A kind of heat and humidity comfort type weft-knitted spacer fabric based on octagonal hollow fiber and its weaving method

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of functional knitted material, in particular to a thermal-wet comfort type weft-knitted spacer fabric based on octagonal hollow fiber, which comprises an inner layer on the human body side, an outer layer on the environment side and a spacer layer arranged between the inner layer and the outer layer. The inner layer is knitted by wool yarn to form a moisture-absorbing layer, the spacer layer is knitted by cool fiber formed by blending 75D polyester fiber and 20D spandex fiber as connecting yarn, and the outer layer is knitted by 150D octagonal hollow polyester fiber to form a moisture-conducting and diffusing layer. The fabric is woven by a double needle bed computerized flat knitting machine, the connecting yarn connects the inner layer and the outer layer in a four-needle staggered cycle mode to form a three-dimensional weft-knitted spacer structure with continuous air layer. After liquid sweat is absorbed by the wool inner layer, it is transferred to the outer layer along the cool fiber spacer layer, and diffused and evaporated in the octagonal hollow polyester outer layer; the human body heat is transferred to the outer layer through the spacer layer and released. The fabric has good liquid water management ability, heat transfer ability, air permeability and thermal-wet comfort.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of functional knitted materials technology, specifically to a thermo-moisture-comfortable weft-knitted spacer fabric based on octagonal hollow fibers. Background Technology

[0002] Thermal and moisture comfort is an important indicator for evaluating the performance of clothing materials, and it is usually closely related to the fabric's ability to transfer sweat, heat, and air from the human body. During static activities, walking, exercise, and changes in ambient temperature, the human body continuously produces visible sweat, vaporous moisture, and metabolic heat. If the fabric close to the skin cannot absorb liquid sweat from the skin surface in time, or cannot effectively transfer the absorbed moisture to the environment, a humid, stuffy, and sticky microclimate environment can easily form around the skin; when the temperature drops after sweat accumulates, a cold and damp feeling may also occur against the skin. Weft-knitted spaced fabrics have upper and lower surface layers and an intermediate air layer. Their structure has a certain thickness, bulkiness, and breathability, and they have a basis for application in sportswear, functional clothing for the elderly, outdoor clothing, and other functional knitted products.

[0003] Existing knitted spacer fabrics typically use the same or similar materials for the upper and lower surfaces and connecting layers, primarily focusing on increasing fabric thickness, enhancing cushioning, and improving breathability. Some existing fabrics employ hydrophilic, moisture-wicking, or wicking finishes to improve the fabric's surface moisture diffusion capacity; however, the hydrophilic effect created by these finishing processes is easily diminished by washing, friction, or changes in the usage environment. Other fabrics use a single moisture-wicking fiber for the skin-contact layer, which, while absorbing sweat, tends to retain moisture in the inner layer. Still other fabrics use highly wicking synthetic fibers as the skin-contact layer, which can accelerate moisture migration, but its buffering and absorption capacity for sweat on the skin surface is insufficient when the body first begins to sweat. In conventional vertically connected spacer fabrics, the transmission path of the connecting yarns is short and relatively simple, limiting the diffusion range of liquid water between the inner and outer layers.

[0004] The existing technology suffers from a lack of synergistic matching in the moisture absorption, wicking, dissipation, and heat transfer properties of the various layers of the fabric. This makes it difficult to form a stable moisture-absorbing buffer zone on the skin-contact side and to construct a continuous, well-defined, and highly directional heat and moisture migration path. When the moisture-wicking fibers are improperly positioned, sweat may remain in the inner or interlayer layers, reducing dryness on the skin side. Conversely, when the outer layer's liquid water spreading capacity is insufficient, sweat transferred from the inner layer cannot quickly expand its evaporation area, affecting moisture evaporation efficiency. For elderly individuals with relatively weak thermoregulation and high skin sensitivity, clothing materials need to maintain a suitable balance between moisture wicking and heat dissipation and heat retention. Therefore, there is a need for a weft-knitted interlayer fabric with reasonable material layering, a stable structure, and continuous heat and moisture transfer channels. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a thermal and moisture-comfort weft-knitted spacer fabric based on octagonal hollow fibers, which solves the problems of easy sweat accumulation on the skin-contact side, discontinuous liquid water transfer path, insufficient diffusion and evaporation efficiency on the outer side, and limited heat transfer efficiency of existing weft-knitted spacer fabrics.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solution: a heat and moisture comfort weft-knitted spacer fabric based on octagonal hollow fiber, comprising an inner layer located on the human body side, an outer layer located on the environment side, and a spacer layer disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer;

[0007] The inner and outer layers are each formed by a weft knitting loop structure. The spacer layer includes a connecting yarn for connecting the inner and outer layers. The connecting yarn moves back and forth between the front and back needle beds and forms loops with the inner and outer layers respectively, so that the inner layer, spacer layer and outer layer constitute a three-dimensional weft knitting spacer structure with air gaps.

[0008] The inner layer is woven from wool yarn to form a moisture-absorbing layer, the spacer layer is woven from cooling fibers to form a heat and moisture transition layer, and the outer layer is woven from octagonal hollow polyester fibers to form a moisture-wicking and diffusion layer.

[0009] Liquid sweat on the human body side is absorbed by the inner layer and then transferred to the outer layer through the spacer layer. It diffuses and evaporates on the outer layer along the irregular cross-sectional structure of the octagonal hollow polyester fiber. Heat is transferred to the outer layer through the spacer layer and released to the environment.

[0010] Preferably, the inner layer is woven from wool yarn with a specification of 60 / 2, and the wool yarn forms a skin-friendly coil layer in the inner layer facing the human skin.

[0011] Preferably, the cooling fiber in the spacer layer is a composite yarn formed by blending 75D polyester fiber and 20D spandex fiber, and the composite yarn is disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer as a connecting yarn.

[0012] Preferably, the outer layer is woven from octagonal hollow polyester fibers with a specification of 150D. The cross-section of the octagonal hollow polyester fibers has eight outwardly protruding corners and hollow cavities disposed inside the fibers. The hollowness of the octagonal hollow polyester fibers is 30% to 40%.

[0013] Preferably, the fabric is woven using a double-needle-bed computerized flat knitting machine, with the front needle bed used to knit the inner layer and the back needle bed used to knit the outer layer. The cooling fiber acts as a connecting yarn, alternating loops between the front and back needle beds to form a spacer layer connecting the inner and outer layers.

[0014] Preferably, the connecting yarn is woven using a four-needle staggered loop connection method, which includes:

[0015] The connecting yarn is connected from the first needle of the front needle bed to the third needle of the rear needle bed;

[0016] The connecting yarn is connected from the second needle of the front needle bed to the fourth needle of the rear needle bed;

[0017] The connecting yarn is connected from the first needle of the back needle bed to the third needle of the front needle bed;

[0018] The connecting yarn is connected from the second needle of the back needle bed to the fourth needle of the front needle bed;

[0019] The above four connection steps are repeated cyclically to form an interlaced support connecting yarn structure between the inner and outer layers.

[0020] Preferably, the connecting yarn forms an inclined extending support section between the inner and outer layers, and a continuous air layer is formed between adjacent support sections. The contact area between the connecting yarn and the coils of the inner and outer layers constitutes a transmission path for liquid water and heat.

[0021] This invention also provides a method for preparing a thermally and moisture-comfortable weft-knitted spacer fabric based on octagonal hollow fibers, comprising the following steps:

[0022] Wool yarn, cooling fiber and octagonal hollow polyester fiber are respectively configured into the corresponding yarn feeders of the double needle bed computer flat knitting machine;

[0023] The inner loop structure is woven with wool yarn using the front needle bed, and the outer loop structure is woven with octagonal hollow polyester fiber using the back needle bed.

[0024] Cooling fibers are used as connecting yarns, and the yarns are moved and formed between the front and back needle beds in a four-needle staggered circular connection method, so that the connecting yarns alternately connect the inner and outer layers.

[0025] By continuously repeating the weaving cycle of the inner layer, outer layer, and spacer layer, a three-dimensional weft-knitted spacer fabric with an inner layer, spacer layer, and outer layer is obtained.

[0026] This invention provides a thermo- and moisture-comfortable weft-knitted spacer fabric based on octagonal hollow fibers. It has the following beneficial effects:

[0027] 1. This invention utilizes wool yarn to form the inner layer on the skin-contacting side, cooling fibers to form the intermediate spacer layer, and octagonal hollow polyester fibers to form the outer layer on the environmental side, creating a gradient functional structure that sequentially performs moisture absorption and buffering, heat and moisture transfer, and diffusion evaporation from the human body side to the environmental side. The wool inner layer absorbs the initial liquid sweat on the skin surface, reducing sweat accumulation on the skin side; the cooling fiber connecting yarn transfers the moisture absorbed by the inner layer and body heat to the outside; the octagonal hollow polyester outer layer promotes the lateral spread and evaporation of liquid water through the capillary grooves formed by the octagonal cross-section and the hollow fiber structure, thereby improving the fabric's one-way moisture wicking capacity and overall thermal and moisture comfort.

[0028] 2. This invention uses a double-needle-bed computerized flat knitting machine to simultaneously knit the inner layer, outer layer, and spacer layer. The cooling fiber connecting yarn is moved in a four-needle interlaced loop between the front and back needle beds, creating an interlaced support structure and continuous air gaps between the inner and outer layers. This interlaced connection structure increases the contact area between the connecting yarn and the upper and lower surfaces, allowing liquid water to migrate from the inner layer to the outer layer along multiple inclined transmission paths. Body heat can also be transferred to the environment via the connecting yarn. The three-dimensional air layer imparts a certain degree of bulkiness, breathability, and basic thermal insulation to the fabric, achieving a balance between moisture-wicking and heat dissipation and warmth retention.

[0029] 3. This invention incorporates 150D octagonal hollow polyester fibers into the outer layer of a fabric, allowing it to directly face the environment and fully leveraging the octagonal cross-section and hollow cavities to promote moisture diffusion and heat release. Liquid sweat transferred from the spacer layer to the outer layer can rapidly diffuse along the fiber surface, corner grooves, and inter-fiber pores, increasing the evaporation area. The cooling fibers, acting as connecting yarns, form continuous heat transfer channels, enabling rapid heat transfer from the skin-contact side to the outer surface. This material layer configuration does not rely on complex chemical finishing processes and can be prepared through a one-step weft knitting process, exhibiting good structural stability and production adaptability. It is suitable for functional clothing for the elderly, sportswear, outdoor functional clothing, and close-fitting knitted products. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the weft-knitted spacer fabric of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the heat and moisture transfer process of the weft-knitted spacer fabric of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 3 These are thermal images of Embodiment 1 and Comparative Example 1 during the infrared thermal response test process of the present invention.

[0033] Among them, 1. Inner layer; 2. Spacer layer; 3. Outer layer. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] Example 1:

[0036] like Figure 1As shown, this embodiment provides a thermal and moisture-comfort weft-knitted spacer fabric based on octagonal hollow fiber, which includes an inner layer 1, a spacer layer 2, and an outer layer 3.

[0037] The inner layer 1 is located on the skin-contact side of the fabric and is woven from 60 / 2 wool yarn. The 60 / 2 wool yarn is continuously looped through the front needle bed, forming a wool skin-contact layer with a weft-knitted loop structure. Wool fibers are distributed on the inner surface of the fabric, in contact with human skin. Wool fibers have a natural crimp shape, forming tiny gaps between the fibers that can absorb liquid sweat produced on the skin side; after sweat enters the wool yarn and the gaps between the fibers, it is temporarily buffered within the yarn structure, reducing the area of ​​liquid sweat directly remaining on the skin surface.

[0038] The outer layer 3 is located on the environmental side of the fabric and is woven from 150D octagonal hollow polyester fibers. The 150D octagonal hollow polyester fibers are continuously looped through the back needle bed to form an environmental side weft knitting loop structure. This octagonal hollow polyester fiber has an octagonal irregular cross-section, forming multiple corners and grooves on the outer periphery of the fiber; the fiber interior has hollow cavities, with a hollowness ratio controlled at approximately 35%. After receiving liquid water from the spacer layer 2, the outer layer 3 utilizes the capillary grooves formed by the fiber cross-section and the pores between fibers to allow the liquid water to diffuse along the outer layer plane and evaporate through airflow on the environmental side.

