Fabric and clothing made from it

Abstract

To provide a fabric and clothing made from it that quickly absorbs moisture, dries quickly, does not cause stickiness or discomfort from sweating, has a soft feel like natural fibers, and has a long-lasting cooling effect. [Solution] The material comprises a surface layer (2), a back layer (3), and an intermediate layer (4). The surface layer (2) is composed of surface yarns (20) containing hydrophilic fiber yarns, the intermediate layer (4) is composed of connecting yarns (40) made of water-absorbing fiber yarns, and the back layer (3) is composed of back yarns (30) made of fiber yarns in which water-absorbing fiber yarns are coated with water-non-water-absorbing fibers. The intermediate layer (4) is positioned between the surface layer (2) and the back layer (3), and the connecting yarns (40) constituting the intermediate layer (4) connect the surface yarns (20) constituting the surface layer (2) and the back yarns (30) constituting the back layer (3), forming an integral structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fabric with excellent quick-drying property and good texture, and clothing using such a fabric.

Background Art

[0002] Sweating during exercise, work, or in high-temperature conditions makes the clothes wet with the perspiration, sticky, and cling to the body, which is very uncomfortable and may even require a change of clothes. To eliminate such discomfort during sweating, various methods have been adopted. Generally, using antiperspirants to suppress sweating or wiping the sticky body with a wet towel for sweating are simple methods. However, in recent years, there has been an increasing use of clothing such as quick-drying shirts and dry shirts that can quickly dry sweat and moisture, do not cling to the skin, and can be worn comfortably.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-200452 discloses "a knitted fabric for a running shirt made of a mesh-shaped knitted fabric in which 50% by weight or more of the yarns are composed of a multi-layer spun yarn in which hollow polyester staple fibers having a hollowness of 10 to 40% are arranged in the core part and cellulose-based staple fibers are arranged in the sheath part, and the ratio of the area of the through holes in the mesh part is 20 to 70%." A running shirt using this fabric is lightweight and has excellent breathability, so it is difficult to feel discomfort due to sweating and training can be continued in a comfortable situation.

[0004] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-131915 also discloses "a clothing fabric having through holes penetrating in the thickness direction of the fabric, the through holes being arranged in one direction of the fabric, and at least a part of the through holes being in contact with a water-repellent or hydrophobic region and other parts being in contact with a hydrophilic region." According to this clothing fabric, it is possible to ensure the breathability of the fabric while having water absorption, increase the effective sweating amount by constantly vaporizing the sweat on the skin on the body surface, not reduce the exercise performance, and expect the effect of being able to be worn comfortably even during sweating.

Prior Art Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-200452 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-131915 [Disclosure of the Invention] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] The knitted fabric described in Patent Document 1 is a mesh-like knitted fabric. While clothing made from this fabric is ideal for wearing during training such as running, it is difficult to wear in situations other than exercise and is not suitable for everyday wear. Furthermore, the garment fabric described in Patent Document 2 is a fabric having through-holes that penetrate in the thickness direction, and these through-holes are arranged in one direction of the fabric. While it has excellent breathability and is suitable for exercise that causes heavy sweating, sweat tends to flow vertically and has low water absorption, raising doubts about its evaporative cooling effect, and there is a problem that the texture is uncomfortable to the touch and cannot be eliminated when wearing it for extended periods.

[0007] In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a fabric that has a natural feel, is highly quick-drying, and has high moisture absorption and retention capabilities, as well as clothing made from this fabric, making it suitable not only for training wear during exercise but also for clothing worn in daily life. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The following is a configuration example that illustrates in detail the features of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems. For clarity, the reference numerals used in the drawings of the embodiments described later are also included. In other words, the characteristics of the fabric according to the present invention and the garment made using that fabric are as follows. [1] A fabric comprising a surface layer (2), a back layer (3), and an intermediate layer (4), wherein the surface layer (2) is composed of surface yarns (20) containing hydrophilic fiber yarns, the intermediate layer (4) is composed of connecting yarns (40) made of water-absorbing fiber yarns, the back layer (3) is composed of back yarns (30) made of fiber yarns in which water-absorbing fiber yarns are coated with water-non-water-absorbing fibers, the intermediate layer (4) is arranged between the surface layer (2) and the back layer (3), and the connecting yarns (40) constituting the intermediate layer (4) are formed integrally by connecting the surface yarns (20) constituting the surface layer (2) and the back yarns (30) constituting the back layer (3).

[0009] [2] The hydrophilic fiber yarn contained in the surface yarn (20) is characterized in that it is a fiber yarn selected from rayon yarn, a rayon-cotton blend yarn, or a cupro-cotton blend yarn. [3] The water-absorbing fiber yarn constituting the connecting yarn (40) is characterized in that it is a yarn with an irregular cross-section.

