a lower mesh density.

b) Description of the measurement methods used

Determination of the basis weight The values given in the table refer to the manufacturer's information.

Determination of the mesh density

The mesh density was determined in accordance with DIN 53883. A stereomicroscope of the Leica brand, type WILD M3Z was used as the measuring device, with the associated line scale with a scale division value of 1 mm.

Determination of the filtration effect against birch pollen

The measuring principle is based on simultaneous particle counting using two particle counting devices.

Birch pollen is atomized and introduced into an air flow through a tubular test setup using compressed air. At the housing outlet are the suction funnels of two commercial particle counters, one of which is covered with the test sample, the other is not covered for reference. The particle counters deliver particle numbers for each measurement simultaneously for the case of the uncovered and the case covered with the test sample. A single value E for the filter effect of the pattern can be calculated from the two measured values:

The value of the filter effect compared to birch pollen F given in the examples is made up of ten individual measurements due to the very high standard deviation of the individual values. By alternating the suction funnel to be covered with the test sample, the determination of the apparatus constant, which occurs due to the incompletely homogeneous distribution of the pollen in the air flow and apparatus differences in the particle counting devices, can be dispensed with. The comparison limit of this method is 10%, ie differences in the filter effect of two samples of more than 10% are significant. Since particles in the room air are also recorded by both particle counters, but it is not known how much room air particles are filtered, the individual values were not corrected. It can be estimated that if the two measured values are reduced by the number of room air particles, the result for the individual value of the filter effect is better. The experimental setup consists of a tubular housing. At the air inlet there is a blower for adjusting the air flow through the tubular housing, which draws in ambient air and conveys it through the housing. At the air outlet are the suction funnels of the particle counter and the impeller of an anemometer. The birch pollen is introduced on the suction side of the fan.

The tubular test setup has a length of 1.6 m and a diameter of 0.29 m with a circular cross-section. The tube walls are made of aluminum sheet with a thickness of 1 mm.

The air flow is realized by a fan sealingly connected to the housing inlet, which can continuously generate wind speeds of up to 5 m / s via a control device. The diameter of the blower is flush with the diameter of the housing. A ball bearing fan with high air performance from Ziehl EBM was used for this test apparatus.

The suction funnels of the particle counting devices and the impeller of the anemometer are attached to the outlet opening of the housing at the outermost radius and protrude 3 to 4 cm into the outlet opening. The suction funnels and the impeller are aligned parallel to the air flow. The clarification of the exact positions of the suction funnels and the impeller is made on the basis of the illustration by means of a clock face. Seen in the direction of flow, the suction funnels take up positions 5:30 and 6:30 a.m., the impeller 7 o'clock.

Devices from the company Kratel, type Partoscope R and the particle monitor 28DD, from Deha, are used as particle counters. Both devices have several measuring channels for different particle size ranges. This enables particle size ranges from greater than 0.3 to greater than 5 μm for the Partoscope R counter and particle size ranges from greater than 0.3 to greater than 10 μm for the 28 DD counter to be determined distributively and cumulatively. The measured values used for the determination of the filter effect represent the measured number of particles for both particle counters cumulatively for the measuring range of greater than 3 μm. The measuring time for determining the reference and comparison values was 60 s for both devices. The air speed is measured by an anemometer from Schiltknecht Ing, type mini-air IV. The results of the tests were achieved with a wind speed of 3 m / s.

Natural birch pollen is used as the test substance. The birch pollen has a size range of approximately 10 μm to 30 μm in diameter and is approximately spherical. Birch pollen for medical purposes can be obtained from Allergon (Sweden). The measurement results were generated with the birch pollen species Betula lutea.

The birch pollen is introduced into the air flow by spraying birch pollen vertically in the middle in front of the suction side of the blower from a storage container via a hose system using compressed air. For this, about 0.001 g of birch pollen are weighed into a 100 ml Erienmeyer flask with a cut as a storage container. The Erlenmeyer flask is closed with a gas inlet tube with a cut and outlet opening that matches the Erienmeyer flask.

The compressed air supply is connected to a three-way valve by means of a hose. The two other connections of the three-way valve are connected to a volume flow measuring device and the inlet opening of the gas inlet pipe of the Erienmeyer flask via hoses. The outlet opening of the receptacle is connected by a hose to a glass tube, which is located centrally and vertically directly above the suction side of the blower.

The position of the three-way valve can either be used to measure the volume flow of the compressed air or to direct the compressed air through the storage vessel to atomize the pollen. A compressed air volume flow of 15 l / min was set for the measurement results. For the pollen task during the above Measuring time of 1 minute, compressed air flows through the reservoir for 5 s.

The patterns are attached in front of the suction funnels of the particle measuring devices by gluing an approximately circular pattern with a diameter of approximately 4.5 cm onto a suitable circular frame. The frame has been equipped with a double-sided adhesive tape. Tesa® 4965 was used as the adhesive tape. Before the particle measurement, the frame and the sample are pushed over the suction funnel of one of the two particle counters.

Claims

claims

1. Use of a textile fabric for attachment to windows or doors to protect against dusty allergens such as pollen or house dust with at least one roughened side.

2. Use according to claim 1, wherein the fabric is a knitted fabric.

3. Use according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the weight per unit area of the textile fabric is between 30 and 200 g / m ² , preferably between 40 and 100 g / m ² .

4. Use according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the filaments of the threads consist of polyesters, polyamides or polyolefins.

5. Use according to at least one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the diameter of the filaments of the threads is between 10 and 100 μm, preferably between 10 and 50 μm, particularly preferably between 10 and 25 μm.

6. Use according to at least one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the diameter of the threads is between 50 and 500 microns, preferably between 50 and 300 microns.

7. Use according to at least one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the number of stitches is from 100 to 600, preferably from 150 to 300 and the number of stitches from 50 to 500, preferably from 100 to 300.

8. Use according to at least one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the textile fabric is a multi-thread system.

9. Use according to at least one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the warp threads are meshed in the form of the tricot weave.

10. Use according to at least one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the warp threads are meshed in the form of the cloth binding.

11. Use according to at least one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the warp threads are meshed in the form of the satin binding.

12. Use according to at least one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the warp threads are meshed in the form of velvet binding.

13. Fly screen made of a textile fabric according to one of claims 1 to 12.