Patent Application
20070010149
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fabric and more particularly, to an antivirus-resistant and waterproof fabric.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a textile fabric may be covered with a layer of EPTEF (expanded polytetrafluoethlene) to have waterproof and breathing characteristics. By means of the material characteristics of EPTEF of being not adhesive, being acid and alkali resistant and waterproof, and having several hundred millions of pores per square inches, a textile fabric that is covered with a layer of EPTEF can breathe and block water. However, a fabric made in this manner is not protective against certain substances having smaller molecules such as flood or virus.
Taiwan Patent Publication No. 150382 (equivalent to U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,510), entitled “Fabric for protective garments”, discloses a composite fabric that is particularly useful in protective garments has an outer layer of polyvinyl fluoride or polyvinylidene fluoride or copolymers thereof bonded to a film of polyvinyl alcohol polymer or copolymers thereof which in turn is bonded to a textile fabric substrate. However, because the film of polyvinyl alcohol polymer or copolymers thereof can be hydrolyzed, this structure of fabric is not washer with water, i.e., the fabric is not repeatedly usable and must be thrown away when used.
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide an antivirus-resistant and waterproof fabric, which is reusable and washable and which can breathe and block water and virus.
To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, the antivirus-resistant and waterproof fabric comprises a base fabric layer, an isolation layer covered on one side of the base fabric layer to protect against osmosis of blood and virus, and a protective layer formed of expanded polytetrafluroethlene and covered on one side of the isolation layer opposite to the base fabric layer.
Referring to
According to this embodiment, the fabric substrate 10 is a knitted fabric. The isolation layer 20 can be covered on the fabric substrate 10 by coating, bonding, or dipping. The isolation effect of the isolation layer 20 is directly proportional to its thickness. However, increasing the thickness of the isolation layer 20 relatively reduces the softness of the product. Therefore, the thickness of the isolation layer 20 must be made subject to actual requirement. The thickness of the isolation layer 20 is preferably within 3 μm to 120 μm, or most preferably within 5 μm to 100 μm. At final, the protective layer 30 is covered on the isolation layer 20 opposite to the fabric substrate 10.
An antivirus waterproof fabric made according to the aforesaid first embodiment of the present invention eliminates the drawbacks of the prior art designs, and is reusable and washer. This structure of fabric isolates substances of small molecules and protects against osmosis of blood and virus while maintaining the material characteristics of EPTEF of being not adhesive, being acid and alkali resistant and waterproof, and having several hundred millions of pores per square inches.
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims
