Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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FLOCKED FABRIC SUITABLE AS OUTERWEAR
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a flocked fabric
s that retains characteristics typically attributed to fabrics
used in upholstery and yet is suitable for outdoor use as a
worn garment. When used as hunter's outerwear, the fabric
is quiet, camouflaged by its colorful pattern, wind
resistant, water-resistant, abrasion-resistant, drapeable,
1o burr retention resistant and preferably treated with a
scent-inhibiting chemical. As a result, the fabric serves
as a washable apparel item, which will neither be seen,
heard nor smelled by prey. By flattening the flock
directionally into a laid down condition and thermally
1s setting the flock in that condition, the laid down flock
provides a natural water repellent and substantially flat
surface onto which may be printed a colorful pattern or
solid color. Solid color may be achieved by stock dyeing
flock and/or piece dyeing. The colorful pattern or solid
2o color appears crisp and well-defined without distortion.
Transfer printing onto flattened flocked surfaces
is known in the upholstery trade where the flocked surfaces
are atop a woven backing. The relatively harsh backing is
unsuitable for apparel because it is not particularly
2s drapeable. Further, the harsh backing is rough to the touch
and therefore noisy in that it rustles appreciably if rubbed
against itself or other objects. If outerwear contained
such backing and were worn by hunters trying to elude animal
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prey, such a rustling noise would be detrimental to the
hunter's effort at being evasive. It would therefore be
desirable to soften such backing or select one less noisy.
Transfer printing onto flocked surfaces for
blankets and apparel has been revealed by earlier patents of
one of the present inventors, that is, U.S. patent nos.
4,895,748 and 5,059,452. However, those patents teach about
foamed knitted fabrics, such as those which include a
flocked polyurethane foam with flattened fibers which are
1o color printed. Such foamed knitted fabrics have excellent
insulating properties but have relatively poor abrasion
resistance. The present inventors have made some
observations.
In general, foam has a low abrasion point and has
1s been known to crumble when exposed to extremes of humidity
and heat over extended periods of time. Further, foam may
break down when subjected to strong caustic chemicals or dry
cleaning.
When used in outerwear, the foam should be secured
2o to a stretchable backing, such as a knitted substrate, to
improve the stretch of the fabric to make use of its comfort
characteristics. Foam is somewhat permeable and therefore
limited in its ability to provide wind-resistance. Foam
retains water that renders a fabric somewhat bulky and less
2s drapeable than is the case without it.
A hunter's outerwear plays an important role in
the success or failure of the hunt. Hunters do not want to
be seen, heard or smelled by their prey. Hunters prefer
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their outerwear to blend in with their surroundings rather
than stand out.
If the appearance of hunter's outerwear contrasts
markedly with the environment, the prey may notice the
s contrast and become startled and dart away. For this
reason, a camouflage pattern is preferred to blend in with
the surroundings. Depending upon the type of fabric to
which the pattern is applied, the realism, coloring and
crispness in definition of the pattern will vary. Ideally,
1o the surface of the fabric should not distort the pattern or
otherwise take away from the realism of the camouflage.
For instance, if the fabric is knitted or woven,
the texture of its surface structure will distort the
camouflage pattern or otherwise take away from the realism,
is crispness or definition. A fabric composed of plastic, on
the other hand, has a surface structure which would not
distort the pattern.
Unfortunately, many fabrics whose surface
structure will not distort color patterns are noisy in that
2o as the hunter moves about or approaches prey, the fabric
makes noises which may scare away the nearby prey within
earshot.
For instance, the conventional bright orange
plastic raincoat poncho may satisfy the visibility level for
2s orange color required for safety purposes outdoors and
further is waterproof. Nevertheless, such a poncho is too
noisy for most hunters. It does a hunter little good to
appear invisible to prey if the outerwear is so noisy as the
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hunter approaches that the prey scares off. Indeed, prey
may frighten based on what they hear rather than on what
they actually see.
Knitted or brushed woven fabrics, on the other
s hand, are more quiet as the hunter moves about. This is
attributed to their surface structure being soft to the
touch, rather than rough, so that when rubbed against
itself, little if any noise is heard. Nevertheless, the
surface structure of the knitted or brush woven fabric, as
to mentioned previously, distorts the realism of the pattern
printed on it.
A nuisance associated with the wearing of
conventional outerwear is that the fabric material may pick
up burrs, leaves, sticktights, thistles, plant-life
15 originated "hitchhikers", etc. in the outdoors which cling
or stick to the fabric (the matter picked up will
collectively be referred to hereafter as "burr(s)"). As a
consequence, the fabric becomes noisy; removing the burrs
from the fabric is a time-consuming task, because each burr
2o must be pulled off the outerwear individually. The task
becomes more difficult to accomplish while in the outdoors
because the outerwear is being worn at the time and, while
the wearer could take time out to clean the outerwear of the
burrs if so motivated, inevitably more burrs will be picked
2s up again. Thus, pulling out the burrs individually is a
never ending, time consuming and frustrating process to
perform. To a hunter, burr retention is more than just a
nuisance; any additional noise generated by the outerwear,
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such as that attributed to the retention of burrs, increases
the risk of frightening prey that are within earshot.
Untreated outerwear, when worn, eventually picks
up the smell or body odor of its wearer. If downwind of the
hunter, prey, which has a keen sense of smell, may pick up
the scent given off by such outerwear. Thus, even if the
outerwear is quiet and camouflaged, such precautions against
being noticed by the prey are defeated if the hunter's scent
is picked up by the prey from the outerwear.
1o Scent inhibiting chemicals for fabrics are
available commercially, such as that sold under the
trademark ULTRAFRESHTM. Therefore, the fabric of the
outerwear should be treated with such scent inhibiting
chemicals. In this manner, the scent retention problem in
outerwear goes away. When a quiet fabric is so treated and
camouflaged, the wearer is neither seen, heard or smelled
downwind by the prey.