[0039] Spacer layer 2 is woven from cooling fibers, a blend of 75D polyester and 20D spandex. These cooling fibers act as connecting yarns, alternating loops between the front and back needle beds. These connecting yarns do not form a completely flat layer that adheres to either the inner or outer layer, nor do they use a single vertical connection; instead, they form staggered support paths along the fabric thickness. This creates an air gap with a certain spatial height between inner layer 1 and outer layer 3.

[0040] This embodiment uses a double-needle-bed computerized flat knitting machine for weaving. The specific steps are as follows:

[0041] 60 / 2 wool yarn is installed in the yarn feeder for knitting the front needle bed loops, 150D octagonal hollow polyester fiber is installed in the yarn feeder for knitting the back needle bed loops, and a cooling fiber formed by blending 75D polyester fiber and 20D spandex fiber is installed in the connecting yarn feeder. According to the fabric design requirements, the front and back needle bed positions, fabric warp density, fabric weft density, loop length, tension parameters, and connecting yarn transfer program are set in the computerized flat knitting machine control system to ensure that the inner layer, outer layer, and spacer layer are formed synchronously in the same weaving process.

[0042] The front needle bed is continuously looped with 60 / 2 wool yarn to form the inner layer 1. During knitting, the wool yarn forms continuous loops along the transverse direction of the fabric, resulting in a uniform wool fiber coverage on the inner layer surface. The back needle bed is continuously looped with 150D octagonal hollow polyester fiber to form the outer layer 3, ensuring that the octagonal hollow polyester fiber is evenly distributed on the fabric's environmental side.

[0043] As the inner and outer layers are formed, the cooling fibers are connected between the front and back needle beds using a four-needle staggered cycle. One four-needle staggered cycle includes: the connecting yarn moving from the first stitch of the front needle bed to the third stitch of the back needle bed; the connecting yarn moving from the second stitch of the front needle bed to the fourth stitch of the back needle bed; the connecting yarn moving from the first stitch of the back needle bed to the third stitch of the front needle bed; and the connecting yarn moving from the second stitch of the back needle bed to the fourth stitch of the front needle bed. After completing one cycle, the same pattern is continued.

[0044] Through the above weaving method, the connecting yarns form an interlaced, inclined support structure between the inner layer 1 and the outer layer 3. A continuous air layer is formed between adjacent connecting yarns, which keeps the inner and outer layers spaced apart. The inclined path of the connecting yarns increases the extension length of the connecting yarns in space and the contact area with the inner and outer layer coils, allowing liquid water entering the spacer layer from the inner layer to migrate to the outer layer along multiple interlaced directions.

[0045] After weaving is completed, the fabric is placed in a natural state for relaxation treatment to eliminate weaving tension; then conventional shaping treatment is performed to keep the loop shape, width and three-dimensional spacing structure of the fabric stable; after drying, the three-dimensional weft-knitted spacer fabric of this embodiment is obtained.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the heat and moisture transfer process of the fabric in this embodiment is as follows: After liquid sweat is produced on the human body surface, the sweat comes into contact with the inner layer 1, and the wool fibers in the inner layer 1 absorb part of the sweat. The water absorbed by the wool fibers moves towards the thickness of the fabric under the capillary action between the yarns, reaching the spacer layer 2 composed of cooling fibers. Due to the interlaced connecting yarns in the spacer layer 2, the sweat can migrate to the outer layer 3 along multiple connecting yarn channels. Human body heat is also transferred to the outer layer 3 through the inner layer 1 and the spacer layer 2. After the liquid water reaches the outer layer 3, it diffuses in the corners, grooves, and gaps between the octagonal hollow polyester fibers, forming a large water spreading area, and evaporates into the ambient air.

[0047] Example 2

[0048] This embodiment provides another heat and moisture comfort weft-knitted spacer fabric based on octagonal hollow fibers. The overall fabric structure, spacer layer material, outer layer material, connection method, and weaving equipment of this embodiment are the same as those of Embodiment 1, the difference being the specification of the wool yarn used in the inner layer.

[0049] In this embodiment, the inner layer is woven from 48-count wool yarn. The 48-count wool yarn is continuously looped on the front needle bed of a double-needle-bed computerized flat knitting machine to form the inner layer that touches the skin. The spacer layer is still made of a cooling fiber blended from 75D polyester fiber and 20D spandex fiber, and the outer layer is still made of 150D octagonal hollow polyester fiber.

[0050] During weaving, 48-count wool yarn is woven on the front needle bed, and 150D octagonal hollow polyester fiber is woven on the back needle bed. Cooling fiber is used as connecting yarn in a four-needle staggered loop connection process. The connecting yarn is sequentially transferred and looped from the first stitch of the front needle bed to the third stitch of the back needle bed, from the second stitch of the front needle bed to the fourth stitch of the back needle bed, from the first stitch of the back needle bed to the third stitch of the front needle bed, and from the second stitch of the back needle bed to the fourth stitch of the front needle bed, forming interlayers in a loop. All layers are woven synchronously, eliminating the need for post-weaving bonding.

[0051] The inner layer, composed of 48-count wool yarn, is also located on the human side, responsible for absorbing and buffering liquid sweat from the skin; the spacer layer, composed of cooling fibers, provides a path for heat and moisture transfer; and the outer layer, made of octagonal hollow polyester, facilitates the diffusion and evaporation of liquid water. This embodiment demonstrates that, while maintaining the layer structure of the cooling fiber spacer layer and the octagonal hollow polyester outer layer, weft-knitted spacer fabrics with gradient heat and moisture transfer functions can be prepared by adjusting the wool yarn specifications.

[0052] Example 3

[0053] This embodiment provides a weft-knitted spacer fabric using cotton yarn as the skin-adhesive layer material, to illustrate the adaptation method of the three-dimensional weft-knitted spacer structure of the present invention to different natural fiber skin-adhesive layers.

[0054] This embodiment includes an inner layer, a spacer layer, and an outer layer. The inner layer is formed by knitting cotton yarn through the front needle bed; the spacer layer is formed by a cooling fiber made of a blend of 75D polyester fiber and 20D spandex fiber, with the cooling fiber serving as a connecting yarn; the outer layer is formed by knitting 150D octagonal hollow polyester fiber through the back needle bed.

[0055] During the weaving process, cotton yarn forms the inner layer loops on the front needle bed, while octagonal hollow polyester fibers form the outer layer loops on the back needle bed. The cooling fibers are connected in a four-needle staggered cycle between the front and back needle beds: the connecting yarn connects from the first needle of the front needle bed to the third needle of the back needle bed; the connecting yarn connects from the second needle of the front needle bed to the fourth needle of the back needle bed; the connecting yarn connects from the first needle of the back needle bed to the third needle of the front needle bed; and the connecting yarn connects from the second needle of the back needle bed to the fourth needle of the front needle bed. By repeating this connection cycle, a three-dimensional space supported by the staggered connecting yarns is formed between the inner and outer layers.

[0056] In this embodiment, the inner layer made of cotton yarn can absorb liquid sweat from the skin-contact side, the cooling fiber spacer layer can transfer moisture and heat to the outer layer, and the octagonal hollow polyester outer layer can diffuse the moisture transferred to the outer layer laterally. This embodiment illustrates that the three-layer spacer structure of the present invention can be used in conjunction with different natural fiber inner layers, but using wool yarn as the inner layer is more conducive to achieving a combination of moisture absorption and cushioning, skin-contact gentleness, and heat and moisture regulation.

[0057] Comparative Example 1:

[0058] The fabric of Comparative Example 1 was woven using the same double-needle bed computerized flat knitting machine as Example 1, the same four-needle interlacing cycle connection method, and similar fabric structure parameters. The difference from Example 1 was that Comparative Example 1 changed the layer configuration of the cooling fiber and the octagonal hollow polyester fiber: the octagonal hollow polyester fiber was used as the spacer layer connecting yarn, the cooling fiber was used as the outer layer, and the wool yarn remained as the inner layer.

[0059] In Comparative Example 1, octagonal hollow polyester fibers are used as connecting yarns between the front and back needle beds to interweave the inner and outer layers, while cooling fibers form the environmental side outer layer on the back needle bed.

