KR830001860B1 - Fabric-Elastomer Composite - Google Patents

Abstract

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Description

Fabric-Elastomer Composite

1 is a partial cross-sectional and partial elevational view of a fabric elastomer product according to the present invention.

2 is a partial cross-sectional view and a partial elevation view of a fabric-elastomeric product illustrating one form of a waterproof joint according to the present invention.

3 is a partial cross-sectional view and a partial elevation view of a fabric-elastomeric product illustrating another form of waterproof joint according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view and a partial elevation of a garment (garment type) product illustrating the waterproof seal structure and form according to the present invention.

5 is a drawing similar to the draft illustrating another type of waterproofing seam and sealing structure.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 illustrating one form of a suture that is waterproof sealed at the sewing site of the garment.

The present invention relates in particular to an improved fabric-elastomeric composite which is waterproof, "breathable" and flexible and may be used in the manufacture of improved products.

This application is a continuation of US Application No. 5,319, filed on January 22, 1979.

There are many cases where a fabric-elastomeric composite in the form of a uniform thin semipermeable membrane is required. One type of product of this type is described in the above-mentioned application, and another form of product is an ion-non-electrode, as well as a membrane, which can be used for instruments or devices used in the scientific or medical fields. Membranes used in scientific measurement devices such as polarographic electrodes and other electrochemical devices.

It has also been found that fabric-erasomer composites, which are relatively low in manufacturing price, are useful in the manufacture of garments such as ski garments, bad weather garments, and cold weather garments. Sometimes they are manufactured in various athletic attire, such as jogging, to sweat for the purpose of losing weight.

In most cases, clothing is designed to be ventilated in principle, but unfortunately such a ventilated garment often permits simultaneous passage of moisture.

In addition, clothing that does not allow the liquid to pass through the water has a lung lung when the user wears or if the user engages in sweating activities, the moisture is collected inside the clothing so that the clothing becomes wet.

Commercially available products, Gore-Tex, a thin plate-like nylon product, are well known, and microporous products are described as materials that allow only water vapor to pass but not liquid water.

For ski suits, it's easy to find ski suits made of neoprene, which is a thin membrane made of nylon. Other garments include stretch nylon materials composed of tricot woven needle punch polyester that impairs elasticity.

Generally, the products described above are characterized by thermal insulation, elasticity and light weight.

Also known are thin plate-like velor fibers such as nylon, dichron (polyester) rayon, teflon and polypropylene. The nylon velor material, in which the polypeptide membrane and the polar caprolactone are combined, has a disadvantage in that the membrane is cracked.

Literature on the use of silicone rubber membranes is described in Medical Instrumentation, Volume 7, number 4,268,275 September 1973; And known technical documents such as the use of woven reinforced silicon films, Medical Instrumentation, Volume 9, number 3, 124-128, and May-June 1975. U. S. Patent No. 3,267, 727 also describes the formation of extremely thin polymer films.

The product according to the present invention, unlike the prior art, is to prepare a composite which is an elastomeric material from a thin film of thermoplastic (eg silicone rubber) and woven fibers (eg nylon).

Since the properties of the product according to the present invention is insulated, it can be produced as a garment for keeping warm. The product according to the present invention is not only waterproof but also flexible, thin and light in weight. In addition, this product can permeate water vapor, but not liquid, it can stretch in all directions, and all of these properties can be maintained even after washing by washing method such as dry cleaning.

Accordingly, the product according to the present invention includes a fabric woven to exhibit 100% stretch in all directions by partially inserting a thin layer of thermoplastic, ie, silicone rubber. The silicone rubber used at this time is 0.0006-0.0020 inches (error: ± 0.0003 inches), which is thin enough to transmit 10-50 g of water vapor in m ² when measured at 37 ° C. for 24 hours. This water vapor transmission rate is comparable to water vapor transmission rate in human skin.

In addition, the fabric elastomer complex according to the present invention is not toxic when contacted with human skin and is free of extractable bioload agents that can cause radiation. The latter characteristic is actually important when the product of the present invention is used as exercise clothing, ie ski clothes, walking clothes and the like.

Membrane of the product according to the present invention has a waterproof property because it can not permeate the liquid, but because the water vapor can be permeated it can permeate the water vapor rather than the liquid form.

If other materials are used in the manufacture of apparel-type products, the seals should be waterproof to provide a relatively desirable degree of elongation, warmth, water resistance and wind resistance. You can find it.

The fabric-elastomeric composites according to the present invention can be easily prepared by precisely controlling the thickness of the fibrous membrane, which is an important factor for having air permeability.

The foregoing description and the following description and practice that improved textile elastomer composites with unique properties can be used in the manufacture of unique apparel forms or as membrane materials for scientific or medical devices. It will be clear from examples.

Referring to the drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention, first FIG. 1 illustrates a fabric-elastomeric composite 10 according to the present invention.

As shown, the composite 10 consists of a fabric 14 to which a thin elastomeric membrane 12 is attached, as described above.