Of course, the outerwear should also be made for
comfort. In this connection, the outerwear fabric
2o preferably should be drapable, washable, water resistant,
wind resistant, abrasion resistant and burr retention
resistant. Further, the fabric should be pleasant to the
touch and not be bulky. Also, the fabric should not shrink
excessively when subjected to a commercial dyeing process or
home wash and dry, but the outerwear should be moisture
permeable and breathable.
Tests have been developed to determine the extent
to which a fabric is deemed water resistant, water
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repellant, abrasion resistant and stiff. The American
National Standard AATCC test method 35-1994, as set forth on
pages 89-90 of the AATCC Technical Manual, exemplifies a
water resistance test. Basically, a fabric test specimen,
s backed by a weighed blotter, is sprayed with water for f ive
minutes under controlled conditions. The blotter is
reweighed to determine the amount of water which has leaked
through the specimen during the test. This test is an
accepted indicator of the resistance of fabrics to the
1o penetration of water by impact, and thus can be used to
predict the probable rain penetration resistance of fabrics.
Also AATCC Test Method 42- 1989 is used as an
impact penetration test to measure water resistance.
Basically, 500 milliliters of water is poured from a height
15 of 2 feet through an impact penetration tester against the
surface of the test specimen, which had a blotter behind it
that had been weighed prior to testing. The blotter is then
removed and reweighed. The increase in the weight of the
blotter is calculated. The lower the numerical weight
2o calculation of the increase, the better the water
resistance. The best result is 0.0, which signifies no
penetration of the water to the blotter.
A hydrostatic pressure test is also used to
measure water resistance according to AATCC Test Method
25 127-1989. An 8" x 8" fabric test specimen is placed in a
hydrostatic pressure tester. Water at about 80 degrees
Fahrenheit is placed on top of the specimen and the height
of the water is raised 1 centimeter per second until three
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droplets of water can be seen on the underside of the
specimen. The height of the water is measured; the higher
the height, the better the water resistance.
A suitable measure of water repellency is a spray
test according to AATCC Test Method 22-1989. Basically, 250
milliliters of distilled water is poured through an AATCC
spray tester over each fabric sample. An AATCC spray tester
is a 6" glass lab funnel with a spray head attached by a
3/8" rubber tubing. The funnel is held by a metal ring on a
io ring support six inches above the sample, which is mounted
at a 45 degree angle with the use of a metal embroidered
hoop. Results are obtained by observing an AATCC spray test
rating chart against the tested sample. The higher the
rating number, the better the water repellency.
1s Accepted abrasion tests are the taber test
according to ASTM D-3884-92, which tests the abrasion
resistance when the fabric is dry and when the fabric is
wet, and the dry scuff test. These tests provide an
indication as to the likelihood of the fabric abrading
2o during normal wear and tear and during washing. The scuff
test employs an apparatus having a weighted arm that presses
a metal disc into the face side of fabric. The face side of
a fabric, which is supported over a pad of latex foam rubber
is rubbed under controlled conditions, by the edge of the
2s metal disc. The test is intended to assess the tendency of
all types of cut or non-loop pile upholstery to lose
substantially complete lengths of pile from the surface of
the fabric. To the extent that this tendency generally
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requires a harsh abrasive force from a relatively keen edged
object, it often relates to minor unspecified abuse of the
upholstery.
The taber test according to ASTM D 3884-92
involves abrading a fabric specimen using rotary rubbing
action under controlled conditions of pressure and abrasive
action. The test specimen, mounted on a platform, turns on
a vertical axis, against the sliding rotation of two
abrading wheels. One abrading wheel rubs the specimen
io outward toward the periphery and the other inward toward the
center. The resulting abrasion marks form a pattern of
crossed arcs over an area of approximately 30 cm2.
Resistance to abrasion is evaluated by various means.
A suitable fabric stiffness test is done pursuant
1s to Method 5206 (July 20, 1978) according to the Federal Test
Method Standard No. 191 A. A one inch wide sample of fabric
is slid toward the edge of the testing apparatus until one
end drops to a 4i degree angle. The distance of the hanging
portion over the edge is measured. The longer the distance
2o measured, the stiffer the sample.
Another suitable stiffness test is done in
accordance with a deflection test, in which a 12" strip in
the warp direction is cut on the strip cutter from a random
area of the coated or uncoated material, avoiding a cut too
2s close to either edge. The test sample should be on 0" to
10" full width strip from the mill or master roll. Using a
2" platform on a test bench or desk, place a ruler on the
desk top touching the base of the platform on one end. Take
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the 8"x12" strip and place it coated or uncoated side up on
the top of the platform. If coated, peel the release liner
from the adhesive, being careful not to bend or distort the
coated substrate. For either coated or uncoated material,
slide the strip over the ruler end of the platform.
Pressing it flat insures that the deflection distance is at
its maximum and that the test is accurate. When the leading
edge of the strip touches the ruler, read and record the
number of inches. This is the deflection distance. The
1o result should be compared to a standard or the historical
specimen material.
The outerwear may be exposed to extremes of
outdoor temperatures such as temperatures below the freezing
point of water. Such frigid temperature conditions may
occur unexpectedly and rapidly in some wilderness areas
either during the night or from sudden wind chill in
mountainous areas. Preferably, the constituents of the
flocked outerwear should withstand such temperature extremes
without becoming stiff or otherwise causing discomfort to
2o the wearer while moving about.
Many conventional thin fabrics, with color printed
upon, normally bleed the colors through, making it
commercially impractical to print on the bled through side.
Examples of such fabrics include woven polycotton, which is
used in outerwear for the hunting trade. Thicker fabrics
can be used that allow printing on both sides without
bleeding the colors through, but such fabrics are obviously
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heavier, bulkier and generally less cost competitive to use
in the mass production of outerwear than thinner fabrics.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a
lightweight outerwear fabric which helps the hunter from
being seen, heard or smelled by prey. It would also be
desirable to provide an outerwear fabric useful for other
applications, such as rainwear or for use at outdoor
sporting events and activities, and which provides the
outward appearance of distortion-free color crispness and
to yet is abrasion resistant and washable. It would further be
desirable to employ a fabric that lends itself to color
printing on both the front and back without the color
bleeding through, and yet allowing the fabric substrate
itself to be relatively thin.
SOMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a flocked fabric
having a substrate in a stabilized condition, flock fibers
and an adhesive adhering the flock fibers to the substrate.
The adhesive is in a dried and cured condition. The flock
fibers have an embedded portion within the adhesive, a
protruding portion protruding out of the adhesive, and a
bent portion between the embedding and protruding portions.
The protruded portion is in a flattened and laid down
condition to provide a substantially flat surface and
arranged to lie on at least one of the adhesive and
neighboring ones of the flock fibers. The stabilized
condition is such that the substrate is prevented during
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flexing from stretching by an extent that would cause the
adhesive to break apart.
The fabric is suitable for the manufacture of
garments worn outdoors, such as sportswear, rainwear and
s hunters outerwear. The substrate, or a combination of the
substrate and film, may be stabilized, which means it is
sufficiently resistant to stretching that the adhesive will
not break apart. Indeed, the film, if applied appropriately
to the substrate such as through lamination, may provide the
1o needed stabilization for the adhesive.
According to one aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a fabric, comprising a substrate in a
stabilized condition, flock fibers and an adhesive adhering
said flock fibers to said substrate, said adhesive being in
1s a dried and cured condition, said flock fibers having an
embedded portion within said adhesive, a protruding portion
protruding out of said adhesive and a bent portion between
said embedded and protruding portions, said protruding
portion being in a flattened and laid down condition to
2o provide an outwardly facing surface that is substantially
flat in that said protruding portion is arranged to lie on
at least one of said adhesive and neighboring ones of said
flock fibers so as to increase both abrasion resistance and
burr retention resistance over that for the flock in an
25 erect condition, said stabilized condition being such that
said substrate is prevented during flexing from stretching
by an extent that would cause said adhesive to break apart,
said flock fibers having a memory that tends to return said
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protruding portion to said flattened and laid down condition
instead of said erect condition.
According to another aspect of the invention,
there is provided a method of making a fabric, comprising
the steps of:
providing a substrate in a stabilized condition,
f lock fibers and an adhesive adhering said f lock fibers to
said substrate, said adhesive being in a dried and cured
condition, said flock fibers having an embedded portion
1o within said adhesive and an protruding portion protruding
out of said adhesive in an erect condition, the stabilized
condition being such that said substrate is prevented during
flexing from stretching by an extent that would cause said
adhesive to break apart; and
increasing abrasion resistance, burr retention
resistance and water repellency over that with the
protruding portion in an erect condition by subjecting said
protruding portion of said flock fibers to elevated
pressures and temperatures so that said protruding portion
2o moves from the erect condition to a flattened and laid down
condition and thereby provides a substantially flat
outwardly facing surface with the protruding portion lying
on at least one of said adhesive and neighboring ones of
said flock fibers, the step of subjecting creating a bend
between the embedded portion and the protruding portion and
a change in memory of the flock fibers so that the
protruding portion has a tendency to return to the flattened
and laid down condition instead of the erect condition.
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In yet another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a fabric, comprising:
a stabilized substrate;
a cured adhesive on said substrate;
s a plurality of flock fibers protruding from said
adhesive in a laid down condition on at least one of said
adhesive and neighboring flock fibers, said fibers each
having an embedded portion within said adhesive, a
protruding portion in said laid down condition, and a bent
1o portion between said embedded and protruding portions, the
fabric having:
(a) a level of abrasion resistance sufficient, in
accordance with results from a commercially acceptable dry
taber test, a commercially acceptable wet taber test and a
1s commercially acceptable dry scuff test, to resist abrading
into pieces from commercially acceptable machine washing
that softens the fabric;
(b) a level of water penetration resistance
sufficient, in accordance with results from American
2o National Standard AATCC spray test method 22 and impact
penetration test method 42, to block water from penetrating
through to the substrate to saturate the same;
(c) a level of water penetration resistance
sufficient, in accordance with results from American
2s National Standard AATCC hydrostatic pressure test
method 127, to withstand water penetration by a column of
water that is over twice a height of that to which the
fabric may withstand penetration of water with the flock
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fibers in a erect condition prior to being put into the laid
down condition; and
(d) a level of drape that is higher, in
accordance with results from Federal Test Method
Standard 191 A Method 5206, with the flock fibers being laid
down than with the flock fibers standing in an erect
condition prior to being laid down.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
1o For a better understanding of the present
invention, reference is made to the following description
and accompanying drawings, while the scope of the invention
is set forth in the appended claims.
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-section of the flocked
fabric in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-section of the flocked
fabric as in FIG 1, but further shows a waterproof film
laminated or coated onto the substrate.
FIG. 3 is an elevational schematic view of the
2o flocked fabric being subjected to a dry ink transfer process
in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of laid down flock
being brushed to stand upright.
FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-section of the flocked
fabric as in FIG. 2, except showing a lining between the
substrate and the film.
FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-section of the flocked
fabric of Fig. 1, but showing additional layers.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 shows the fabric in accordance with the
invention being in the form of a woven substrate 2 to which
is adhered flock 5 by an acrylic, polyurethane, latex or
other type of adhesive 4. The flattened flock 5 is
thermally set into a laid down and substantially flattened
and, if long enough, entangled state. The transfer printing
process leaves a layer of colored dry ink print 6 on the
to flattened flock 5. The substrate 2 is preferably made of a
polycotton blend, woven polyester, woven polypropylene
material or nylon. A pre-coat adhesive may be applied and
dried to fill interstices of the substrate. Thereafter, the
adhesive 4 is applied and then flock is adhered to the
substrate with the adhesive 4.
The woven polyester and woven polypropylene are
examples of suitable materials for the substrate 2 because
they are hydrophobic, i.e., they do not appreciably absorb
moisture and are well suited for lamination with waterproof
2o breathable films, such as GortexTM or Dry-PlusTM or VapexTM.
With such materials forming the fabric, moisture will not be
retained on the inside of the fabric. Fig. 2 schematically
illustrates a waterproof film 8 applied to the substrate 2.
The film 8 may be breathable or non-breathable. An outer
coat of TeflonTM finish may be applied to the flock to
enhance water resistance.