[0060] Comparative Example 2:

[0061] Comparative Example 2 uses flax fiber as the spacer layer connecting material, cool-feeling fiber as the outer layer material, and wool yarn as the inner layer material. Flax fiber forms a spacer support structure between the front and back needle beds, while cool-feeling fiber forms an outer loop structure on the back needle bed.

[0062] The purpose of this comparative example is to study the influence of different combinations of spacer and outer layer materials on the heat and moisture transfer performance of weft-knitted spacer fabrics, and to compare and analyze it with Example 1.

[0063] Liquid water management test:

[0064] The MMT liquid moisture management tester was used to test Examples 1, 2, 3, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2. The test conditions conformed to AATCC 195 standards. The test results are shown in Table 1.

[0065] Table 1. Test results of the Liquid Moisture Management Tester (MMT)

[0066] Example 1 8.705 53.072 7.182 71.2425 5 20 0.5622 1.5508 453.4689 0.716 Example 2 14.04 12.917 3.8906 55.3595 5 15 0.3514 3.4091 330.0224 0.749 Example 3 11.794 53.633 6.0207 32.6239 5 20 0.4141 1.3529 447.1714 0.5923 Comparative Example 1 9.173 48.486 6.5679 197.7766 5 15 0.5341 1.5733 276.5517 0.6606 Comparative Example 2 7.301 120 5.2503 0 5 0 0.6677 0 -8.0533 0.0466

[0067] Table 1 shows that the liquid water transfer performance varies significantly among different fabric structures. Specifically, Example 1 exhibits an Overall Liquid Water Management Capability (OMMC) of 0.716 and a cumulative unidirectional transfer capacity of 453.4689%. This indicates that the layer design—comprising a wool inner layer, a cooling fiber spacer layer, and an octagonal hollow polyester fiber outer layer—effectively promotes the directional transfer of liquid water from the skin-contact layer to the outer layer, facilitating rapid diffusion and evaporation, thus demonstrating good thermo-humidity control capabilities.

[0068] In Example 2, while maintaining the same layer structure, the inner layer yarn was adjusted to 48-count wool. Its overall liquid water management capability (OMMC) reached 0.749, slightly higher than that of Example 1, and the cumulative unidirectional transfer capability was 330.0224%. Both Examples 1 and 2 showed excellent liquid water management performance, indicating that under different wool yarn specifications, the layer structure proposed in this invention can still maintain good liquid moisture management performance and has good applicability and stability.

[0069] Example 3 uses cotton yarn as the inner layer, with an OMMC of 0.5923 and a cumulative unidirectional moisture transfer capacity of 447.1714%. Although the overall liquid water management capacity is lower than that of Examples 1 and 2, it still maintains a high unidirectional moisture wicking capacity, indicating that the structural design proposed in this invention is not only applicable to wool yarn, but also to natural fiber materials such as cotton yarn, and has a certain degree of universality.

[0070] Compared to Example 1, Comparative Example 1 altered the layer configuration of the cooling fiber and the octagonal hollow fiber, resulting in a decrease in the cumulative unidirectional water transfer capacity to 276.5517% and a reduction in OMMC to 0.6606. This indicates that when the octagonal hollow fiber serves as the connecting layer and the cooling fiber as the outer layer, the continuous moisture-wicking channels within the fabric are affected, leading to a decrease in the directional transfer capacity of liquid water from the inner layer to the outer layer. This further demonstrates the significant advantages of the layer configuration proposed in this invention.

[0071] Comparative Example 2, using flax fiber as the spacer layer and cooling fiber as the outer layer, exhibited bottom layer water absorption rate, maximum wetting radius, and liquid water diffusion rate all approaching zero. Its cumulative unidirectional water transfer capacity was only -8.0533%, and its overall liquid water management capacity (OMMC) was only 0.0466, significantly lower than the examples. This indicates that different material combinations have a significant impact on the liquid water transfer performance of fabrics. Using flax fiber as the spacer layer makes it difficult to form continuous and effective moisture-wicking channels, hindering the migration of liquid water to the outer layer of the fabric.

