Patent Application
20110173732
The invention to which this application relates is a suit for use in or in association with water, said suit being worn by a person when in or on water and/or in conjunction with other diving apparatus. For ease of reference, but in a non-limiting manner, the suit of the invention includes wetsuits, drysuits, emergency suits, deep diving suits and hereafter be referred to as a suit in this application.
There are typically two types of suits worn by persons who are participating in a leisure pursuit or sport either immersed within a body of water or on the surface of the body of water such as for example surfing, wind surfing or the like. It should therefore be appreciated that the advantages as described herein, are applicable to both types, wet suits and dry suits, which are worn in any of these pursuits and indeed any form of suit such as emergency suits which are typically required to be worn by a person who is likely to come in contact with water during the pursuit of their leisure interest or sport.
The basic structure of a wet suit is provided to allow a limited amount of water to enter and be held within the suit to improve the insulation of the same and hence improve the warmth of the wearer. The water is not permitted to flush in and out of the wetsuit as, if this occurred, a large percentage of the retained diver heat energy would be lost. This control is typically achieved by the provision of relatively snug fitting cuffs in the wrist and ankles and a snug collar or attached hood around the neck or head. Zippers can also be provided and, in conjunction with sealing flaps, can be adjusted to limit the passage of water through the zipper and hence the wetsuit. A drysuit can be formed of similar materials but does not allow the passage of water into the same. However a dry suit can provide warmth via perspiration from the diver which can be retained in the suit.
The suits are conventionally manufactured using closed cell foam rubber such as, for example, using neoprene or chloroprene. The foam rubber material includes closed cells which act to trap air or gas therein and afford thermal protection and benefit to the wearer. However, during diving, the water pressure increases on the suit and hence the rubber foam and acts to crush the closed cells in the material, reducing the volume of trapped air and depleting the thermal protection offered by the suit as the wearer descends. When one considers that the water itself is likely to get colder as the wearer goes deeper, it will be appreciated that the wearer can experience discomfort due to the temperature drop and this can act as a limitation on the activities of the wearer. Typically, every 10 meters of added depth adds another atmosphere of pressure exerted on the suit and, as the majority of diving activity occurs at depths of 25-50 meters so the pressure exerted can be large and in the order of 11000 to 23000 lbs per square foot in that depth range. The effect of this on the rubber foam material used for the suit is to, for example, crush a 7 mm thick neoprene suit to under 2 mm at the 30 meter depth range, thereby significantly crushing the closed cells in the foam rubber and hence significantly reducing the thermal protection provided.
In addition to thermal loss due to the increase in pressure, another result of the crushing of the closed cells in the suit material is that there is a corresponding loss of buoyancy for the wearer as they descend. This buoyancy loss can be significant and, as a result, the diver is often required to wear a buoyancy compensator which is typically worn about the upper torso in a similar manner to a life jacket. As required, air is forced into the compensator from the diver's air tank under the control of the diver. While the buoyancy compensator is effective it does represent another piece of apparatus required to be carried by the diver and can, in certain instances limit the degree of access which the diver has to certain confined areas. As such the buoyancy compensator is regarded as being necessary but inconvenient.
The aim of the present invention is to provide an improved wetsuit or drysuit for use on or in water and to provide the same in a configuration which allows the thermal advantage provided to the wearer to be improved, particularly when pressures of the extent discussed are exerted on the wetsuit.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention there is provided a suit to be worn by a person when in contact with water, said suit including at least an outer layer of material, an intermediate layer and at least a portion of the suit includes an inner layer of wool, or wool blended with other fibers or materials, said layer provided to contact with the person wherein said inner layer, retains at least some of the liquid which enters the suit from an external source and/or from the person wearing the suit and the intermediate layer is knitted or woven and is impermeable to the passage of liquid therethrough.
