Functional fabric

Abstract

The invention provides a functional fabric which comprises a base fabric layer, a plurality of metal layers and a heat insulation layer. The base fabric layer has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The multiple metal layers are formed on the first surface of the substrate fabric layer and comprise a high-thermal-conductivity metal layer and a low-thermal-conductivity metal layer, and the heat conduction coefficient of the high-thermal-conductivity metal layer is more than five times that of the low-thermal-conductivity metal layer. The thermal insulating layer is formed on the multi-layer metal layer. Clothes made of the functional fabric have the effects of uniform temperature, rapid temperature rise and warm keeping.

Description

functional fabrics Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a functional fabric and a functional yarn, and in particular to a functional fabric and a functional yarn having both rapid temperature rise and warmth retention effects. Background Art

[0002] In conventional textile technology, a common approach to achieving warmth in clothing is to fill it with fluffy materials such as down, natural cotton, or polyester. This utilizes air's low thermal conductivity (approximately 0.025 W / m·°C) to delay heat loss and achieve the desired warmth. While this method offers excellent warmth retention, it can cause discomfort in certain situations.

[0003] Taking winter commuters as an example, as shown in Figure 3, when a commuter wears a winter coat 300 (such as a padded jacket, down jacket, or fleece jacket) and rides in a vehicle, their back typically rests against the seatback 310. Because the thermal conductivity of the winter coat 300 is very low, heat radiated from the commuter's back quickly accumulates between the seatback 310 and the commuter's back (i.e., position S1), causing discomfort such as stuffiness and sweating on the commuter's back. The front of the coat (position S2) receives air from the air conditioner, so the commuter's chest is less likely to experience stuffiness than the back. To avoid this back discomfort, the commuter must remove the winter coat before boarding the vehicle, or sit in the driver's seat with the coat on and then remove it. However, commuters sit in a vehicle, and the driver's seat is often very cramped, making it difficult to put on and take off a heavy winter coat. In other words, people either have to endure the discomfort of hot and sweaty backs during the ride, or they have to endure the inconvenience of frequently putting on and taking off winter coats.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] In light of this, the present invention proposes a functional fabric comprising a base fabric layer, a multi-layer metal layer, and a thermal insulation layer. The base fabric layer has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The multi-layer metal layer is formed on the first surface of the base fabric layer and includes a metal layer with a higher thermal conductivity and a metal layer with a lower thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity coefficient of the metal layer with a higher thermal conductivity is at least five times that of the metal layer with a lower thermal conductivity. The thermal insulation layer is formed on the multi-layer metal layer.

[0006] In some embodiments, the higher thermal conductivity metal layer of the functional fabric is located between the lower thermal conductivity metal layer and the base fabric layer.

[0007] In some embodiments, the metal layer with lower thermal conductivity of the functional fabric is located between the metal layer with higher thermal conductivity and the base fabric layer.

[0008] In some embodiments, the metal layer with higher thermal conductivity of the functional fabric is selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, brass, aluminum, and combinations thereof.

[0009] In some embodiments, the metal layer with lower thermal conductivity of the functional fabric is selected from the group consisting of barium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, nickel, germanium, tin, stainless steel, and combinations thereof.

[0010] In some embodiments, the thickness of the metal layer with higher thermal conductivity of the functional fabric is in the range of 10 nm to 1000 nm, and the thickness of the metal layer with lower thermal conductivity is in the range of 10 nm to 1000 nm. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a functional fabric according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a functional fabric according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a person wearing a winter coat and riding in a car. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic structural diagram of a functional fabric 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The functional fabric 100 includes a base fabric layer 110, a multi-layer metal layer 120, and a thermal insulation layer 130. The base fabric layer 110 has a first surface 111 and a second surface 112 opposite to the first surface 111. The multi-layer metal layer 120 is formed on the first surface 111 of the base fabric layer 110, and has at least a metal layer 121 with a higher thermal conductivity and a metal layer 122 with a lower thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity coefficient of the metal layer 121 with a higher thermal conductivity is more than 5 times that of the metal layer 122 with a lower thermal conductivity, for example, it can be in the range of 5 to 33 times. The thermal insulation layer 130 is formed on the multi-layer metal layer 120. In this embodiment, when a person wears clothing made of the functional fabric 100, the second surface 112 of the base fabric layer 110 faces the human body. Therefore, the body heat of the human body will immediately spread along the multi-layer metal layer 120 after passing through the base fabric layer 110. At the same time, it will be blocked by the insulation layer 130 in the direction perpendicular to the multi-layer metal layer 120 and will not quickly dissipate to the outside.

