Patent Application
20100151176
The present invention generally relates to waterproof, breathable fabrics, such as those used in the garment industry.
Waterproof, breathable materials—particularly those used for constructing various types of apparel—are commonplace in the art. One such example is the waterproof laminate described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,041 issued to Gore et al. (hereinafter the “Gore patent”), the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. As used in the garment industry, these materials allow a wearer to be kept dry during the rain, for example, while still allowing for evaporation of perspiration. These materials typically comprise two or more laminates of different materials joined together to form a single, multi-layer composite material. In order to remain waterproof, these laminates require a waterproof seam. A common method for joining two laminates of a composite material together at a waterproof seam is known as skiving.
Skiving is a technique often used to prepare the edges of two laminates to be joined. The process entails selectively removing material from the thickness of the laminates in order to join the two laminates more easily. This removal may be accomplished via cutting, grinding, sanding, or other similar processes. In addition, various types of skiving machines are commercially available specifically for this purpose.
However, there is a need for an alternative to the skiving process for joining two or more layers together to create a waterproof seam.
The present invention generally relates to multi-layer waterproof softshell materials. In certain embodiments, a waterproof softshell construction includes a face fabric layer, a laminate layer, and a backer layer. A waterproof softshell construction of these embodiments also includes at least one joint seam defined by a point at which the face fabric layer, the laminate layer, and the backer layer are joined together. The at least one joint seam is created using a sonic welder. A waterproof softshell construction of these embodiments also includes at least one seam seal at least partially covering the at least one joint seam. The at least one seam seal of these embodiments includes face fabric tape (having a first major surface and a second major surface) and stretch adhesive located on at least the first major surface of the tape.
The present invention also provides a method of preparing a waterproof softshell construction. In certain embodiments, the method includes the steps of joining a face fabric layer, a laminate layer, and a backer layer at a joint seam using a sonic welder. The method further includes attaching face fabric tape to the joint seam using stretch adhesive.
The present invention additionally provides a waterproof softshell construction prepared by a process including the steps of joining a face fabric layer, a laminate layer, and a backer layer at a joint seam by sonic welding. The waterproof softshell construction is further prepared by attaching face fabric tape to the joint seam using a stretch adhesive.
The invention may be embodied in numerous devices and through numerous methods and systems. The following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses examples of the invention. Other embodiments, which incorporate some, all or more of the features as taught herein, are also possible.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
The present invention generally relates to a waterproof softshell construction. By “softshell” it is meant that a construction is a water-resistant synthetic fabric that is stretchable (and, in certain embodiments, preferably soft to the touch). A waterproof softshell construction of the present invention may be used to fabricate a wide variety of products. Non-limiting examples include outdoor products (such as tents, tarps, bags, etc.) and garments (such as jackets, gloves, wetsuits, and other types of apparel).
Turning to
A face fabric layer in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention may be any water-resistant, stretchable synthetic fabric. A face fabric layer in accordance with certain embodiments may also be made of any other stretchable, water-resistant or water-repellant fabric, material, or combination thereof known in the art and suitable for use as an outer layer of a multi-layer construction. Non-limiting examples of suitable material for the face fabric layer include a polyester nylon elastine fabric and the waterproof laminate described in the Gore patent. Preferably, the face fabric layer is not located between the other two layers and has an exposed major surface, as shown by layer 11 in
A waterproof softshell construction in accordance with the present invention also includes a laminate layer. A laminate layer in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention may be any water-resistant, breathable stretch laminate known in the art. Non-limiting examples of suitable material for the laminate layer include the HyVent™ material produced by The North Face Apparel Corp. (“HYVENT” is a trademark of the North Face Apparel Corp.) Preferably, the laminate layer is located between the other two layers, as shown by layer 13 in
A waterproof softshell construction in accordance with the present invention further includes a backer layer. A backer layer in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention may be any knit backer or other fabric suitable for use as an inner layer of a multi-layer construction. Non-limiting examples of suitable material for the backer layer include a brush backer or a warp knit tricot backer. Preferably, the backer layer is not located between the other two layers and has an exposed major surface, as shown by layer 15 in
A joint seam in accordance with certain embodiments acts to connect the various layers of the present invention together. In certain embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in
A joint seam of the present invention is created using a sonic welder and may be defined by any point at which two or more layers are joined together, such as the location of seam 12 in
A seam seal of the present invention includes face fabric tape and stretch adhesive. A seam seal in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention is configured to at least partially cover a joint seam. In certain embodiments such as the embodiment shown in
Face fabric tape in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention may be made of any material known in the art and suitable for covering a joint seam. Non-limiting examples include polyester and elastane (e.g., such as a 98% polyester and 2% elastane composition). The face fabric tape may also be made from any material suitable for use as a face fabric layer, as described above. The face fabric tape may comprise any configuration and/or placement suitable for the needs of a particular application. Accordingly, the face fabric tape may be of a broad range of sizes and shapes as necessary in order to form an effective, waterproof seam seal.
Stretch adhesive in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention may be any adhesive known in the art and of suitable strength for holding together several layers of fabric or other garment material. As shown in
Several waterproof softshell constructions may be joined together to form various products, such as jackets, wetsuits, or other garments. In addition, several constructions may be joined to form various outdoor products, such as tents, tarps, or bags. (Alternatively, a single waterproof softshell construction may be used to form all or a portion of these products.) The constructions comprising these products need not be the same size, shape, or configuration. Preferably, each seam in such a product is a joint seam formed by sonic welding as described above.
The present invention also provides a method of preparing a waterproof softshell construction. A method in accordance with certain embodiments includes the steps of joining a face fabric layer, a laminate layer, and a backer layer at a joint seam using a sonic welder. The method further includes attaching face fabric tape to the joint seam using stretch adhesive. In certain embodiments, a method may include creating several joint seams using a sonic welder on one or more waterproof softshell constructions. Additionally, in certain embodiments a method may include attaching several pieces of face fabric tape and stretch adhesive to one or more joint seams. A suitable amount of stretch adhesive may be applied to the face fabric tape, to the joint seam, or both, as needed. Any of the materials referred to above for the face fabric layer, laminate layer, backer layer, face fabric tape, and stretch adhesive may be used in accordance with this method.
The present invention additionally provides a waterproof softshell construction prepared by a process including the steps of joining a face fabric layer, a laminate layer, and a backer layer at a joint seam using a sonic welder and attaching face fabric tape to the joint seam using stretch adhesive. Any of the materials referred to above for the face fabric layer, laminate layer, backer layer, face fabric tape, and stretch adhesive may be used in accordance with the process. Additionally, any of the techniques described or referred to above may be used in accordance with this process.
While various embodiments have been described, other embodiments are plausible. It should be understood that the foregoing descriptions of various examples of a waterproof softshell construction are not intended to be limiting, and any number of modifications, combinations, and alternatives of the examples may be employed to facilitate the effectiveness of constructing a breathable, waterproof material using a sonic welder.
The examples described herein are merely illustrative, as numerous other embodiments may be implemented without departing from the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Moreover, while certain features of the invention may be shown on only certain embodiments or configurations, these features may be exchanged, added, and removed from and between the various embodiments or configurations while remaining within the scope of the invention. Likewise, methods described and disclosed may also be performed in various sequences, with some or all of the disclosed steps being performed in a different order than described while still remaining within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