In one embodiment, solely wool is provided in the inner layer but in alternative embodiments the wool can be provided mixed with other fibers or materials to add or provide specific features to the wool. For ease of reference hereon in, reference is made to a wool blend, but it should be appreciated that the embodiments are equally applicable to all possible wool combinations or wool on its own and fall within the scope of this patent application.
Typically, the wool blended material is positioned to form the inner layer over portions of the suit which include any or any combination of the torso, legs and/or arms, or alternatively forms an inner layer extending across substantially all of the suit
Variations can be made to the suit design to suit particular uses. For example, when the suit is provided for use on the surface of a body of water, the need for the seams of the suit to be watertight is reduced as the person wearing the suit may only come into irregular contact with the water and indeed may never actually be submersed within the body of water. Furthermore, and/or inner wool blend layer, may be reduced in thickness in comparison to a suit for wear by a person in an underwater activity.
With regard to a suit for use by a diver, the thickness of the wool blend layer and/or intermediate layers may be increased to provide particular advantages to the person wearing the suit at greater depths in the body of water.
In one embodiment at least a portion or portions of said suit, water can pass between the inner surface of the said intermediate layer and the person wearing the suit. Typically the wool blend layer is provided at said portion or portions to lie between the person and the said intermediate layer in order to allow the wool blend layer to absorb the water and form an insulating and substantially non-compressible layer of the suit.
In one embodiment if water does enter the wet suit, the same will come into contact with the wool blend layer.
In one embodiment, the wool blend layer is provided wherever water is permitted to pass between the diver and layer of material. Typically water is permitted to pass at the same locations as in a conventional wetsuit.
In one embodiment the intermediate layer of material of the suit is manufactured by knitting or weaving to form a membrane,
In an alternative embodiment the intermediate layer is formed from a compressible foam rubber material. In one embodiment the wool blend layer is separate to the intermediate layer of material and worn as a separate layer, although the same is more typically attached to the said layer at one or several locations. Preferably the wool blend layer is provided attached, typically by lamination or other adhesion, to the inner surface of the intermediate layer of material so as to lie adjacent the diver's skin when the suit is worn.
Typically the wool blend layer is knitted and provided in a laminated arrangement with the layer of material so as to provide an even thickness lining on the interior of the suit. The wool blend layer acts to absorb and contain the water or other fluids which is permitted to pass within the suit and between the layer of material and the wearer.
In a preferred embodiment the wool used is Merino wool.
In one embodiment the suit includes an outer layer, said outer layer formed of a suitable material to provide required protection from the external environment in which the suit is to be worn. In one embodiment the outer layer is formed of lycra and/or a polyester stretch fabric.
In one embodiment the wool blend is knitted into a layer and laminated to the intermediate layer. Typically in at least one of the knitting needles used to knit the inner layer, wool and one or more synthetic yarns to be used to form the wool blend are introduced simultaneously and separately without previously having being twisted, wound or otherwise joined together or with the wool.
One advantage of forming the wool blend is a gain in strength, especially if the material added is synthetic. A further feature is that by adding selected material or fibers, the cost of the wool blend layer can be reduced by the use of material which is cheaper than the wool. A yet further advantage is to improve the stretch of the inner layer whilst maintaining the strength of the same.
In one embodiment the wool blend includes a synthetic yarn in a proportion of about 1% to 40% more preferably 10-20% by weight of the overall weight of the blend.
Another feature is to add a material to the wool which is at least partially elasticated to offer improved elasticity (stretch) to the layer and hence the suit.
In all cases the synthetic and/or other natural materials added to the wool are added in such a manner to ensure that the performance and advantages of added comfort, improved feel and look are maintained along with the inherent advantages of using a natural material. The provision of the wool material in the inner layer ensures that the inner layer acts to lock in liquid when wetted in the interior of the suit, and, when dry, to act as a hollow fiber insulating layer.
There is therefore provided a method of manufacturing a wetsuit or drysuit for use with water, said method comprising forming a layer of material into a shape for wearing by a person, and wherein a layer of wool or wool blend is provided to lie between the person and the layer of material when the suit is worn.