[0010] [4] The backing yarn (30) is characterized in that it consists of a fiber yarn that has a polyester fiber yarn or acrylic fiber yarn as the core material as a water-absorbing fiber yarn, and the outer periphery is coated with a fiber yarn made of a mixture of polyester and silicon dioxide aerogel as a non-water-absorbing fiber to form the outer layer.

[0011] [5] The non-absorbent fibers constituting the outer layer of the fiber yarn constituting the backing yarn (30) are characterized in that the fiber yarn is a mixture of polyester with silicon dioxide aerogel at a concentration of 0.3 to 1.0%.

[0012] [6] The surface layer (2), the back layer (3), and the intermediate layer (4) are laminated by circular knitting.

[0013] [7] The overall thickness is 0.5 to 3.0 mm.

[0014] [8] A garment characterized by using at least a part of the fabric described in any one of [1] to [7] above.

[0015] The present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration and the configuration of the examples described in the embodiments described below, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, moisture absorption is rapid, it has excellent quick-drying property and is difficult to get wet, there is no stickiness or discomfort due to sweating, it has the soft texture of natural fibers, and the sustainability of the cooling effect is high, so a comfortable wearing feeling can be maintained.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] Cross-sectional view for explaining the entire fabric in an example of the fabric according to the present invention [Figure 2] Schematic diagram for explaining the functions of the surface layer yarn, back layer yarn and connecting yarn in an example of the fabric according to the present invention [Figure 3] Drawing for detailed explanation of the connecting yarn in an example of the fabric according to the present invention [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view for explaining the back layer yarn of the fabric according to the present invention [Figure 5] Cross-sectional image diagram showing an example of the back layer yarn of the fabric according to the present invention

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Modes for carrying out the fabric according to the present invention and clothes using this fabric will be described based on the drawings of the examples. FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining the entire fabric in an example of the fabric according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is the fabric, 2 is the surface layer, 20 is the surface layer yarn, 3 is the back surface layer, 30 is the back layer yarn, 4 is the intermediate layer, and 40 is the connecting yarn.

[0019] In the form of the entire fabric according to the embodiment of the fabric of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, the fabric 1 includes a surface layer 2, a back layer 3, and an intermediate layer 4. The surface layer 2 is composed of surface layer yarns 20, the back layer 3 is composed of back layer yarns 30, and the intermediate layer 4 is disposed between the surface layer 2 and the back layer 3 and is composed of connecting yarns 40 that connect the surface layer yarns 20 constituting the surface layer 2 and the back layer yarns 30 constituting the back layer 3. By connecting the connecting yarns 40, the surface layer 2, the back layer 3, and the intermediate layer 4 are integrally formed to constitute the fabric 1.

[0020] The figure shown in FIG. 1 emphasizes the intermediate layer 4 to assist in understanding the structure of the fabric 1. However, in the fabric 1, the surface layer yarns 20 of the surface layer 2 and the back layer yarns 30 of the back layer 3 are connected by the connecting yarns 40 of the intermediate layer 4 to constitute a single fabric. The front surface of the single fabric constitutes the surface layer 2, and the back surface constitutes the back layer 3. When making clothes with this fabric, the back layer 3 becomes the surface that touches the skin. Therefore, when the fabric 1 is formed by circular knitting, the front yarn is the surface layer yarn 20, the back yarn is the back layer yarn 30, and the intermediate yarn for knitting the front yarn and the back yarn constitutes the connecting yarn 40. In this embodiment, the fabric 1 may be produced by separately manufacturing the surface layer 2 and the back layer 3 and then hand-sewing or machine-sewing them with an intermediate yarn, or may be produced by circular knitting with a circular knitting machine. The fabric 1 may be a woven fabric or a knitted fabric. As the woven fabric, plain weave, twill weave, double weave, multi-layer weave, pile weave, interlaced weave, etc. can be selected. As the knitted fabric, circular knitting, plain knitting, double-sided knitting, warp knitting, weft knitting, pile knitting, etc. can be selected. It is possible to appropriately select according to the use of the clothes manufactured using the fabric according to the present invention. That is, the fabric 1 according to the present invention appears such that the surface layer yarns 20 are the main constituent yarns in the surface layer 2 and the back layer yarns 30 are the main constituent yarns in the back layer 3. As long as each layer can exhibit its function by the main constituent yarns and the connecting yarns 40 can also exhibit their functions, any structure that connects the surface layer yarns 20 and the back layer yarns 30 may be used.