[0072] In summary, by using wool as the skin-contact layer, cooling fibers as the interlayer, and octagonal hollow fibers as the outer layer, this invention can establish a continuous and stable liquid water transport path, allowing sweat to be quickly transferred from the skin-contact layer to the outer layer and diffused and evaporated. This improves the fabric's one-way moisture-wicking ability and overall liquid water management performance, achieving excellent thermal and humidity comfort.

[0073] Thermal response performance test:

[0074] To evaluate the heat transfer performance of the fabric of the present invention, Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were selected for infrared thermal response testing. The testing equipment used a Bangyuan-BY515 intelligent constant temperature heating stage as a constant temperature heat source, and a UTi-120S infrared thermal imager was used to collect the temperature change process of the fabric surface in real time.

[0075] During the test, the temperature of the constant-temperature heating platform was set to 35.5℃. After the platform temperature stabilized, the fabrics from Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were laid flat on the surface of the constant-temperature heating platform, ensuring uniform contact between the fabrics and the platform. An infrared thermal imager captured real-time images of the fabric surface, and the infrared analysis software avoided the exposed areas of the platform, selecting only the fabric surface area as the temperature measurement area. The average temperature of the fabric surface was recorded at heating start time (0s), heating start time (60s), heating start time (120s), and heating start time (300s). The test results are shown in Table 2.

[0076] Table 2 Infrared thermal response test results

[0077] Example 1 30.9℃ 32℃ 33.1℃ 33.5℃ Comparative Example 1 30℃ 31.3℃ 31.5℃ 32.4℃

[0078] As shown in Table 2, the average surface temperature of the fabric in Example 1 was higher than that in Comparative Example 1 at 0s, 60s, 120s, and 300s. The surface temperature of Example 1 increased from 30.9℃ to 33.5℃, while the surface temperature of Comparative Example 1 increased from 30.0℃ to 32.4℃.

[0079] Example 1 uses cooling fibers as a spacer layer connecting yarn. These fibers form a continuous, interwoven heat transfer path between the inner and outer layers, allowing heat to be transferred from the skin-contact side to the octagonal hollow polyester outer layer. The irregular hollow structure of the octagonal hollow polyester fibers in the outer layer promotes heat diffusion. Comparative Example 1, which uses octagonal hollow polyester fibers in the connecting layer and cooling fibers in the outer layer, shows a lower thermal response efficiency on the outer surface compared to Example 1. The test results indicate that the layer configuration of a wool inner layer, a cooling fiber spacer layer, and an octagonal hollow polyester outer layer helps improve the fabric's thermal transfer response.

[0080] Combination Figure 3In Example 1, the fabric is heated more thoroughly during the heating process, resulting in a continuous surface temperature distribution. In contrast, the comparative example, due to the use of octagonal hollow fibers as a connecting layer, has relatively low heat transfer efficiency, leading to a smaller temperature rise on the outer surface of the fabric. Therefore, the layer structure design of the wool inner layer - cooling fiber spacer layer - octagonal hollow outer layer proposed in this invention can establish a more efficient heat transfer path and improve the thermal response capability of the fabric.

[0081] MMT test results show that the fabric of the embodiment has high unidirectional liquid water transfer capability and comprehensive liquid water management capability, and sweat can be quickly transferred from the wool skin-contact layer to the outer layer for evaporation. Further infrared thermal response testing shows that the use of cooling fibers as interlayer connecting yarns in this invention can establish a continuous heat transfer channel, allowing heat to be quickly transferred from the skin-contact layer to the outer surface of the fabric. Octagonal hollow fibers as the outer layer further promote heat diffusion on the fabric surface, improving thermal response efficiency. Therefore, this invention, through layer design, achieves a synergistic effect of rapid moisture transfer and efficient heat transfer, giving the fabric both excellent moisture-wicking properties and thermal response performance, thereby improving overall thermal and moisture comfort.

[0082] In summary, this invention, through the synergistic design of a wool moisture-absorbing and heat-absorbing layer, a cool-feeling fiber moisture-wicking and heat-conducting layer, and an octagonal hollow fiber moisture-dissipating and heat-dissipating layer, constructs a weft-knitted spacer fabric with gradient moisture-wicking and heat-moisture regulation functions. This effectively improves the thermal and moisture comfort performance of the fabric and has good practical value and promotion prospects.

