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Patent application title:

Method of manufacturing fabric

Publication number:

US20070069423A1

Publication date:
Application number:

11/236,667

Filed date:

2005-09-28

Abstract:

A method of manufacturing waterproof, highly absorbent, and highly flexible fabric comprises drying TPU material or thermoplastic elastomer at about 50° C. to 150° C. for about predetermined hours, adding a bridge agent in the dried TPU material or thermoplastic elastomer for mixing and heating at about 60° C. to 280° C. for about 30 seconds to 5 minutes for melting, pouring the melted material into an endless shallow mold to form a continuous film, contracting a fabric material at about 50° C. to 180° C. for about 1 second to 5 minutes, placing the fabric material onto top and bottom surfaces of the film and pressing same at about 50° C. to 250° C. to form a composite fabric, cooling and shaping the composite fabric at about 5° C. to 60° C., and drawing the shaped composite fabric around a roll to produce the finished composite fabric.

Inventors:

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Classification:

  1. Performing operations; transporting
  2. Layered products

B32B27/12 »  CPC main

Layered products comprising synthetic resin next to a fibrous or filamentary layer

B32B5/02 »  CPC further

Layered products characterised by the non- homogeneity or physical structure, i.e. comprising a fibrous, filamentary, particulate or foam layer; Layered products characterised by having a layer differing constitutionally or physically in different parts characterised by structural features of a layer

B32B5/26 »  CPC further

Layered products characterised by the non- homogeneity or physical structure, i.e. comprising a fibrous, filamentary, particulate or foam layer; Layered products characterised by having a layer differing constitutionally or physically in different parts characterised by the presence of two or more layers which are next to each other and are fibrous, filamentary, formed of particles or foamed one layer being a fibrous or filamentary layer another layer also being fibrous or filamentary

B32B27/40 »  CPC further

Layered products comprising synthetic resin comprising polyurethanes

B32B37/15 »  CPC further

Methods or apparatus for laminating, e.g. by curing or by ultrasonic bonding characterised by the properties of the layers with at least one layer being manufactured and immediately laminated before reaching its stable state, e.g. in which a layer is extruded and laminated while in semi-molten state

B32B2262/106 »  CPC further

Composition or structural features of fibres which form a fibrous or filamentary layer or are present as additives; Inorganic fibres Carbon fibres, e.g. graphite fibres

B32B2274/00 »  CPC further

Thermoplastic elastomer material

B32B2305/18 »  CPC further

Condition, form or state of the layers or laminate; Fibres of continuous length Fabrics, textiles

B32B2307/31 »  CPC further

Properties of the layers or laminate having particular thermal properties Heat sealable

B32B2307/546 »  CPC further

Properties of the layers or laminate having particular mechanical properties Flexural strength; Flexion stiffness

B32B2307/726 »  CPC further

Properties of the layers or laminate; Other properties Permeability to liquids, absorption

B32B2307/728 »  CPC further

Properties of the layers or laminate; Other properties Hydrophilic

B32B2309/02 »  CPC further

Parameters for the laminating or treatment process; Apparatus details Temperature

B32B2555/02 »  CPC further

Personal care Diapers or napkins

B32B2319/00 »  CPC further

Organic materials used for the layers, laminate or apparatus components

B32B2319/00 »  CPC further

Synthetic rubber

B32B2398/20 »  CPC further

Unspecified macromolecular compounds Thermoplastics

D21J3/00 IPC

Manufacture of articles by pressing wet fibre pulp, or papier-mâché, between moulds

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to fabric manufacturing and more particularly to a method of manufacturing composite fabric with improved characteristics including being waterproof, highly absorbent, and highly flexible.

2. Related Art

Fabric has been widely used as diapers, clothes, or the like. Conventionally, fabric comprises a number of layers. In one example, a composite fabric comprises an absorbent layer (A layer), an adhesive layer (S layer), and a waterproof layer (M layer). Also, a composite fabric can have an enhanced absorption if pulp or a highly absorbent material is employed as material of an intermediate layer. Alternatively, a composite fabric can have an enhanced adhesiveness if carbon fiber is employed as material of an intermediate layer. Still alternatively, a composite fabric can have an enhanced rigidity if pulp and plastic powder are employed as material of an intermediate layer.

Fabric having an outer A layer (i.e., highly absorbent) and an inner M layer (i.e., waterproof) can be employed as material of manufacturing diapers. Alternatively, fabric having an outer M layer (i.e., waterproof) and an inner A layer (i.e., highly absorbent) can be employed as material of manufacturing surgical clothes. However, so far as the present inventor is aware, a composite fabric having characteristics including being waterproof, highly absorbent, and highly flexible has not been available on the market. Thus, it is desirable to provide a novel method of manufacturing fabric (e.g., composite fabric) having above advantages in order to overcome the inadequacies of the prior art and contribute significantly to the advancement of the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a fabric comprising drying TPU material or thermoplastic elastomer at about 50° C. to 150° C. for about predetermined hours; adding a bridge agent in the dried TPU material or thermoplastic elastomer for mixing and heating at about 60° C. to 280° C. for about 30 seconds to 5 minutes for melting; pouring the melted material into an endless shallow mold to form a continuous film; contracting a fabric material at about 50° C. to 180° C. for about 1 second to 5 minutes; placing the fabric material onto top and bottom surfaces of the film and pressing same at about 50° C. to 250° C. to form a composite fabric; cooling and shaping the composite fabric at about 5° C. to 60° C.; and drawing the shaped composite fabric around a roll to produce the finished fabric.

In one aspect of the present invention, the finished fabric comprises an upper layer formed of fabric, a lower layer formed of fabric, and an intermediate layer formed of TPU material or thermoplastic elastomer.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of fabric manufactured according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a flowchart depicting a process for manufacturing fabric according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 2, a flowchart depicting a process for manufacturing fabric (e.g., composite fabric) in accordance with the invention comprises drying a TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) material or thermoplastic elastomer at about 50° C. to 150° C. for about a number of hours (step a), adding a bridge agent in the dried TPU material or thermoplastic elastomer for mixing and heating at about 60° C. to 280° C. for about 30 seconds to 5 minutes for melting (step b), pouring the melted material into an endless shallow mold to form a continuous film (step c), contracting a fabric material at about 50° C. to 180° C. for about 1 second to 5 minutes (step d), placing the fabric material onto top and bottom surfaces of the film and pressing same at about 50° C. to 250° C. to form a composite fabric (step e), cooling and shaping the composite fabric at about 5° C. to 60° C. (step f), and lowering temperature to a predetermined temperature and drawing the shaped composite fabric around a roll to produce the finished fabric in the shape of a roll.

Referring to FIG. 1, the finished fabric comprises an upper layer 9 formed of fabric, a lower layer 11 formed of fabric, and an intermediate layer 10 formed of TPU material or thermoplastic elastomer. Most importantly, the fabric is waterproof, highly absorbent, and highly flexible.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a fabric comprising:

drying a TPU material or thermoplastic elastomer at about 50° C. to 150° C. for about predetermined hours;

adding a bridge agent in the dried TPU material or the thermoplastic elastomer for mixing and heating at about 60° C. to 280° C. for about 30 seconds to 5 minutes for melting;

pouring the melted material into an endless shallow mold to form a continuous film;

contracting a fabric material at about 50° C. to 180° C. for about 1 second to 5 minutes;

placing the fabric material onto top and bottom surfaces of the film and pressing same at about 50° C. to 250° C. to form a composite fabric;

cooling and shaping the composite fabric at about 5° C. to 60° C.; and

drawing the shaped composite fabric around a roll to produce the finished fabric.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the finished fabric comprises an upper layer formed of fabric, a lower layer formed of fabric, and an intermediate layer formed of the TPU material or thermoplastic elastomer.

Resources

Images & Drawings included:

Fig. 01 - Method of manufacturing fabric
Fig. 01
Fig. 02 - Method of manufacturing fabric
Fig. 02
Fig. 03 - Method of manufacturing fabric
Fig. 03

Sources:

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