Composites in the preferred form have good tensile strength and elongation of over 100% in all directions, are non-toxic, non-pyrogenic and non-antigenic and stable at relatively low or high temperatures. In addition, the composite does not permeate liquid but can permeate water vapor. That is, it is waterproof and breathable. The elastomeric film should be adjusted to a thickness thin enough for the film to act, that is, 0.0006-0.0020 inches (± 0.0003 inches). As measured for 24 hours at 37 ℃, the amount of water vapor transmitted through human skin is about 10-50g per square meter. In fact, the elastomeric membrane acts like a human skin when it comes to water vapor permeability and liquid impermeability. The elastomeric film is preferably made of silicone rubber such as dimethylsilicone elastomer and the like which are thermosetting materials. This typical material is a 13% suspension in which silicone rubber is suspended in an organic solvent (chlorinated hydrocarbon), which is commercialized under the trademark Dow Corning Q 7-2213. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other materials may also be used.

Fabric composite 14 according to the present invention acts as a reinforcing agent, it is preferable to use a properly woven fabric, such as Declon, in particular in all directions 100% elongation and use a nylon woven with 25 or less denier yarn It is desirable to. A typical example of such a material is the 18/3 nylon fabric mesh, commercialized by Hanes Corporation, with an elongation of 150-240%. Another example of a material that can be used is an 18/3 nylon mesh commercially available from Hanes Corporation that does not stretch in all directions but has a stretch of 300-50%.

The fabric-elastomeric composite 10 shown in FIG. 1 can be produced in a number of ways, but the method for producing the composite according to the present invention is limited to the thickness of the cured material so that an appropriate amount of water vapor can permeate. Adjustments within are included such that the thickness of the wet elastomer layer is similarly controlled.

Therefore, a relatively thin plastic tube (0.002 inches) of Mylar (polyethylene terephthalate) of appropriate depth and width was placed on a flat, smooth surface and fixed to prevent wrinkles. The exposed top side of the resin was wiped with a lint free towel moistened with volatile alcohols such as isopropyl alcohol.

After surface treatment, the silicone dispersion was dispersed in a thin layer on a plastic sheet using a precision layering tool. The tool used at this time is a precision layering doctor blade, which is a known method such as a roller.

The cured elastomer thickness corresponds to about 10% of the wet film thickness, where the wet material must be viscous enough to not run off. The various values for the thickness of these materials are shown in the following table.

Thickness of wet film in inches Thickness of cured film in inches

0.006 0.0006

0.008 0.0008

0.010 0.0010

0.012 0.0012

0.014 0.0014

0.016 0.0016

0.018 0.0018

0.020 0.0020

The wet layer was left at room temperature for at least 15 minutes to allow the volatile solvent to evaporate and then placed in an oven at 150 ° C. for at least 15 minutes. During heat curing, the assembly was fixed with a horizontal flat plane to form a uniform thickness. After curing, the aggregates were removed from the oven and allowed to cool at room temperature. After doing this, a second layer of wet elastomeric dispersion was applied onto the first layer while the cured first layer was supported on a thin plastic support sheet. The width of the second layer is wider than the first layer of cured silicon and about the same thickness as the first layer. Immediately after the application of the second wet layer, an elastic nylon fabric of the same area as the area of the cured layer was applied onto the wet layer without being recognized. The thickness of the nylon fabric used was about 0.0090 inches. Wet elastomers, partially enclosed with a strand of nylon mesh to be unstretched or "relaxed", cannot penetrate through the cured membrane, but are partially embedded in the wet membrane. (embed)

The composite aggregate was left at room temperature for about 15 minutes to allow the solvent to evaporate and then placed on a horizontal plate and placed back into the oven to cure for about 15 minutes at a temperature of about 150 ° C. After curing, the cured composite was taken out and left at room temperature for about 10 minutes to cool. After completely immersing the aggregate in a 2: 1 mixture of toluene and isopropyl alcohol, the cured fabric elastomer composite from the plastic support sheet was slowly lifted by slowly lifting the swollen fabric-erasomer composite on the plastic support sheet. Separated. The separated swelling composite was placed on an absorbent material such as a paper towel and left at room temperature until the solvent evaporated. Composite 10 was trimmed to the length, width, and size of the first cured elastomer to make the product shown in FIG.

If there is any pin hole or groove in the product of the composite 10, it is easily repaired using a patch having the same structure as the composite. Patching uses room temperature vulcanizing silicone (RTVS), ie about 99% solid silicone rubber dispersed in a 1% solvent such as acetic acid. The head of RTVS is placed at the defect site on the silicon surface 12 of the composite 10. A larger mass of RTVS than the defect is placed on the defect so that the silicone face of the patch is in contact with the silicone face of the patch, i.e., the relationship of the elastomer to the elastomer is applied and then pressurized using a flat plate.

When RTVS is cured at room temperature, the two surfaces where the elastomer abuts are bound to each other. RTVS can also be used to bind the fabric surface of the composite and the elastomer surface of the patch. When patching the elastomeric fabric, the elastomer to elastomer combination must be made to produce the desired composite membrane.

The final fabric woven elastomer composite 10, whether patched or not, can be used as a material that can be combined with biological tissues and can also be compatible with blood as described in the specification 5,317. It can be used as a membrane for things such as electrodes that can be used in scientific and medical devices.

Whether patched or not, the composite has unique characteristics that are very desirable for use in many types of special clothing, as mentioned earlier. For example, the "patch" technique described above can be used to create a variety of garments with highly desirable properties.

In particular, in the case of manufacturing the fabric-elastomeric composite 10 according to the present invention as a garment, the composite may be manufactured as a garment of a warm composite layer because it is windproof. These garments are light in weight and are waterproof, flexible and vapor permeable. It also has the ability to stretch and therefore has good stretch strength. This composite can permeate CO ₂ , O ₂ and other gases and water vapor, but it cannot permeate fluids, anions and cations. In addition, the material is stable at high temperatures, that is, about 150 ° C., organic liquids can permeate, and are also stable in laundry fluids such as dry cleaning solvents. Referring to FIG. 2, reference numerals used in this drawing are the same as those used for the same materials as those in FIG. Composites 10 and 10A containing elastomers 12 and 12A and fabrics 14 and 14A are butt joints using serpentine stitches 18. Connected in the form of As described, a fabric elastomer strip 10B consisting of the components of elastomer 12B and fabric 14B may be used to make it waterproof.

RTVS chunks are formed along the periphery of the stitches 18 and along the periphery of the stitches 18 so that the stitches are stuck between the beads attached to the elastomeric faces 12 and 12A of the composites 10 and 10A. 24) placed above. The strip 10B is wide enough to be wider than the bead and sufficiently long beyond the width of the seam of the elastomeric face 12B against the elastomeric faces 12 and 12A. Although not shown, the ends of the strips can be sealed with transverse RTVS beads.

The seaming method illustrated in FIG. 2 can be used when connecting long pieces in garment manufacture or when closing end pieces in garment manufacture.

The overlapping method illustrated in FIG. 3 is similar to that illustrated in FIG. 2 and overlaps the connected portions (10) and (10A), and then the strength of the overlapping portion is driven by a serpentine stitch (18). It is to increase.

In FIG. 4, the jointing method between the composites 10 and 10B and the two pairs of components of the fabrics 31 and 32 is described. Composites 10 and 10B are as described above, and fabrics 31 and 32 may be, for example, stretchy nylon or thermally insulating fabrics. The fabrics 31 and 32 are in contact with the fabric components 14 and 14B of the composite, and the fabrics 31 are brought into contact with the elastomers 12 and 12B as shown. In order to arrange the free ends 36 and 37 of the composite in which the and 32 are in contact with each other, these assemblies were stitched together and tied together. Stitches embedded in these two sides include RTVS beads 38 and 39 so that the stitches 35 on each side are waterproof, and the third RTVS beads 40 are fabrics 31 and 32. It is placed on the joint in between, so that the joint is completely sealed.

The seam shown in FIG. 5 uses strip patches 45 such that the elastomer face 46 is in contact with the elastomer faces 12B and 12 of the composites 10 and 10B. It is similar to that shown in FIG. 4 except that the latter seam has fabric membranes 31 and 32. The stitch 35 is as described in FIG. 4 and the seams are connected to the opposing face by the elastomeric face 46 and the RTVS beads 48 and 49 similarly to (10B) in FIG. It is sealed by a patch strip 45 disposed on the suture joint as much as possible.

The seams illustrated in FIG. 6 are used for stitching for various purposes, such as for use as a decorative strip 50 on the outer surface side or just for decorative purposes. In this case, patch 60, similar to patch 45, has RTVS beads 62, 63 on both sides of the stitch passing through the outer fabric face 31 and the composite and the elastomer 61 of the composite. Attached to the elastomer.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many different types of joints may be used. For example, a seam can be formed by stitching the RTVS beads on the fabric side of the composite by connecting the facing composite hollow fabric and the fabric side or between the fabric and the elastomer side of the face composite.

A variety of garments can be made from a composite material, for example a composite layer with a composite intermediate layer between the outer and inner layers. In general, the fabric elastomer composite according to the present invention can be handled to sew as a material that needs to seal the joint as described.

For garments that need to be stretched in one direction, i.e. pants or slacks, it is desirable to use a composite that exhibits 100% stretch in all directions, but fabrics with a stretch of 300-50% can also be used.

As a result of washing test with clothes or other products made using the product according to the present invention, it was found that the dry cleaning did not show adverse effects on the product or its sutures.

It will therefore be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications, changes and variations can be made to the products described herein without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. .

Claims (1)

In the fabric-elastomeric composite, it exhibits elongation of at least about 50% in each direction and is waterproof (water vapor can permeate). Fabric-Elastomer composite, which combines a relatively thin elastomeric membrane layer with a stretchable fabric to provide stable stability in flexible and dry cleaning fluids and to exhibit a water vapor transmission rate of 50 g / m ² for 24 hours at 37 ° C.

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