[0083] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A thermo-moisture-comfort weft-knitted spacer fabric based on octagonal hollow fibers, characterized in that, It includes an inner layer located on the human body side, an outer layer located on the environment side, and a spacer layer disposed between the inner and outer layers; The inner and outer layers are each formed by a weft knitting loop structure. The spacer layer includes a connecting yarn for connecting the inner and outer layers. The connecting yarn moves back and forth between the front and back needle beds and forms loops with the inner and outer layers respectively, so that the inner layer, spacer layer and outer layer constitute a three-dimensional weft knitting spacer structure with air gaps. The inner layer is woven from wool yarn to form a moisture-absorbing layer, the spacer layer is woven from cooling fibers to form a heat and moisture transition layer, and the outer layer is woven from octagonal hollow polyester fibers to form a moisture-wicking and diffusion layer. Liquid sweat on the human body side is absorbed by the inner layer and then transferred to the outer layer through the spacer layer. It diffuses and evaporates on the outer layer along the irregular cross-sectional structure of the octagonal hollow polyester fiber. Heat is transferred to the outer layer through the spacer layer and released to the environment.

2. The thermo-moisture-comfort weft-knitted spacer fabric based on octagonal hollow fibers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner layer is woven from wool yarn with a specification of 60 / 2, and the wool yarn forms a skin-friendly coil layer in the inner layer facing the human skin.

3. The thermo-moisture-comfort weft-knitted spacer fabric based on octagonal hollow fibers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling fiber in the spacer layer is a composite yarn formed by blending 75D polyester fiber and 20D spandex fiber, and the composite yarn is set as a connecting yarn between the inner layer and the outer layer.

4. The thermo-moisture-comfort weft-knitted spacer fabric based on octagonal hollow fibers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer layer is woven from octagonal hollow polyester fibers with a specification of 150D. The cross-section of the octagonal hollow polyester fibers has eight outwardly protruding corners and hollow cavities disposed inside the fibers. The hollowness of the octagonal hollow polyester fibers is 30% to 40%.

5. A thermo-moisture-comfort weft-knitted spacer fabric based on octagonal hollow fibers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fabric is woven on a double-needle-bed computerized flat knitting machine. The front needle bed is used to knit the inner layer, and the back needle bed is used to knit the outer layer. The cooling fiber is used as a connecting yarn and is alternately transferred between the front and back needle beds to form a spacer layer connecting the inner and outer layers.

6. A thermo-moisture-comfort weft-knitted spacer fabric based on octagonal hollow fibers according to claim 5, characterized in that, The connecting yarn is woven using a four-needle staggered loop connection method, which includes: The connecting yarn is connected from the first needle of the front needle bed to the third needle of the rear needle bed; The connecting yarn is connected from the second needle of the front needle bed to the fourth needle of the rear needle bed; The connecting yarn is connected from the first needle of the back needle bed to the third needle of the front needle bed; The connecting yarn is connected from the second needle of the back needle bed to the fourth needle of the front needle bed; The above four connection steps are repeated cyclically to form an interlaced support connecting yarn structure between the inner and outer layers.

7. A thermo-moisture-comfortable weft-knitted spacer fabric based on octagonal hollow fibers according to claim 5, characterized in that, The connecting yarn forms an inclined support section between the inner and outer layers, and a continuous air layer is formed between adjacent support sections. The contact area between the connecting yarn and the coils of the inner and outer layers constitutes a transmission path for liquid water and heat.

8. A method for preparing a thermo-moisture-comfortable weft-knitted spacer fabric based on octagonal hollow fibers according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Wool yarn, cooling fiber and octagonal hollow polyester fiber are respectively configured into the corresponding yarn feeders of the double needle bed computer flat knitting machine; The inner loop structure is woven with wool yarn using the front needle bed, and the outer loop structure is woven with octagonal hollow polyester fiber using the back needle bed. Cooling fibers are used as connecting yarns, and the yarns are moved and formed between the front and back needle beds in a four-needle staggered circular connection method, so that the connecting yarns alternately connect the inner and outer layers. By continuously repeating the weaving cycle of the inner layer, outer layer, and spacer layer, a three-dimensional weft-knitted spacer fabric with an inner layer, spacer layer, and outer layer is obtained.

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