The present invention relates in general to camouflage fabric products and, in particular, to camouflage fabric products with three-dimensional relief features and cost effective processes for manufacturing such products.
Camouflage fabric products are used in a variety of environments by a variety of users including hunters, soldiers and wildlife photographers or officials. Such products include coats, hats, pants, boots and other articles of clothing as well as cases, canopies, tents and other articles. Generally, it is desired that the products be stealthy—at least visually and in many cases aurally.
In order to achieve visual stealth, the fabric often includes a pattern having colors and a design selected to blend into the target environment. For example, the pattern may include vegetation features such as limbs and leaves printed on a suitable background, all provided in colors that will blend into the natural surroundings of the target environment. In other cases, a solid color may be employed. Moreover, a fabric may be selected that reflects little light to enhance stealthiness. Aural stealthiness generally involves selecting a fabric that allows for quiet movements, e.g., a soft fabric.
In order to achieve these desired properties, camouflage products are often formed from a circular web material such as fleece. These materials generally have a longer nap that is achieved through a finishing process where the product is brushed or fleeced in a manner that makes the surface fibers of the fabric stand up.
It has been recognized that the stealthiness of camouflage fabric products may be enhanced by rendering the pattern in three-dimensional relief; for example, by processing the fabric so that certain areas of the pattern stand out from other areas. In particular, two-dimensional patterns have an unnatural flatness that may allow for detection of the overall product shape thus defeating the desired camouflage effect, particularly when it is desired to elude detection by certain animals that have vision highly adapted to discern textures and shapes. Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide a three-dimensional texture, particularly in coordination with the camouflage design, so as to better obscure the shape of the overall product and avoid detection.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for use in constructing a camouflage fabric product. The method involves providing a camouflage fabric having a camouflage pattern, selecting a first portion of the pattern to be rendered in three-dimensional relief such that the first portion stands out from the second portion of the pattern, and selectively processing the fabric such that the pattern is rendered in the desired three-dimensional relief. In one implementation, the step of selectively processing comprises applying a treatment such as an anti-pill treatment to the second portion prior to a finishing process. The fabric may be a circular web fabric and the finishing process may involve fleecing the fabric. In this manner, a cost effective process is provided for constructing a three-dimensional relief camouflage fabric product with improved stealthiness.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a three-dimensional camouflage pattern product is provided. The product includes a fabric with a camouflage pattern including a first portion and a second portion, where the pattern is rendered in three-dimensional relief such that the first portion stands out from the second portion. The pattern may include an additional area or areas with a height or heights different from that of the first and second areas. For example, the fabric may be a circular web fabric and the different heights may be achieved via application of an anti-pill treatment before fleecing. In this regard, the product (which may be an intermediate product within a production process) may include an anti-pill treatment disposed on the second portion.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention and further advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:
In the following description, the invention is set forth in the context of a particular process for forming a three-dimensional camouflage pattern that involves printing an anti-pill treatment on selected portions of the camouflage pattern prior to a finishing process so that the treated portions are protected from the finishing process and remain flat rather than fleeced. This provides a particularly cost effective process for providing the desired three-dimensional relief. However, it will be appreciated that other processes for providing the desired effect may be implemented in accordance with the present invention. Accordingly, the following description should be understood as illustrating the invention and not by way of limitation.
In accordance with the present invention, after printing a color, a treatment is selectively applied only to selected portions of the pattern. For example, only certain colors may be treated. In one implementation, an anti-pill treatment is applied to selected portions of the pattern, for example, to only the green leaves in the noted pattern. The anti-pill treatment causes the treated areas to remain at their original height after a finishing process, such as fleecing, that causes untreated areas to stand out from the treated areas. That is, the untreated areas become fleecy in appearance.
The finishing process is then applied (510) such as by brushing or fleecing such that untreated areas rise in relation to the treated areas which remain more flat. The resulting three-dimensional camouflage pattern fabric is then formed (512) into the desired product, such as an article of clothing or other article.
While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it is apparent that further modifications and adaptations of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations are within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/175,019, which was filed on Jul. 5, 2005, and is entitled “THREE-DIMENSIONAL CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN.” The entire disclosure of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/175,019 is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60585481 | Jul 2004 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11175019 | Jul 2005 | US |
Child | 12017854 | US |