Typically the method includes the step of laminating the wool blend inner layer material as a lining to the inner surface of the intermediate layer of material.
When in the form of a wetsuit the method includes the step of providing means in the said material to permit the flow of water between the inner surface of said layer and the divers skin when the wet suit is worn and providing control means to allow the control of the quantity of water and in a manner to ensure that the water passing into the area between the diver and the layer of material contacts and is absorbed by the wool material.
The wetsuit or drysuit for use with water, includes at least an outer layer of material an intermediate layer and at least one inner portion formed of a knitted or woven wool containing material, said inner portion provided as an integral part of the suit or to be worn as an inner layer over which the intermediate layer of material is placed or attached.
Typically the knitted or woven material includes a wool in a blend with other material or fiber, such as a synthetic and including a material to provide elasticity to the inner layer.
In one embodiment the wool used is Merino wool and the synthetic yarn is any of the range of yarns available such as polyester and the like.
In whichever embodiment, the advantages of improved hygiene, due to the wool blend layer being antibacterial, the ability for the wet suit to be worn for a relatively long period of time, and the improved thermal capacity, are achieved and provided to the wearer of the suit, regardless of whether the suit is worn and used on the surface or within the body of water.
In one embodiment, the intermediate layer can be provided as a breathable membrane to allow the passage of air therethrough. In an alternative embodiment, the membrane is non breathable but in either case, it is preferably impermeable to the passage of liquid therethrough.
Typically, the membrane is elastic in at least one direction and in this case, the membrane is formed by knitting the constituent yarns. In an alternative embodiment, the membrane is woven and is substantially non-elastic.
Typically, the membrane is formed at least partially of polyurethane or urethane based material.
Typically, when the membrane is provided to be breathable, it can be either or both of chemically breathable in which it allows air to pass therethrough and/or microscopically breathable in that it includes porous openings which are large enough to allow molecules of air to pass therethrough but not water.
The provision of the membrane, to form the intermediate layer rather than a foam rubber, is particularly advantageous in relation to the wearing of the suit for activities which require greater physical exertion and in particular, those activities which are performed on the surface of a body of water rather than immersed in the body of water. Furthermore, in warm and hot environments, where there is not such concern with regard to maintaining the warmth of the wearer of the suit, it is found that the use of the membrane intermediate layer rather than the foam rubber intermediate layer is of particular advantage. Furthermore, the membrane can be provided to be thinner than the equivalent foam rubber intermediate layer.
In whichever embodiment, when manufacturing the wool blend inner layer, it is preferred that the synthetic yarn is set so as to define the level of extension or elasticity of the wool blend layer in subsequent use. Preferably, the synthetic yarns are only set when they have already been provided and integrated into the wool blend inner layer, typically by knitting. At this stage, the wool blend inner layer is stretched to the required amount and passed through heated calendared rollers with opposing ends of the inner layer being restrained and kept under tension so as to ensure that the setting of the yarn by the heat takes place with the inner layer at the required extent of stretch.
Typically, the setting by applying the heat by using the calendared rollers, is performed after the dying and drying of the wool blend layer.
In one embodiment, the synthetic yarns which are added to the wool are spandex or a similar elastic yarn, and/or nylon. Typically the wool and all of the synthetic yarns, are separately supplied to at least some of the needles of the knitting machinery used to form the inner layer, together and simultaneously.
In one embodiment, the inner layer has a stretch capacity in at least one direction of 100% or more of its original length. More preferably, the stretch of the inner layer in one direction is 130% or greater and in a further direction is 200% or greater. This therefore means that where the stretch is for example, 220%, the inner layer which has a normal, relaxed length of 10 cm can be stretched to up to 320 cm.
It is therefore provided in accordance with the invention that there is provided a suit which includes an inner wool blend or wool layer in combination with an intermediate layer which is formed of either of the membrane as herein described or the closed cell compressible material such as a foam rubber as herein described.