The substrate may be a woven polycotton (such as
65/35) or substituted by a hydrophobic material such as 100
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woven polyester or 100% polypropylene. Any blend of such
materials may be employed. Instead of nylon, the flock may
be composed of rayon or other conventional flock materials
or any combination thereof.
s Transfer printing onto this directionally
flattened flock surface, as carried out with a print
transfer machine which is depicted in Fig. 3, provides a
surprisingly crisp and clearly defined pattern whose colors
appear as vivid and intense as on the transfer paper from
1o which the pattern came. The flock fibers are laid down and
directed in predominantly one direction to increase abrasion
resistance and burr-retention resistance. It also guides
water to run off the flock. This run off may simulate a
shedding effect in the sense of a stream of water flowing
1s off an incline. While substantially flat, the flock fibers
may not be perfectly flat but inclined because their free
ends rest on neighboring flock or adhesive. The flock,
which has an end fixed in the adhesive, may bend to reach
its laid down condition. This may involve causing the flock
2o to lie on adjacent flock or adhesive to provide the flat
surf ace .
A transfer printing machine presses the flock
under elevated temperatures onto the adjacent adhesive and
or other flock, thereby bending the flock in the process
2s preferably to define an angle of inclination of 10 degrees
or less from the substrate, preferably horizontal. The
adhesive should be cured before the fabric is fed into the
print transfer machine for subsequent directional flattening
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of the flock fibers. The flock fibers may or may not deform
under the elevated pressures and temperatures imparted by
the print transfer machine. The memory of the flock fibers
changes so that they no longer have a tendency to return to
the erect condition but instead return to a flattened and
laid down condition.
FIG. 3 illustrates a dry ink transfer process used
to flatten the flock fibers and transfer dry ink onto the
flock. A pattern or solid color 10 is printed onto special
to print paper il. The print paper 11 and flocked fabric 12
are fed together between rollers 13, 14 in a conventional
screen transfer printing machine. The pattern or solid
color 10 is against the flock fibers. At least one of the
rollers is heated at a temperature of approximately 400
1s degrees Fahrenheit and pressure is applied by the rollers
against the fabric and sheet for approximately 30 seconds to
enable the transference of the dry ink of a multi-colored
print pattern or solid color 10 onto the flock. Instead of
rollers, any type of pressure elements, such as pressure
2o plates, could be used.
The process of screen transfer printing involves
first making screens for each color to be print transferred,
then printing onto paper through the screens, and finally
running the paper with the fabric through a print transfer
2s machine, such as a rotary screen print transfer machine of
Stork under model numbers TC 101 and TC 131 or of
Kannegieser. Alternatively, conventional rotogravure
printing machines may be employed for printing a pattern in
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accordance with the invention. Both the flock and substrate
may be dyed a solid color in advance of the flock flattening
and either in addition to or in lieu of the transfer or
rotogravure printing.
s To make the pattern for use in transfer printing,
paper is inked (one ink color at a time) and then the
completed pattern on the paper is transferred onto the
fabric in a print transfer machine which thermally sets the
flock into a flattened state.
1o The preferred embodiment of the invention employs
fiber (preferably 1 to 3 denier dull nylon or polyester
fiber and 0.025 to 0.080 inches or other fiber lengths),
which is adhered to a substrate that is a polycotton blend
or 100 percent polyester with an acrylic based and/or
15 polyurethane adhesive (two coats) and/or blends of such
adhesives. The finer the denier of the flock fibers and the
shorter and thinner the fibers, the softer the suede-like
feel of the fabric after flattening the flock fibers.
Fine flock (1 to 2 denier) with short fiber length
20 (0.025 to 0.05 inches) provide a flatter surface when
flattened than coarser flock (3 denier and up) with longer
fiber lengths so that a transferred print looks more
distortion-free on the flattened surface. In view of the
selection of fine denier and short fiber length, the
2s resulting compactness in combination with proper adhesive
and substrate selection offers superior resistance to color
bleed through.
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The selection of flock size affects
characteristics of the fabric. If the denier is too fine,
the fibers are short so that pressing them under elevated
temperatures and pressures merely crushes their ends without
s necessarily bending them over to form a flat surface. If
the denier is too course, the fibers are long so that
pressing them under elevated temperatures and pressures
causes them to entangle and, because of their larger
dimension, lessens the density of flock fibers on the
1o fabric. The greater the density and meshing of the flock
fibers flattened into a laid down condition, the more water
resistant the fabric may be expected to be, because the laid
down fibers act as a barrier against water penetration. For
this reason, the preferred fiber denier is 1 to 3 to provide
is the desired density.
The inventors have observed that when some
adhesives are exposed to outdoor subfreezing temperatures
such as temperatures below 15 degrees Fahrenheit, the
outerwear to which such adhesives are applied may stiffen.
2o Such stiffening may cause some discomfort to the wearer, as
well as render the outerwear noisy. Bear in mind that
frigid temperature conditions come about before sunrise and
after sunset in some geographical locations depending upon
the season and also may come about quickly due to sudden
2s wind chills as are common in mountainous regions. One way
to avoid such fabric stiffening is to select an adhesive
that retains its flexibility under such frigid, subfreezing
temperatures.
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21 X4841
Adhesives may be aerated to a desired amount by
Spectro-coating Corporation of Leominster Massachusetts.
Although this company is not an adhesive manufacturer, it
has worked with an adhesive manufacturer, American Finish,
to develop a suitable a suitable cold-flex adhesive that
satisfies the following criteria provided by the inventors:
suitable for flocking into a woven fabric and for remaining
flexible when exposed to outdoor environmental temperatures
between 0 and 32 degrees Fahrenheit such that it will not
1o stiffen the fabric under such subfreezing temperature
conditions.
The adhesive preferably is aerated to reduce its
stiffness when the fabric is to be used as a garment. Of
course, if used to construct knapsack, etc., where stiffness
is is unimportant, the adhesive need not be aerated, which
tends to increase its abrasion-resistance over that of
garments having aerated adhesives.
Preferably, the aeration may be gradually
increased until a desired flexible condition has been
2o achieved, i.e., the fabric is sufficiently drapeable for use
as a garment. The stiffness test (Method 5206) may be used
to measure drape. However, the aeration level can not be so
great that it causes the fabric to fail the taber abrasion
tests (wet and dry condition) and the scuff test.
2s Therefore, there is some degree of trade-off
between drapeability and abrasion resistance in determining
the appropriate amount of aeration. If the fabric is too
stiff despite the aeration, perhaps because the amount of
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aeration was too low, the stiffness in the fabric may be
softened by washing under elevated temperatures. One result
from increasing aeration may be that the fabric becomes more
breathable, which determines of the rate of water vapor
transference through the fabric. The rate of water vapor
transfer should be 4500 - 10,000 grams of moisture per day,
preferably 6000 - 8000 grams of moisture per day.
After the appropriate level of aeration is
attained, the adhesive is used to adhere the flock to the
to substrate and the adhesive is dried and cured in
conventional flocking equipment. The fabric has flock
adhered to its substrate, with the flock being erect. The
fabric is fed into the conventional screen transfer print
machine such as that of Fig . 3 to flatten the f lock into a
laid down condition or any one of the cured adhesive and
neighboring flock. As a result, the portion of the flock
protruding out of the adhesive lays over, creating a bend
between this protruding portion and the portion of the fiber
still embedded in the cured adhesive.
2o If the flock and substrate are dyed a bright
fluorescent orange background with a transfer printed black
camouflage forefront, the camouflage black furthers the
effect of appearing to blend into the natural environment
and the fluorescent orange readily satisfies state standards
for visibility of hunter outerwear. There is substantially
no surface distortion due to the texture or surface
structure of the fabric.
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If fluorescent orange is not a requirement, the
flock and substrate may be dyed a different solid color as
desired commercially. Conventionally, the substrate and
flock are readily available in a solid color such as white.
s If some other color is desired, one technique to change the
color is to separately dye the substrate the desired color
before flocking, dye the flock by itself the same color, and
then flock the dyed flock into the dyed substrate.
One way to reduce the number of processing steps
1o for attaining the change in color is to piece dye the
flocked substrate itself the desired color, rather than
separately dye the flock and substrate in advance before
flocking. This has the added advantage of avoiding the need
to clean both equipment for dyeing just the flock and
is equipment for dyeing just the substrate when the job is
complete, because only one type of equipment, i.e., that for
dyeing flocked substrate, will require cleaning when the job
is complete.
By flocking into the woven substrate, flattening
2o the flock fibers by thermally setting them and then piece
dyeing the fabric a solid color, the resulting fabric feels
less stiff and has a softer hand than before the dyeing,
thanks to the elevated temperature and pressure involved in
the dyeing process which seem to break down the stiffness in
25 the adhesive and substrate. A typical temperature in such a
dyeing process may be in excess of 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
Further, the flocked woven fabric of the invention
is drapable, washable, water resistant, burr retention
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2~~4~47
resistant, pleasant to the touch, i.e., comfortable to the
wearer. During manufacture, the fabric should have little
or no shrinkage when subjected to a commercial dyeing
process. Also, the fabric should have little or no
shrinkage when subjected to home wash and dry.
Preferably, the fabric is treated with scent
inhibiting chemicals, such as that sold under the trademark
ULTRAFRESHTM, if used for hunting. In this manner, prey
which is downwind will not smell the hunter because the
to treatment finish will not promote the growth of odor causing
bacteria. Such treatment is therefore good for concealing
the body odor of the wearer.
As a result, a hunter wearing outerwear made from
this treated fabric may move about in the wilderness without
the outerwear being responsible for the hunter being heard,
seen, or smelled by the prey. Further, by dyeing the flock
and substrate a bright fluorescent orange color, safety
requirements for making hunters visible to fellow hunters in
the wild may be satisfied.
2o The present invention is not limited just to
outerwear garments for the hunting trade. The fabric is
fine outerwear for use at sporting events and as rainwear if
treated chemically for water repellency in a conventional
manner. The printed patterns appear distortion free on the
flattened flock so as to provide for a crisp and well-
defined pattern indicative of the realism of the original on
the transfer paper or other medium. Further, the fabric
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?_ 1 ~4~47
holds up to repeated washings and will essentially not
shrink.
By compacting the fibers during the flattening
process onto a tightly woven substrate of the fabric, the
compactness provides a wind-barrier for the fabric. The more
tightly woven substrate provides better wind resistance than
one which is knitted and stretchable because of the greater
density of the woven material. Also, water repellency
dramatically improves thanks to this compactness, as
1o compared to that for knitted or woven fabrics without flock.
The inventors had an independent testing facility,
DuPont Specialty Chemicals, test the water repellency of the
present invention in comparison to that of other fabrics.
Seven fabrics were tested in accordance with the American
National Standard AATCC Test Method 35-1994, as previously
described, and spray test method #22. Each fabric tested
received a spray rating based on visual evaluation. The
rating system is based on indicating the percentage to which
the fabric remains dry and the rating values are interpreted
2o as follows: 100 -- no wetting, 90 -- slight random wetting,
80 -- slight wetting at spray points, 70 -- partial wetting
of whole surface, 50 -- complete wetting of top surface but
no penetration, 0 -- complete wetting of top and bottom,
i.e., penetration.
Both rain and storm condition tests were conducted
in accordance with ASTM standards, with a pass requiring the
penetration of less than 1 gm water through the fabric as
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_. 218447
measured by weighing a blotter mounted under the sample
before and after the test.
Typically, the rain condition test is easy to pass
with any outerwear fabric treated with Teflon coating, but
passing the storm condition requires either a good, tightly
woven rainwear fabric of a backcoated fabric with a water
repellant coating such as those commercialized under the
mark Goretex~. The rain test required a column height of
water of two feet applied for two minutes, while the storm
1o test required a column height of water of three feet applied
f or five minutes .
For a napped or pile outerwear fabric, a minimum
spray rating of 80 is required to meet the commercial
standards required to apply a coating from Teflon's and
advertise that the fabric has been treated with Teflon. A
spray rating of 90 is required with respect to flat woven
rainwear.
Two of the fabrics tested were treated with
Teflon and the remaining five were not treated. Four of
2o the untreated fabrics were: cotton chamois, blue polyester
woven, cotton duck, and trebark (polycotton twill). Each
received a zero spray rating, which means they would fail
both the rain and storm tests. The fifth untreated fabric
was that of the present invention, i.e., a flattened flock
woven (with 1 to 3 denier flock), which received a spray
rating of 50, but also failed the rain test.
As to the treated fabrics, Real tree (polycotton
twill) treated with Teflon received a 50 spray rating and
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2184847
passed only the rain test. The present invention, i.e., a
flattened flock woven (with 1 to 3 denier flock) treated
with Teflon, received a spray rating of 80 and passed both
the rain and storm tests.
s As should be evident from the test results,
treating a fabric with Teflon is no guarantee of passing
the storm test, yet the treated, flattened flock woven
fabric of the present invention did just that. The
untreated, flattened flock woven fabric of the present
1o invention surprisingly received the same spray rating as
that of the treated Real tree (polycotton twill).
As compared to knitted foamed flocked fabrics, the
flocked fabric of the present invention has a woven
substrate and is more dense and rigid, doesn't stretch, and
1s provides better abrasion resistance.
The inventors also had Magill Laboratories, Inc.,
of Slatersville, Rhode Island, conduct the following four
tests:
(AATCC 22) water repellency: spray test
20 (AATCC 42) water resistance: impact penetration
test
(AATCC 127) water resistance: hydrostatic pressure
test
(Method 5206) stiffness of cloth, drape and flex;
25 cantilever bending method.
Three samples of fabric were tested. Sample 1 was
a woven substrate with erect flock fibers but without any
water-repellant finish. Sample 2 was a woven substrate with
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2~~4841
laid-over flock fibers according to the invention, but
without water-repellant finish. Sample 3 was a woven
substrate treated with laid-over flock fibers and water
repellant finish.
The spray test results revealed that sample 1
became completely saturated on both sides; sample 2 became
saturated on the surface without penetration by the water;
and sample 3 became partially saturated on the surface
without penetration by the water.
io The test results are tabulated as follows:
TESTB. UNIT OF MEASURE SAMPLEB
_1 _2 _3
Water Repellency Spray Rating
(AATCC 22) Average (three trials): 00 50 70
Water Resistance, % weight increase
(AATCC 42) Average (three trials): 5.2 0.0 0.0
2o Stiffness, inches
(Method 5206) Average (three trials): 2.3 2.1 1.9
Water Resistance, inches
(AATCC 127) Average (three trials): 12.124.3 25.2
These results show that both the water repellency
and water resistance improves by laying over the flock into
a laid-down condition instead of keeping the flock upright
and erect. Adding a water resistance film, such as teflon,
3o improves the water repellency and, to a lesser percentage
increase, the water resistance.
According to the hydrostatic test, which measures
the water resistance based on the height of the water column
placed on top of the fabric specimen being tested until
three droplets appear on the underside of the specimen, by
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2~~4a47
laying down the flock fibers instead of keeping them erect
and upright, the laid-down f lock may tolerate a 100 percent
increase in the height of the water column and still provide
water resistance, i.e., from 12 inches to 24 inches. Adding
s a water resistant film coating only enhances the water
resistance by allowing about a one inch increase in the
water column height. Thus, the primary factor responsible
for enhancing water resistance is the laying down of the
flock fibers instead of merely adding a water resistance
1o coating.
As can be seen from the stiffness test results, as
one end of a fabric specimen deffines a 4 i degree angle off
an edge, the length of the hanging portion is longer for the
laid-over flock specimen versus the upright flock specimen
15 and longer still when the laid-over flock specimen is
treated with the water resistant film. This shows a general
trend of the drapeability improving as the fabric fibers are
laid over and then treated with a water resistant film.
The inventors also had taber, scuff and deflection
20 (drapeability) tests conducted by Spectro- coating
Corporation. The test specimens were flocked woven
substrates -- one with erect flock fibers and the other with
laid down flock fibers. The results were as follows:
For an H-18 1, 000 gram weight used in a dry taber
2s test (ASTM D-3884-92), the flocked woven substrate with laid
down flock was 21.7% better in abrasion resistance than the
flocked woven substrate with erect flock.
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_ 214841
A scuff test revealed that in the warp direction,
the flocked woven substrate with laid down flock was 24%
better in scuff resistance than the flocked woven substrate
with erect flock. In the fill direction, the flocked woven
substrate with laid down flock tested 26.4% better in scuff
resistance than the flocked woven substrate with erect
substrate.
A deflection test revealed that at room
temperature, the flocked woven substrate with laid down
io flock had better drapeability than the flocked woven
substrate with erect flock by 14.2% in the warp direction
and by 37.5% in the fill direction. At freezing
temperatures of zero degrees Fahrenheit where cold flex
adhesive is used, the drapeability was also better for
f locked woven substrate with laid down f lock by 3 . 5% in the
warp direction and 29.4% in the fill direction as compared
to that of the flocked woven substrate with erect flock.
The surface of the fabric of the present invention
preferably should be smooth to readily accept print,
offering a crisp image (e. g., to provide a realistic, life
like camouflage appearance for instance). Also, the fabric
should be burr-retention resistant and capable of accepting
a print on both the front and back of the fabric and be as
lightweight as possible with the little bulk. The fabric
should be quiet, soft and drapeable and should be capable of
accepting and retaining a water repellant finish, a coating
or lamination of breathable or non-breathable waterproof
films, and an anti-bacterial finish to stop odor causing
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21 ~4~4~
bacteria from proliferating. Further, the fabric should be
washable and offer good wind and rain resistance.
Woven, knit or non-woven fabrics (without flock)
were ruled out as candidates for satisfying this criteria
because their faces have surface distortions which would
adversely affect the realism of any print applied to their
surface. Woven man-made filament fabrics definitely rustle
or make noise while the wearer moves about. The plastic
material of a poncho raincoat fits into the same category as
1o a generally noisy material when worn.
