Textiles: knitting – Fabrics or articles – Incorporated unknitted materials
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-21
2002-04-23
Worrell, Danny (Department: 3741)
Textiles: knitting
Fabrics or articles
Incorporated unknitted materials
C066S192000, C066S00100R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06374643
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a composite thread comprised of metal-plated yarns having an antibacterial property and an electromagnetic shielding property combined with dyeable yarns so that the former are not visible from the outside, a woven fabric or a weft-knit fabric containing such composite threads, and a warp-knit fabric wherein the metal-plated yarns are used alone as part of the knit fabric, while taking care not to expose outside the thread.
PRIOR ART
The recent trend of requiring an improvement in the quality of life demands amenities in the environment. Particularly, in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment such as in Japan, various bacteria are liable to damage the health life or generate a bad odour. Therefore, underwear or others are often treated with antibacterial agents.
On the other hand, as the electronic technology has developed, various electronic equipments such as TV sets, word processors or personal computers, which scatter electromagnetic waves therefrom, have come into wide use at work or in the home, resulting in a problem of potential physical problems due to irradiation with electromagnetic waves.
The antibacterial agents used nowadays are roughly classified into three types; the first one is of metallic particle type or a metal-containing inorganic particle type; the second one includes various organic compounds; and the third one includes animal-type polymeric compounds such as chitin or chitosan; which may be applied to a surface of a textile product or contained in fibers composing the textile product.
The antibacterial property may vary in accordance with the conditions under which the target textile product is used and laundered. Also, if a hygienic and safety standpoint is taken into account, there is no antibacterial agent sufficiently effective for all the textile products. Particularly, antibacterial agents excellent in durability and applicable to various uses have not yet been found.
As for a countermeasure against electromagnetic waves, it is preferable to basically prevent the electronic equipment leaking electromagnetic waves. It is, however, impossible to apply effective electromagnetic shielding to all electronic equipment of various types. Accordingly, it is convenient for a user of the electronic equipment to wear clothing having an electromagnetic shielding property. For example, clothing made of a cloth with a coated layer containing powdery metal is prepared for this purpose. The clothing made of the cloth with the coated layer containing powdery metal, however, is heavy in weight and is actually difficult to dye in the various colors desired for apparel.
Fibers containing powdery metal are excellent in durability both of the antibacterial property and electromagnetic shielding property. However, the metal-containing fibers obtained by kneading a thermoplastic resin with metallic particles and melt-spinning the same could not exhibit a sufficient antibacterial property because the metallic particles are embedded in the fibers. The maximum content of metal in the fiber obtainable by a high-speed melt spinning process is as low as about 0.5% which results in poor antibacterial and electromagnetic shielding properties. While a 100% metallic yarn made, for example, of silver or copper; i.e., a metallic wire; has sufficient antibacterial and electromagnetic shielding properties, it is not usable as a yarn for forming clothing due to its poor pliability.
Thus, a yarn having a metallic layer of silver or copper on a surface thereof; that is, a metal-plated yarn; is expected to be desirable for a yarn excellent in antibacterial property or electromagnetic shielding property. A silver-plated polyamide yarn (X-Static, a trade mark) of this kind is marketed by Sauquoit Co., of the United States. The antibacterial property and electromagnetic shielding property of this yarn are extremely excellent. However, there is a problem when this yarn is used alone or in combination with another synthetic yarn as a twisted yarn.
That is, textile products, particularly clothing products, must be dyed in desirable colors. The X-Static® yarn, however, inherently has a silver color on the surface thereof and is not dyeable to desired colors as in conventional natural or synthetic fiber yarns. If twisted with another synthetic yarn, the resultant yarn is unevenly dyed. In addition, if the yarn is used while always maintaining the metal in an exposed state, the metal is abraded to interfere with the long term maintenance of the antibacterial property and the electromagnetic shielding property. The problem in dyeing is also accompanied when the X-Static® yarn is mixedly used in a woven fabric or a knit fabric in the conventional manner.
An object of the present invention is to provide a composite thread, of a unique structure containing metal-plated yarns, which is dyeable to desirable colors while exhibiting the excellent antibacterial property and the electromagnetic shielding property inherent to the metal-plated yarn, a fabric using such a composite thread, and a fabric dyeable in desired colors even though it contains metal-plated yarns, wherein the metal-plated yarns are not exposed outside the surface of the fabric to be invisible to a human eye so that the desired antibacterial property and electromagnetic shielding property are stably maintained in a desired extent at a relatively low cost.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The above-mentioned object of the present invention is achievable by a composite thread comprising a chain stitch yarn and an inlay yarn inserted as a core yarn into the chain stitch yarn, characterized in that the inlay yarn contains at least one metal-plated yarn.
A woven fabric or a weft-knit fabric according to the present invention may be obtained by using the composite thread as part thereof.
When a warp-knit fabric is obtained by using the metal-plated yarn itself, the metal-plated yarn may be inserted as an inlay yarn into the warp-knit fabric to be invisible to a human eye from the surface of the warp-knit fabric. If two kinds or more of metal-plated yarns are supplied through different reeds so that the different kinds of metal-plated yarns intersect each other in the warp-knit fabric, the electro-conductivity of the metal-plated yarns is improved to facilitate the electro-magnetic shielding property of the warp-knit fabric.
Silver has the best antibacterial property of various metals. Accordingly, the metal-plated yarn in the composite thread of the present invention is preferably a silver-plated yarn.
A kind of a raw material yarn to be plated with metal may be properly selected in accordance with uses of the resultant textile products using the composite thread of the present invention.
A type of the raw material yarn may be a monofilament yarn, a multifilament yarn or a spun yarn formed of staple fibers. In either case, a weight ratio of metal to be plated is preferably in a range from 20% to 40% relative to a total weight of fibers composing the yarn.
If a fabric such as a woven fabric, a circular knit fabric or a warp-knit fabric, or a weft-knit product such as a sock, a stocking or a sweater is made from the composite thread according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fabric or a textile product excellent in antibacterial property and electro-magnetic shielding property. At that time, the composite thread or the fabric according to the present invention may be partially used in accordance with uses of the fabric, the product made thereof or the weft-knit product.
The composite thread according to the present invention has the same structure as those disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 7-271200 filed on Oct. 19, 1995 with the title “Composite Thread Having Stretchability and Luster” and published on Apr. 28, 1997 as Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-111624, and in Japanese Patent Application No. 7-271194 filed on Oct. 19, 1995 with the title “Composite Thread for Embroidery Lace” and published on Apr. 28, 1997 as Japanese Unexamined Patent Publi
Firster Co., Ltd.
Wallenstein & Wagner Ltd.
Worrell Danny
LandOfFree
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