Stab resistant insert with steel cords and non-woven textile

Abstract

A stab-resistant insert ( 10 ) for protective textile comprises: at least one metal layer of a fabric of metal wires or metal cords ( 12 ); at least one textile layer ( 14, 16 ) The textile layer is in contact with and is connected to the metal layer. The textile layer comprises a non-woven material ( 14, 16 ) The stab-resistant insert combines a high level of stab-resistance with a high degree of comfort.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a stab-resistant insert for protective textile. The stab-resistant insert comprises at least one metal layer and at least one textile layer. The present invention also relates to a protective textile comprising such a stab-resistant insert. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Protective textiles are becoming increasingly important as violence is increasing and is frequently taking forms as attacks on human persons with daggers and theft of luggage with knives in canvasses. [0003] Synthetic fibers such as aramid fibers and high-density high-molecular weight polyethylene fibers have proved to be suitable for bullet-resistance. With respect to stabs such as knives and daggers, however, these fibers only have a poor performance. This is due to the inherent weakness of these synthetic fibers—and of all synthetic fibers—when it comes to transversal resistance. Metal, and more particular steel, has more resistance to radial comp...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] It is another object of the present invention to provide for a material which provides both comfort and safety for protective textiles. It is also an object of the present invention to provide for interaction and synergy between metal and textile.

[0014] The use of the non-woven material which is connected to the metal layer leads to a stab resistance.

[0017] Next to the advantage of an increased stab-resistance, an additional advantage of contacting and bonding the non-woven textile layer to the metal layer is that the non-woven textile layer prevents the wires or cords in the fabric from unraveling when the metal-textile composite is cut to form a stab-resistant insert.

[0018] In a first embodiment of the present invention, the metal wires or cords are unidirectional within one single metal layer, i.e. the elongated metal elements do not cross each other. The metal elements are bonded to the non-woven material by means of an adhesive or by means of a thermoplastic film in order to decrease the likelihood of the elongated metal elements shifting towards each other. In this first embodiment, preferably more than one metal layer is provided. In the various metal layers the elongated metal elements have at least two different directions for the elongated metal elements. When a knife happens to have penetrated a first metal layer, the likelihood of being stopped in a second or subsequent metal layer increases if the second or subsequent metal layer have directions different from the direction in the first layer. Similarly, the likelihood of stopping a knife increases if the number of metal layers increases. However, the number of metal layers is limited by reasons of weight and stiffness. Up to six unidirectional metal layers are possible. Two, three and four unidirectional layers are preferable.

[0019] In a second embodiment of the present invention, at least one metal layer is multi-directional, e.g. bi-directional. This means that within one single metal layer, the elongated metal elements cross each other. This can be realized by welding or by weaving the warp and weft elongated metal elements. Preferably, the warp and weft elongated elements are woven. Preferably the warp and weft elongated elements make a right angle (90°) with each other. The non-woven material is bonded to the metal layer by means of either an adhesive or by means of a thermoplastic film or by means of stitches. This second embodiment has the drawback of having a metal layer which is somewhat stiffer than a single metal layer out of the first embodiment (unidirectional) but has the advantage that in the final insert, less metal layers are required for a same degree of stab resistance. One or two multi-directional metal layers are preferred. This reduced number of metal layers in the second embodiment may lead to more flexibility or to less weight, compared to the first embodiment.

[0020] For both the first and the second embodiment, the inventors have experienced that it is advantageous if the non-woven material comprises some parts, which penetrate between the elongated elements of the metal layer. This penetration may be realized, for example, by needle felting the non-woven material so that the fibers are no longer oriented two-dimensionally alone in the plane of the non-woven material but that some of the fibers are also oriented in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the non-woven material. In this way some of the fibers protrude out of the plane of the non-woven material to penetrate between the elongated elements. This penetration decreases the likelihood that the elongated elements shift towards each other. The presence of the adhesive or of the stitches accentuates this effect.

Problems solved by technology

With respect to stabs such as knives and daggers, however, these fibers only have a poor performance.

This is due to the inherent weakness of these synthetic fibers—and of all synthetic fibers—when it comes to transversal resistance.

Such a chain mail has the advantage of being very flexible, but has the disadvantage of having no form stability.

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