By flocking with fibers of approximately 1.0 to 5
denier and fiber lengths of approximately .025 to 0.08
inches (or longer lengths) into an acrylic or polyurethane
adhesive or other type of adhesive, a soft, quiet face is
realized. The adhesive is applied to a soft, quiet and
washable substrate such as a woven poly/cotton blend, 100%
polyester, polypropylene or nylon. A finish is applied to
this substrate that inhibits the growth of micro-organisms
which cause body odor.
2o After the flocking process, the fabric is transfer
printed upon which thermally sets the flock fibers
directionally into a flattened state to provide a clean,
clear, flat, substantially distortion-free surface. It is
on this flat surface that dyes or inks on transfer paper are
transferred to provide a desired pattern, such as a
camouflage print.
By having fibers compressed directionally into a
more solid mass, the fabric becomes more wind-resistant and
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218447
water-resistant than the woven substrate itself. This
compression and directional lay of the fiber also retards
the ability of the fabric to pick up burrs, leaves, sticks,
etc. This burr retention resistance is a significant
attribute for an outdoor fabric because most outdoor fabrics
will pick up burrs which renders them more noisy and the
burrs that attach are generally pulled off individually
since they cling or stick to the outdoor fabrics.
The look and feel of the fabric is dependent upon
1o the choice of denier and length of the flock fibers. For
fine fibers such as 1 to 2 denier and between .025 to .05
inch length, the resulting flocked fabric has a soft suede-
like hand. For coarse fibers such as 3 to 5 denier and
between .05 to .08 inch length, the resulting flocked fabric
has a coarser, velour-like hand.
Further, the fabric of the invention is drapeable
and lightweight with little bulk. The flocked woven fabric
is more abrasion-resistant than flocked foam knitted fabrics
or flock knits. Any conventional water repellent finish may
2o then added to enhance the water-resistance afforded by the
fabric.
Polyester would be selected over polycotton blends
as the fabric substrate for those applications which call
for better moisture permeability of the substrate; cotton is
an absorber of moisture. Such moisture permeability is a
desirable characteristic for outerwear apparel for hunters.
Although the preferred embodiment includes the
substrate being made of either a polycotton blend, polyester
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X184847
or polypropylene, other types of woven fabrics and blends
which are as quiet are as suitable. Such woven fabrics are
soft, rather than rough, to the touch, and preferably
brushed. The flocked woven fabric in accordance with the
invention will be somewhat quieter than brushed woven, non-
brushed woven or knitted fabrics alone because of the
compressed flock, which has no ridges on which to scratch
against bushes, trees or itself unlike the cross yarns of
brushed woven, non-brushed woven or knitted fabrics.
1o Also, for. applications calling for moisture
permeability in outerwear, the present invention includes
such fabrics which are also as moisture permeable as
polyester, which is an ideal candidate for lamination to a
breathable film to render the fabric wind-resistant and
1s waterproof. In all cases, the quiet substrate selected is
flocked and its fibers thermally set into a directional
flattened state so as to provide a substantially distortion-
free surface for transfer printing thereon.
Surprisingly, the flocked woven fabric of the
2o invention is reversible. That is, both the front and back
may be printed upon without the colors bleeding through to
affect the appearance of the other side. It seems the
adhesive, which is applied twice during the flocking
process, serves as an effective barrier against color
25 bleeding from one side to the other.
Such reversibility in lightweight outerwear is
commercially important in the hunting trade. If the front
and back have their own different camouflage pattern printed
- 32 -
~184~47
on, one pattern could be for spring or fall and the other
pattern for winter so that the outerwear is suitable for
matching the terrain in multiple seasons. If the front has
a camouflage pattern and the back has a bright orange color,
hunters will appreciate the ability to walk in and out of
the woods with the orange color facing out for safety and
reverse it so as to blend into the surrounding foliage with
the camouflage print facing out after they arrive at the
hunting area. As a consequence of the adhesive blocking the
1o bleeding through of colors in the printed pattern to the
opposite side, the lightweight outerwear of the invention is
rendered reversible so that the conventional method of
sewing together two fabrics to attain reversibility (at a
higher cost and with much more bulk) is avoided.
As shown in Fig. 4, after the flocked woven fabric
has been transfer printed, the flock may be brushed in a
conventional manner with a brush 20 so that the flock stands
up 5A rather than remain in a laid down or flattened state
5B. Brushing will change the feel and the look of the
2o fabric to some extent, but it will still have the benefit of
having been transfer printed upon so that vivid colors in
the print will still be apparent.
As shown in Fig. 5, the film 8 of Fig. 2 need not
be applied directly to the substrate 2 where the substrate
itself is sufficiently stabilized for the adhesive 4. If
desired, the film 8 may be applied instead to a conventional
lining 7, which in turn is arranged next to the substrate or
perhaps separated from the substrate by an air space 9.
- 33 -
%184~~7
Where the film 8 is applied to the lining 7, it need not be
applied on the substrate 2. The film may be breathable or
non-breathable and may be applied by spraying or using other
conventional applying techniques to secure the film to the
substrate 2 or lining 7 as desired. Some examples of films
that may be laminated onto the back of the substrate or
lining include vinyl, polyurethane and a space fabric.
For safety purposes, it may be desirable to color
the outerwear a bright fluorescent orange and yet have the
1o flock stand upright. In accordance with the invention, this
may be attained by performing the steps of flock fiber
flattening, printing on the flattened flock and then
brushing up the flattened flock.
As an alternative, these steps may be substituted
is by dyeing at least the adhesive and flock with a bright
fluorescent orange either before or after the flock is
adhered to the substrate. The flock fibers are not set into
a flattened state but remain standing upright. The woven
substrate itself may also be dyed the same color.
2o In either case, the outerwear becomes strikingly
visible and easily distinguishable visually from the
surrounding outdoor natural environment. Outerwear colored
in such a manner may be used by hunters, police, cross-walk
guards, etc., i.e., in situations where high visibility is
2s important for safety reasons and where striking contrast
with the surrounding environment is essential. That is, the
wearer does not want the color of the outerwear to blend in
with the environment when seen by other observers.