[0015] Continuing from the above, when a person first puts on clothing made of functional fabric 100, assuming the room temperature is 20 degrees Celsius, the base fabric layer 110 is at room temperature, and the material properties of the multi-layered metal layer 120 allow it to quickly remove body heat that passes through the base fabric layer 110. If the person's skin were in direct contact with the base fabric layer 100, the initial sensation would be similar to wearing ordinary clothing. However, due to the high thermal conductivity and low heat capacity of metal materials, when body heat is blocked by the thermal insulation layer 130 and cannot quickly dissipate perpendicular to the surface of the clothing, the temperature of the base fabric layer 110 and the multi-layered metal layer 120 will rise quickly and reach a dynamic equilibrium with the temperature of the skin surface, thereby causing the person to feel warm. It is important to emphasize that compared to traditional thermal clothing, clothing made of functional fabric 100 not only provides the same "warmth" effect, but also has the advantages of "temperature uniformity" and "rapid warming" that traditional thermal clothing lacks.

[0016] In some embodiments, base fabric layer 110 is equivalent to what is commonly known as lining fabric in the textile industry and can be made of nylon, polyethylene terephthalate, a nylon / cotton blend, or a polyester / cotton blend. Lining fabric is commonly used as the inner layer of valuable clothing, such as the inner layer of suits, coats, or trousers. Its primary function is to reduce the discomfort of direct contact between the user's skin and the texture or seams of the outer fabric, while also protecting the inner surface of the outer fabric from damage caused by friction with the skin or other clothing. The thermal insulation layer 130 itself can be a cotton-lined outer fabric, a down-filled outer fabric, or a wool outer fabric. It prevents body heat from passing through base fabric layer 110 and multi-layer metal layer 120 and being transferred to the outside world via heat conduction or convection. Because the present invention focuses on the combined properties of "uniform temperature + rapid temperature rise + heat preservation" and is not intended for use in extreme climates, thermal radiation is not within the scope of this invention.

[0017] As mentioned above, the multi-layer metal layer 120 must include at least a high-thermal conductivity metal layer 121 and a low-thermal conductivity metal layer 122. The thermal conductivity coefficient of the high-thermal conductivity metal layer 121 must be at least five times higher than that of the low-thermal conductivity metal layer 122. This is because metal materials have excellent thermal conductivity, but this thermal conductivity is non-directional (anisotropic). To achieve the combined benefits of "temperature uniformity + rapid temperature rise + heat preservation," the present invention adds a metal layer to the lining. However, if the metal layer is too thin, it can conduct too little heat per unit time, resulting in poor temperature uniformity and rapid temperature rise. Therefore, the present invention aims to add a material to the lining that exhibits "excellent in-plane thermal conductivity" but "poor in perpendicular directions." Graphite or graphene are natural materials with these properties and are commercially viable. However, due to their inherent material properties, large-scale deposition on fabric surfaces is difficult using existing process technologies, and reliable adhesion of graphite or graphene to the fabric surface is also difficult to achieve. In order to reduce the thermal conductivity of metal materials with non-directional thermal conductivity properties in the vertical direction, the present invention uses a "multi-layer metal layer" method to form at least one heterojunction in the vertical direction. This heterojunction will form a contact thermal resistance interface. When the difference in thermal conductivity coefficients of the materials on both sides of this interface is greater, the contact thermal resistance formed will be greater. In theory, the more metal layers the multi-layer metal layer 120 contains, the more heterojunctions there will be, and the greater the overall contact thermal resistance will be. However, each additional metal deposition process will consume more time and energy. Therefore, increasing the thermal conductivity coefficient of the materials on both sides of the heterojunction from the perspective of material selection will be more economical than forming multiple metal layers. Therefore, the thermal conductivity coefficients of the metal layer 121 with higher thermal conductivity and the metal layer 122 with lower thermal conductivity of the present invention must differ by more than 5 times, for example, the difference can be 5 to 33 times.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, the higher thermal conductivity metal layer 121 is located between the lower thermal conductivity metal layer 122 and the base fabric layer 110. In other words, when body heat is conducted perpendicularly to the base fabric layer 110, it first reaches the higher thermal conductivity metal layer 121, then passes through the higher thermal conductivity metal layer to the lower thermal conductivity metal layer 122. It then passes through the lower thermal conductivity metal layer 122 and is blocked by the thermal insulation layer 130. In some embodiments, the higher thermal conductivity metal layer can be selected from silver, copper, brass, and aluminum, while the lower thermal conductivity metal layer can be selected from barium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, nickel, germanium, tin, and stainless steel. In some embodiments, the thickness of the higher thermal conductivity metal layer ranges from 10 nm to 1000 nm, while the thickness of the lower thermal conductivity metal layer ranges from 10 nm to 1000 nm. In other embodiments, the thickness of the higher thermal conductivity metal layer of the functional fabric ranges from 50 nm to 500 nm, while the thickness of the lower thermal conductivity metal layer ranges from 50 nm to 250 nm.