In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a suit to be worn by a person when in contact with water, said suit including at least an outer layer of material, an intermediate layer and at least a portion of the suit includes at least at one portion thereof an inner panel of wool, or wool blended with other fibers or materials, said panel provided to contact with the person wherein the said panel is of a dimension which is less than that of the overall suit, said panel provided to be positioned adjacent to the wearers body when the suit is worn and the face of the panel opposing the wearer of the suit, is attachable to the inner face of the suit.
In one embodiment the said panel is applied directly to the inner face of the suit or is attached to the inner face of the suit via a backing layer provided in contact with the wool or wool blend panel.
In one embodiment, the backing layer is any suitable backing layer and could be, for example, a compressible closed cell material such as a foam rubber or alternatively, a membrane as herein described.
Typically, the panel is attached to the inner wall of the suit using an adhesive such as heat activated adhesive.
Typically, the panel can be located on the interior of the suit so as to be located at a particular location with regard to the anatomy of the wearer of the suit to provide additional warmth at that particular location as desired by the wearer.
In one embodiment, the panel can be attached to the inner face of the suit so as to straddle 2 or more panels of the suit such that the panel in accordance with the invention, will extend across seams or joins between the panels of the suit.
The provision of the panel in accordance with the invention, allows the additional warmth which the panel will provide to be specifically located on the suit and to be located without regard to the particular manufacture or shape of the panels which form the suit. The panel can be applied at the time of manufacture of the suit or alternatively, can be applied at the time of sale of the suit such as the panel can be applied at a retail outlet or yet further, the panel can be obtained separately from the suit and attached to the suit separately so as to allow the panel to be retrospectively applied to an already existing suit.
The provision of the backing layer in conjunction with the wool or wool blend layer, can be provided to allow greater thermal resistance and/or provide greater structural strength to the panel whilst, at the same time being sufficiently thin to allow heat to pass therethrough.
Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein,
Referring now to
In accordance with the invention the wetsuit comprises, in this embodiment, an outer protective layer, an intermediate layer of a woven or knitted membrane 6 and on the inner surface of the same is a layer of Merino wool blend 8 laminated to the layer 6. The wool blend layer acts to at least partially absorb the water which passes between the inside of the layer 6 and the skin 10 of the wearer 2. The water is absorbed and held by the wool fibers to form a thermal barrier between the diver's skin and the rubber foam closed cells.
In the wetsuit form there is also included control zones in the form of smooth skin seals at the collar 12 and cuffs 14 which serve to restrict and prevent the flow of water in and out of the wetsuit at the extremities of the suit. The head portion 16 of the wetsuit is permanently attached or can be sealed with the same by the collar 12 and may also include the wool lining 8. The control zones prevent the flushing of water in and out of the wetsuit and hence minimize heat loss and ensure that the water enters the interior of the wet suit in a controlled manner through “zippers” (not shown) at selected locations on the wetsuit.
The wall includes the intermediate knitted or woven layer 6 which acts as barrier to the flow of liquid therethrough but may be provided to be air permeable so as to be breathable with an “inner” surface 20 which, when worn, faces towards the divers skin 10. To this surface is laminated a wool blend layer, preferably including knitted Merino wool, 8 which in turn contacts the divers skin 10. The outer protective layer 22 can also be provided as an option and can be laminated to the outer surface of the layer 6 as shown to improve the strength of the wetsuit. In one embodiment the inner layer is provided to extend across the interior of substantially the whole suit and in this case the inner layer will typically be laminated to the intermediate layer as part if the manufacturing process for the wetsuit or drysuit. Alternatively the wool blend layer can be provided as a panel for attachment at a selected location on the interior of the suit and in this case the panel can be attached at the time of manufacture or alternatively can be purchased separately to the suit and then be subsequently added to the suit, for example, at the time of purchase of the suit or thereafter by the owner of the suit. In this case the panel of the inner layer of wool blend of eth construction and constituents would provide the same advantages in terms of comfort and insulation and can be attached to provide the advantage on suits of any design and layer configuration and other than that defined herein
Thus, in any embodiment in use, when worn, the wool blend inner layer faces and contacts the skin of the diver. The layer is typically knitted and laminated using standard gluing/ laminating techniques, to the inner face of the rubber foam. The weight of the wool lining can be, but is not limited to, 50 to 500 grammes per square meter. The water, when it enters the area between the neoprene inner surface and the skin in which the wool lies is thus absorbed by the wool and this has several advantageous effects.
In the first instance the water and wool forms a layer, of for example 3-5 mm, of substantially non-compressible water and wool. This layer and in particular the water held in the layer acts as a very efficient thermal barrier which, because it is substantially non compressible is not significantly acted upon the increased pressure as the depth of the diver in the water increases and therefore maintains its thermal efficiency at increasing depths. The water is absorbed by the wool layer and retained by the wool fibers to form the thermal barrier between the diver skin and the neoprene foam with the closed cells therein. As the wool is natural, the highly intricate surface scale structures that are inherent in the wool yarn is significantly better than the synthetic yarn surface structures which are substantially homogeneous.
Thermal testing at BTTG laboratories in Manchester UK has taken place using saturated 260 g/sq meter Merino wool lining in comparison with the densest most absorbent polyester loop pile lining of a similar or slightly heavier weight. The comparison has revealed that with thermal testing in saturated conditions on 7 mm neoprene the Merino wool/neoprene laminate was 35% more efficient with a TOG reading of 1.7 as opposed to the polyester loop pile/neoprene laminate that had a TOG rating of 1.26.
Furthermore the Merino wool lining will absorb typically a 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm layer of water into the fiber of the wool such that as a diver descends, the layer of water in the wool is substantially non compressible, it is not crushed and hence the thickness of the layer and hence thermal efficiency and benefits are maintained for the diver.
Another important advantage is that as the water has a relatively high thermal inertia, it is able to absorb a large amount of heat energy and thus effectively a heat sink is created around the diver which absorbs the heat emitted by the diver during periods of work, retains the same and emits the same back to the diver during periods of lower exercise.
A further result of the use of a wool layer in accordance with the invention is that the level of buoyancy loss as the diver descends is reduced in comparison to the conventional wetsuits. There are fewer requirements for inflation and deflation in use of the buoyancy compensator and an easier, more comfortable, and safer diving profile to be maintained by the diver. This can be particularly used to advantage with the layer of wool increased in thickness thereby retaining and improving the thermal efficiency of the wetsuit while at the same time improving the buoyancy of the wetsuit as the compressible element of the wetsuit is reduced.
The use of Merino breed wool is preferred as this gives greater advantage. Specifically, the Merino wool provides an exothermic reaction during the wetting process which can be referred to as the heat of sorption. Merino wool also has high wrinkle and crush recovery thus further enhancing the thermal properties. It is also known that the Merino wool is resistant to odor , hydrophilic, highly elastic with excellent recovery characteristics and relatively non itchy and comfortable in wet or dry condition which is obviously advantageous when the layer is to be positioned close to the skin. It is therefore preferred that the wool layer is formed of or contains elements of Merino wool therein, although it will be appreciated that this should not limit the scope of the patent application to this form of wool alone as all wools contain to some degree all of the aforementioned advantages.
Typically the wool is knitted to a weight of between around 50 to around 500 grammes per sq. meter but can be anything from as fine as less than 50 and upwards of 500. It is found that ribbed knit has typically better water absorbing properties than any other knit for a given weight of wool. So this tends to be the preferred knit. If required a small lycra blend (typically 1 to 2%) can significantly improve the elasticity and strength of the final knit without detracting from the thermal and other advantageous properties of the wool. In another feature the wool or wool blend can be knitted such that there is course/heavy/bulky weave to the back face, and a finer micron yarn to the face that will be onto the wearer's skin. This allows an increase in the bulk and therefore the water absorption ability whilst still keeping a “soft” and non-itchy surface to the diver's skin.
Typically the Merino fiber is spun into yarn on a worsted spinning system and to ensure comfort next to the skin the fabric surface in contact with the skin is made from fiber with an average micron of finer than 19. As required, different yarn counts are used to achieve varying fabric weight and structures depending upon the final type of suit that the lining will be used in (i.e., surface wetsuit, cold water wetsuit, warm water wetsuit, drysuit).
The Merino and lycra are blended at the knitting process to increase strength and stretch. Typically the blending is in the 1 to 40% range but this is not exclusive and blending with other synthetics may be employed to reduce costs. The knitting structures are selected which allow for maximum extension and recovery in both length and width direction. Structures selected may also vary in “end counts” and “picks”. The structures are weft knitted from Rib and Double Knit machines, and the fabric weight typically ranges from approximately 50 gms or below through to upwards of 500 gms depending on the quality and function of the suit style. The yarn weight can be varied on each side of the weave in order to achieve weights in excess of 400 gms without impairing or compromising the soft fine “feel” next to the skin. These are particularly for use in drysuits and deep diving cold water wetsuits. Typically in order to achieve the desired fabric performance a process of heat setting the synthetic fiber such as “Lycra” is performed while maintaining very low extension during the dyeing and subsequent drying processes when preparing the wool blend.
The wetsuit structure in accordance with the invention therefore provides a solution to the thermal and buoyancy problems conventionally experienced.
When uses as an internal lining of a drysuit, advantages are obtained in that in its dry and natural state the crimp and bulk of the wool yarn is resilient and is less compressible than synthetic yarns so offers better thermal qualities in a diving situation. Also, as the drysuit is typically non-breathable it tends to hold body odor. The yarn of wool has surface scales that naturally open and close and thereby reduce to a minimum odor problems, rendering the garment more hygienic. The wool is naturally “exothermic” when water vapor is absorbed into the yarn structure. Thus as the diver perspires the perspiration causes a chemical reaction within the yarn emitting a significant amount of heat back to the diver. With Merino type wools this is particularly noticeable. As the wool dries after the diver has removed the suit the chemical reaction is reversed; so that this “exothermic” reaction is a sustainable ongoing advantage of a wool lined drysuit which is equally applicable to a wetsuit. The wools “Scaley” yarn fiber surface can work to lock into the yarn up to 3.5 times its own weight in water without feeling “wet”. This property offers probably the greatest advantage to a drysuit diver. A diver when diving is usually working quite hard and is perspiring. In a drysuit this perspiration can not leave the drysuit system. The thermal underclothing is designed to “wick” moisture from the diver's skin but the problem is that this moisture then condenses on the inner surface of the outer drysuit. A diver in a one to two hour dive can perspire up to 1.0 to 1.5 liters of fluid if working hard. This would normally run into the boots of the suit and run back into the thermal underclothing, reducing the thermal efficiency if this clothing. The advantage as advised of the wool is that it can absorb up to 3.5 times its own weight; so in a wool lined drysuit where typically there are about 600 grammes of wool, then nearly 2 liters of perspiration can be absorbed. Moreover this absorption of water vapor/perspiration also swells the wool yarn effectively further enhancing its thermal efficiency.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0302405.6 | Feb 2003 | GB | national |
| 0313121.6 | Jun 2003 | GB | national |
| 0326429.8 | Nov 2003 | GB | national |
This application is a Continuation-in-Part Application of co-pending, commonly assigned, now allowed, application, U.S. Ser. No. 10/544,268, filed Jul. 24, 2006, based upon PCT/GB2004/000418 filed Feb. 3, 2004, all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10544268 | Jul 2006 | US |
| Child | 13020283 | US |
