Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Structurally defined web or sheet – Discontinuous or differential coating – impregnation or bond
Patent
1989-12-04
1993-09-14
Bell, James J.
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Structurally defined web or sheet
Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond
2239, 22431, 156183, 156210, 156229, 156291, 428182, 428245, 428246, 428253, 428247, 428152, 4283044, B32B 2714
Patent
active
052447162
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention is directed to waterproof but breathable articles of clothing, to be worn in place of or in addition to conventional garments under conditions where a given part of the body would otherwise get wet through exposure to the elements (e.g. outdoor sports, mountain climbing). The articles of clothing of this invention protect the body from being wetted from external sources but allow the natural breathing process of the body (transmission and removal of perspiration in the form of water vapour) to continue undisturbed, thus ensuring a high degree of comfort to the wearer.
The present invention encompasses a number of independently advantageous features and extends to a compatible combination of such features as well as the novel features and aspects per se.
The invention applies to a variety of articles of clothing such as stockings, gloves, hats and others but will later be illustrated by the example of stockings and gloves.
Stockings are extensible close fitting articles of footwear which when properly sized snugly engage the surface of the foot and ankle of a wearer or the foot, ankle and leg of the wearer without leaving spaces between the stocking and the foot and ankle or the stocking and the foot, ankle and leg.
The present invention extends to a stocking made of a material comprising a barrier component comprising a film or membrane layer resistant to penetration by liquid water, i.e. a layer which is hydrophobic, but permeable to water vapour, the said component having an extensibility such that when worn the stocking fits closely to the surface of the foot, ankle and leg, the stocking being such that it can readily be drawn onto and off the foot and over the ankle.
Such a product has hitherto been unavailable, closeness of fit being sacrificed to waterproofness in those articles providing waterproofness and breathability which are boot-like in shape and commercially available and waterproofness being sacrificed to fit in conventional knitted stockings.
The invention also extends to an article of footwear incorporating a film or membrane layer, enclosing the foot, ankle and leg in use, resistant to penetration by liquid water but permeable to water vapour, the said layer constituting an envelope having a value of (lb1+lb2)/lf (as defined herein) of less than 1.5 and preferably not more than 1.4.
As discussed below such an (1b1+1b2)/1f value differentiates from conventional articles.
The invention also extends to a stocking in which the barrier component comprises a film or membrane layer resistant to penetration by liquid water but permeable to water vapour adhered to a second layer of extensible water vapour adhered to a second layer of extensible water vapour permeable material, the barrier component being such that it can be extended by at least 50% in the direction of the line B (the heel to front of ankle line), preferably by a load not in excess of 0.4 kg/cm width (as measured by the text described herein), e.g. less than 0.3 and preferably not in excess of 0.2 kg/cm width.
Preferably the hydrophobic layer has a hydrostatic head in excess of 100 preferably in excess of 200, 300, 400, 500 or 600 and especially 700 cms H.sub.2 O, and a WVP in excess of 20 preferably in excess of 50 and especially in excess of 100 g per square meter per hour. Such a stocking affording this combination of mutually conflicting properties of hydrostatic head, and WVP, and extensibility, has so far as we are aware not been available heretofor.
In a preferred form of this aspect of the invention a stocking comprises an inner fabric layer and a separately formed hydrophobic polymer layer resistant to penetration by liquid water but permeable to water vapour, the stocking being seamless or having no more than one seam which is located in the polymer film.
The stocking may be a short so called ankle length stocking which extends just above the top of the shoe or boot or a longer one e.g. of mid calf or calf length or longer, such as thigh length, and preferably extends above the boot top in such longer lengt
REFERENCES:
patent: 4194041 (1980-03-01), Gore et al.
patent: 4443511 (1984-04-01), Worden et al.
patent: 4446189 (1984-05-01), Romanek
patent: 4761324 (1988-08-01), Rautenberg et al.
patent: 4935287 (1990-06-01), Johnson et al.
Halliwell Allen
Thornton Jeremy J.
Bell James J.
Porvair PLC
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