[0021] A key feature of the fabric 1 according to the present invention is that the surface layer 2 is composed of surface yarns 20 containing hydrophilic fiber yarns, the intermediate layer 4 is composed of connecting yarns 40 containing water-absorbing fiber yarns, and the back layer 3 is composed of back yarns 30 in which water-absorbing fiber yarns are coated with non-water-absorbing fibers.

[0022] [Regarding the surface yarns that make up the surface layer] Figure 2 shows the functions of the surface yarn, back yarn, and connecting yarn in an embodiment of the fabric according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, in the fabric 1 according to the invention, the surface layer 2 has the function of absorbing moisture from the back layer 3 side and moving it to the surface layer 2, storing the absorbed moisture, and diffusing it laterally within the surface layer 2. For this reason, the surface layer 2 is composed of surface yarn 20 containing hydrophilic fiber yarn. Hydrophilic fiber yarns are fibers that are easily absorbed by water and have high water absorption and moisture absorption properties. Examples include natural fibers such as cotton and linen, regenerated fibers such as rayon, cupro, and lyocell, and semi-synthetic fibers such as acetate. In the present invention, the hydrophilic fiber yarn included in the surface yarn 20 is preferably a fiber yarn selected from rayon yarn, a rayon-cotton blend yarn, or a cupro-cotton blend yarn.

[0023] In this embodiment, the surface yarn 20 is made of a fiber yarn blended with cotton and modal (registered trademark), a regenerated fiber made from wood pulp, which is rayon. As a result, the surface layer 2 not only has water absorption but also a silky softness and luster, is lightweight, durable, environmentally friendly, and forms a fabric 1 that feels good against the skin. Similar effects can be expected from yarns made solely of rayon, or a blend of cupro and cotton, which are also suitable.

[0024] By using hydrophilic fibers for the surface yarn 20, moisture (sweat) generated on the skin side and absorbed by the back layer 3 is absorbed by the surface yarn 20 and stored in the surface layer 2. Furthermore, the atmosphere to which the surface of the fabric is exposed has lower humidity than the atmosphere to which the back side of the fabric is exposed, so the moisture held in the surface layer evaporates and is released into the atmosphere. The amount of moisture temporarily held in the back layer is less than the amount held in the surface layer, and moisture absorbed into the surface layer rarely returns to the back layer.

[0025] [Regarding the connecting yarns that make up the intermediate layer] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the details of the connecting yarn in an embodiment of the fabric according to the present invention. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in the fabric 1 according to the present invention, the intermediate layer 4 connects the back layer 3 and the surface layer 2, and has the function of quickly absorbing moisture absorbed by the back layer yarn 30 of the back layer 3 into the surface layer 2. Therefore, the connecting yarn 40 that constitutes the intermediate layer 4 is made of absorbent fiber yarn. Although absorbent fiber is a hydrophobic fiber, by making the fiber cross-section irregular, the gaps between the fibers become larger, and moisture enters these gaps through capillary action, resulting in a fiber with excellent water absorption properties. In the fabric 1 according to the present invention, the connecting yarn 40 is made of absorbent fiber yarn with an irregular cross-section, which quickly absorbs moisture from the back layer 3 that has absorbed moisture from the skin side and accelerates its movement to the surface layer 2. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, a water-absorbing fiber yarn with a star-shaped cross-section is used, but the cross-section of the water-absorbing fiber can be arbitrarily selected, such as a flat, Y-shaped cross-section, or core-sheath structure cross-section. For use as a connecting yarn, a water-absorbing fiber yarn with a star-shaped cross-section made of polyester fiber is preferred, as it has excellent water absorption and quick-drying properties, as well as a cool feeling and is lightweight.

[0026] [Regarding the backing yarn that makes up the backing layer] Figure 4 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of the backing yarn of the fabric according to the present invention, and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional image showing an example of the backing yarn of the fabric according to the present invention. The backing yarn 30 constituting the fabric 1 according to the present invention is composed of a core material 31 and an outer layer 32 covering it, as shown in Figure 4. The backing yarn 30 is composed of a fiber yarn in which the core material 31 is a water-absorbing fiber yarn, and the water-absorbing fiber yarn is coated with a non-water-absorbing fiber yarn to form the outer layer 32.