[0019] Please refer to Figure 2, which illustrates another exemplary functional fabric 200, which also includes a base fabric layer 210, multiple metal layers 220, and a thermal insulation layer 230. Compared to functional fabric 100, the lower thermal conductivity metal layer 222 of functional fabric 200 is located between the higher thermal conductivity metal layer 221 and the base fabric layer 210. In other words, when body heat is conducted perpendicularly to the base fabric layer 210, it first reaches the lower thermal conductivity metal layer 222, then the higher thermal conductivity metal layer 221, and is then blocked by the thermal insulation layer 230.

[0020] Experimental results show that both functional fabrics 100 and 200 achieve the combined properties of "uniform temperature, rapid temperature rise, and heat preservation." Under the same simulated operating conditions, garments made with functional fabrics 100 and 200 exhibit comparable temperature gradients. However, compared to garments made with functional fabric 200, those with more sensitive skin may experience a slight cooler sensation when initially exposed to the wearer's skin. However, this slight and temporary difference in sensation quickly disappears as the functional fabric rapidly heats up.

[0021] Please refer to Figure 3 again. The present invention is particularly effective in this usage scenario. As mentioned above, when a person wears a winter coat 300 and rides in a car, the person's back is particularly prone to discomfort such as stuffiness and sweating. If the winter coat is made of the functional fabric 100 or the functional fabric 200 disclosed in the above embodiment, the heat at position S1 can be easily transferred to position S2 and then dissipated to the outside world by the blowing of the air conditioner. Therefore, the heat accumulation between the chair back 310 and the person's back (i.e., position S1) is greatly reduced, effectively improving the discomfort of the back stuffiness and sweating that passers-by have to endure when wearing winter coats while riding in the car, and also effectively improving the inconvenience caused by the frequent putting on and taking off winter coats when getting on and off the car.

[0022] As an extension of the aforementioned benefits, any localized feeling of stuffiness caused by wearing winter clothing can be alleviated by the functional fabrics 100, 200 of the present invention, which possess the combined functions of "temperature uniformity + rapid warming + heat preservation." For example, when a person wearing traditional winter clothing rides on a train with heated seats, they initially don't feel stuffy because they've just entered the warm compartment from a cold environment. However, as the ride lengthens, body heat gradually accumulates in areas of the body that come into contact with the seat, such as the buttocks and back, causing these areas to experience stuffiness. If the person instead wears winter clothing made from the functional fabrics 100, 200, this feeling of stuffiness can be effectively eliminated or alleviated.

[0023] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of the technical concepts and features of this application. Their purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of this application and implement it accordingly. They cannot be used to limit the patent scope of this application. In other words, equivalent changes or modifications made based on the spirit disclosed in this application should still be included in the scope of the patent application of this application.

[0024] Description of reference numerals and component names: 100: functional fabric 110: base fabric layer 111: first surface 112: second surface 120: multi-layer metal layer 121: metal layer with higher thermal conductivity 122: metal layer with lower thermal conductivity 130: thermal insulation layer 200: functional fabric 210: base fabric layer 211: first surface 212: second surface 220: multi-layer metal layer 221: metal layer with higher thermal conductivity 222: metal layer with lower thermal conductivity 230: thermal insulation layer 300: winter coat 310: chair back S1: position S2: position

Claims

1. A functional fabric comprising: A base fabric having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; A multi-layer metal layer is formed on the first surface of the base fabric layer, the multi-layer metal layer includes a metal layer with higher thermal conductivity and a metal layer with lower thermal conductivity, the thermal conductivity coefficient of the metal layer with higher thermal conductivity is more than 5 times the thermal conductivity coefficient of the metal layer with lower thermal conductivity; and A heat insulation layer is formed on the multi-layer metal layer.

2. The functional fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein a ratio of a thermal conductivity coefficient of the metal layer with higher thermal conductivity to a thermal conductivity coefficient of the metal layer with lower thermal conductivity is in a range of 5 to 33.

3. The functional fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metal layer with higher thermal conductivity is located between the metal layer with lower thermal conductivity and the base fabric layer. 4 . The functional fabric as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal layer with lower thermal conductivity is located between the metal layer with higher thermal conductivity and the base fabric layer.

5. The functional fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the metal layer with higher thermal conductivity is selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, brass, aluminum and combinations thereof.

6. The functional fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the metal layer with lower thermal conductivity is selected from the group consisting of barium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, nickel, germanium, tin, stainless steel and combinations thereof.

7. The functional fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the thickness of the metal layer with higher thermal conductivity is in the range of 10 nm to 1000 nm, and the thickness of the metal layer with lower thermal conductivity is in the range of 10 nm to 1000 nm.

8. The functional fabric as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the thickness of the metal layer with higher thermal conductivity is in the range of 50 nm to 250 nm, and the thickness of the metal layer with lower thermal conductivity is in the range of 50 nm to 250 nm.

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