Fabric (woven – knitted – or nonwoven textile or cloth – etc.) – Woven fabric – Woven fabric including a nonwoven fabric layer other than paper
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-08
2001-11-20
Morris, Terrel (Department: 1771)
Fabric (woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.)
Woven fabric
Woven fabric including a nonwoven fabric layer other than paper
C442S268000, C442S277000, C442S286000, C442S394000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06319864
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a triple layer, laminated fabric for clothing for cold weather and/or high altitude use, which has a thin lining fabric laminated to a waterproof, non-breathable plastic film which in turn is laminated to an insulating layer, such as fleece or polyfiberfill.
BACKGROUND ART
To keep feet warm and dry in cold weather, particularly in snow or slush, people have wrapped their feet with plastic film, including bread bags and common household food wrap, before putting on socks. However, this technique is not useful for the remainder of the body. In recent years, the emphasis for cold weather and/or high altitude clothing has been on “waterproof and breathable” laminates. Water vapor molecules, from perspiration, will transfer through such fabrics, such as by a process of absorption, diffusion and desorption or by evaporation. Water vapor from perspiration will pass out but liquid water will not pass in. In breathable garments, the moisture goes to the outer insulation and adulterates it. The wet outer insulation causes evaporative heat loss, which can be severe. Furthermore, these fabrics include a wicking base, for the intended purpose of attracting the perspiration moisture to lead it to the breathable layer. Garments made of such a fabric tend to mask the degree of perspiration which the wearer is creating, thus hiding the commencement of dehydration, which can lead to high altitude sickness, including cerebral and/or pulmonary edema. Fabrics of this type are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,194,041, 4,845,862, 4,898,761, 5,126,182, 5,204,156, 5,268,212, 5,364,678, and 5,435,014.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,153 there is disclosed a garment liner having a vapor barrier adjacent opposite surfaces of a layer of insulating material, to keep the insulating material dry.
Another known garment utilizes two layers of fleece having a breathable barrier layer in between. Because of the weight of the inner fleece lining, this garment will absorb significant perspiration, thereby masking the onset of dehydration, and the garment will not dry quickly between use, therefore remaining wet and cold. Since the inner fleece is wet, it provides no insulation whatsoever.
A shirt or vest having a layer of thin tricot laminated to a thin flexible polyurethane film has been found to be insufficiently durable, due to delamination of the film from the tricot, tearing of the film, and loss of patches of film from the tricot.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Objects of the invention include provision of a fabric for use in garments designed for cold temperatures and high altitudes which: reduces the risk of high altitude sickness through avoidance of dehydration and overheating by detection of body perspiration; provides warmth during many hours of continuous use, avoiding degradation of the insulation by preventing the insulation from becoming wet, or even damp, with perspiration; helps prevent frostbite by retaining body heat, including prevention of evaporative and convective heat loss and reduction of conductive heat loss; avoids discomfort from wetness; allows perspiration to dry quickly between uses; is comfortable, lightweight, soft, supple and pliable; and avoids delamination of barrier layers from liner or insulation layers.
This invention is predicated on the discoveries that: moisture from perspiration in any form must absolutely be prevented from entering the insulation of a cold weather or high altitude garment, so that a barrier layer must be impervious to moisture and air and hydrophobic; the inner layer of a cold weather or high altitude garment must not mask the sensation of perspiration, while at the same time it must avoid wetness discomfort; the thin barrier layers in cold weather and/or high altitude garments must be protected from chafing, abrasion and other physical injury resulting from repeated contact with shells, liners, insulation or other layers of the garment; thin barrier layers, such as thin polyurethane film, which are laminated to durable layers on either side thereof, will not undergo any meaningful delamination, and, if the film is stretchable, will not lose their vapor and air impervious character under normal wear for a reasonable life of a garment; and in order to dry quickly, garments must absorb much less moisture than cotton, and must be relatively thin and of an appropriate weave.
According to the present invention, a fabric for use in garments designed for wear in cold temperatures or at high altitudes comprises an inner layer of a thin, quick-drying comfortable fabric, such as silk, polyester tricot or nylon tricot, laminated to a thin, stretchable, non-breathable, vapor and air impermeable, barrier layer, such as hydrophobic polyurethane, which in turn is laminated to an external insulating layer such as fleece or polyfiberfill. The invention may be used in garments such as mittens, triggs, gloves, shirts, vests, jackets, coats, overalls, coveralls, work clothes, hats, socks and boots, and other garments.
The invention achieves all of the aforementioned objects, as is set forth more fully hereinafter.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in the light of the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5364678 (1994-11-01), Lumb et al.
patent: 5571592 (1996-11-01), McGregor et al.
patent: 5804011 (1998-09-01), Dutta et al.
patent: 5935882 (1999-08-01), Fujita et al.
Hannigan Ryan B.
Shehata Hussein A.
Morris Terrel
RBH Designs, LLC
Ruddock Ula C.
Williams M. P.
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