- 34 -
CA 02184847 1998-11-10
Of course, the color selected from dyeing the
outerwear may be any highly visible color, such as bright
red, green, yellow, blue, pink, etc., or any mixture
thereof. A more intense color contrast is attained with
the use of fluorescent colors. By dyeing both the flock
and the adhesive a common color, the color intensity of the
fabric when viewed from a distance is greater than would be
the case if just the adhesive and substrate were dyed.
This difference is attributed to the reflective properties
of the flock fibers. By matching the color of the dyed
adhesive, the dyed flock fibers enhance the overall color
intensity due to their added surface area and do not
detract from or dilute the color intensity effect as would
be the case if the flock were left undyed or dyed a
different color.
Fig. 6 shows a TeflonTM coating 20 added as a
water repellent finish to provide enhanced water
resistance, preferably by immersing the fabric into the
TeflonTM coating.
While the TeflonTM coating is shown on both the
outer facing side (on the printed flock) and the inner
facing side of the substrate, sufficient water resistance
is attained if it is only on the outer facing side. The
flock 5, of course, is flattened in a laid down condition
to receive the printed layer 6 and the teflon coating 20 is
applied to the flat surface. The adhesive 4 is in a cured
condition. A pre-coat adhesive 21 fills the interstices of
the woven or stabilized knit serving as the substrate and
may or may not be present in the other embodiments. The
pre-coat adhesive 21 and adhesive 4 may be combined as part
- 35 -
21~4~47
of a single pass to both fill the interstices and adhere the
f lock .
One advantage of the construction of Fig. 6 is in
water repellency. Applying the TeflonTM coating 20 directly
s to a woven substrate (without laid down flock) will not be
as effective in keeping the substrate dry as where it is
applied to a laid down flock layer that is adhered to the
substrate. Indeed, the Fig. 6 construction is capable of
passing industry storm tests even though it lacks the
to waterproof film 8 of Fig. 2. This performance in avoiding
wet-out was particularly surprising to the inventors because
usually a waterproof film is necessary in addition to Teflon
TM coating for a fabric to pass the storm test.
It appears that, by applying such a waterproof
1s film to the back side of the flattened flocked woven fabric
of the present invention that such a film will have a longer
life because it won't become as readily saturated when the
fabric becomes wet.
To improve breathabil.ity, mechanical perforations
2o may be made in the woven fabric before the flock is
flattened into its laid down condition. While the dimension
and concentration of such mechanical perforations within a
given area of the fabric may be somewhat arbitrary, bear in
mind that the greater the concentration the better the
2s breathability. The hole size should approximate that of a
needle diameter of conventional size in fabric manufacture.
Obviously, the concentration of mechanical perforations
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2~~~841
should not be so large as to destroy the integrity of the
fabric .
A warp knit, for instance, is stable in the warp
direction but not in the filling direction. A warp knit
s arises from feeding yarn from a spool through knitting
machine in one direction with the ends fed through needles
in an up and down as opposed to a circular direction as
would be the case for a circular knit. The warp knit may
become stabilized in the filling direction through
1o stitching. In so doing, it becomes transformed into a
stabilized knitted fabric and may be used as a substitute
for woven fabrics in accordance with the invention because
it is stable in both the warp and filling directions. Of
course, the knit would have to be of a construction that
15 allows the adhesive to close the interstices of the knit.
Therefore, the present invention envisions the use
of woven fabrics and stabilized knitted fabrics, both of
which may hereafter be referred to as stabilized fabrics.
As such, they avoid stretching the adhesive by such an
2o extent that would cause the adhesive to break apart or fall
apart which could lead to flock fall out.
To the extent that adhesives are commercially
available that retain their integrity and do not fall apart
when the underlying substrate is flexed, i.e., the adhesive
2s may have some level of inherent give and take to allow it to
flex with the substrate, such a substrate is to be treated
as a stabilized substrate within the meaning of the
- 37 -
21~4~47
invention although the characteristics of the adhesive are
primarily responsible for the stabilization of the fabric.
The invention also encompasses a knitted circular
knit or fleece on one side and flock on the other side with
a film in the middle. The film provides sufficient
stability to permit flocking.
To enhance breathability, mechanical perforations
may be made with a conventional needle insertion machine
that moves needles into the flocked woven or stabilized
1o knitted fabric. A 19 to 42 needle type is selected with the
goal being to obtain a hole density of approximately 800
points per square inch or better; a 32 to 36 needle type is
preferable. The lower the needle type number, the coarser
the needle.
Washing the substrate for purposes of softening
its harshness may make it acceptable for use as a stabilized
woven fabric in accordance with the invention. Such washing
may come about by hot water washing or by dyeing the
substrate; in both cases the fabric is subjected to heated
2o fluid that softens the substrate. In this regard, the same
dye color as the color of the substrate should be used to
ensure consistency of color shade when printing. For
instance, an Osnaburg woven substrate may be softened in
this manner.
An adhesive and flock is then applied; the
adhesive stiffens the fabric. If softening is desired
because the adhesive stiffened the fabric too much, the
finished fabric can be washed.
- 38 -
214847
Alternatively, the substrate may first be washed
and then have adhesives placed on it, which tend to stiffen
the fabric but it still remains soft. The fabric is then
flocked and printed before water repellency is applied.
s Thereafter, the finished product (flock and print) is washed
to get it softer.
The reason for making the fabric soft is to make
it more quiet and drapeable is so it doesn't rustle as much.
The washing involves using 100 degrees Fahrenheit water
to with a non-ionic detergent and then tumble dried. It may be
washed for two minutes with the detergent and then rinsed
with water for two minutes, followed by tumble dry for
twenty to twenty-five minutes. The tumble drying helps to
soften the fabric. This washing and tumbling drying
1s technique may be applied to any stabilized substrate,
whether woven or knit.
While the foregoing description and drawings
represent the preferred embodiments of the present
invention, it will be understood that various changes and
2o modifications may be made without departing from the spirit
and scope of the present invention.
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