[0027] Examples of absorbent fiber yarns that make up the core material 31 include polyester fiber yarns and acrylic fiber yarns, with polyester fiber yarns being particularly preferred due to their high absorbency. Furthermore, the non-absorbent fiber yarn constituting the outer layer 32 refers to yarn that does not absorb water or absorbs very little water, and fiber yarn made by mixing polyester and silicon dioxide aerogel is used. Silicon dioxide aerogel is a very low-density solid, a porous material prepared in a liquid, i.e., a gel, which is dried into a porous material by maintaining the voids using supercritical drying, and is extremely lightweight and insoluble in water. In this invention, we focused on this point and mixed silicon dioxide aerogel powder with polyester raw materials to weaken the water absorption of polyester. By coating the outer layer 32 of the core material 31 of the backing yarn 30 with this mixture, we succeeded in preventing moisture absorbed by the highly water-absorbent core material 31 from penetrating to the outer periphery, thereby inhibiting penetration to the outer periphery of the fibers and maintaining the dryness of the outer periphery of the backing yarn 30, and used this in the fabric 1 according to the present invention. The aforementioned backing yarn 30 is composed of a fiber yarn made from a mixture of polyester raw material and silicon dioxide aerogel powder raw material at a concentration of approximately 0.3 to 1.0%, but in particular, a concentration of 0.5 to 0.8% results in a backing yarn 30 that exhibits optimal water-repellent properties.

[0028] As described above, the fabric 1 according to the present invention is constructed by connecting a back layer 3, which is made up of back layer yarns 30 made of water-absorbent fiber yarns coated with non-water-absorbent fibers, and a surface layer 2, which is made up of surface layer yarns 20 containing hydrophilic fiber yarns, with a connecting yarn 40 made of water-absorbent fiber yarns with an irregular cross-section. Moisture on the skin side is absorbed by the back layer yarns 30 of the back layer 3, quickly moved to the surface layer 2 by the connecting yarns 40, and absorbed by the surface layer yarns 20. The moisture is then stored in the surface layer 2, preventing it from returning to the back layer 3, and diffused within the surface layer 2 for evaporation. Therefore, the inner layer 3 that comes into contact with the skin is free of moisture due to the quick-drying properties of the outer layer 32 of the inner layer yarn 30, preventing discomfort to the skin and maintaining a comfortable wearing experience.

[0029] Cotton fibers, being hydrophilic, exhibit nearly 20 times the water absorption capacity of polyester fibers, which are hydrophobic. Other hydrophilic fibers, such as rayon, exhibit 1.5 times the water absorption capacity of cotton, and cupro fibers exhibit 4 times the water absorption capacity of cupro. The surface yarns 20 of the surface layer 2, which are composed of hydrophilic fiber yarns, have significantly higher water absorption capacity than the backing yarns 30 that make up the backing layer 3. As a result, any moisture absorbed by the backing yarns 30 is immediately absorbed by the surface yarns 20, allowing the backing layer 3 to always remain dry, resulting in a comfortable skin surface without any feeling of stuffiness.

[0030] Furthermore, the connecting yarn 40 is composed of irregularly shaped cross-section yarns, which accelerates the movement of moisture, resulting in a water-absorbing and quick-drying effect throughout the fabric. When the moisture absorbed by the fabric evaporates, it removes heat from the fabric, causing an evaporative cooling phenomenon. In this embodiment, the temperature of the fabric 1 was reduced by 4 to 7°C due to the effect of the evaporative cooling phenomenon. In addition, since more moisture is stored in the hydrophilic fiber yarns within the surface layer 2, the irregularly shaped cross-section yarns of the connecting yarn 40 are replenished with moisture, and this moisture becomes the source of evaporative cooling, resulting in a configuration that allows the back layer 3 to maintain a cool feeling for a long time.

[0031] This invention arranges fibers with higher water absorption properties sequentially from the side closest to the skin toward the surface of the fabric. This allows moisture to move from the side closest to the skin toward the surface of the fabric, keeping the underside of the fabric close to the skin dry, while the moisture evaporates on the surface of the fabric, thereby lowering the temperature of the fabric.

[0032] As described above, the fabric 1 according to the present invention is formed integrally by connecting the surface layer 2 and the back layer 3 with connecting threads 40 of the intermediate layer 4. The amount of fiber yarn in each layer can be arbitrarily changed depending on the type of garment to be manufactured using this fabric, but in particular, if the overall thickness is 0.5 to 3.0 mm, it will have higher quick-drying properties and the garment to be manufactured using this fabric 1 will be more comfortable to wear.

[0033] Furthermore, the fabric 1 according to the present invention can be used in a variety of clothing, including sportswear and work clothes, which are worn during activities that cause heavy sweating, as well as everyday wear such as underwear, T-shirts, and pants. Moreover, it is effective whether the entire garment is made from fabric 1, or whether only parts of the garment, such as areas that come into contact with sweaty areas or areas where sweat tends to accumulate, are made using fabric 1. [Industrial applicability]

[0034] The fabric according to the present invention has a surface layer composed of hydrophilic natural fibers, making it pleasant to the touch and allowing it to have a variety of colors and lusters. Therefore, it can be used not only for sportswear and work clothes, but also for shirts, trousers, skirts, underwear, hats, scarves, towels, dishcloths, and other fabric products that require quick drying. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0035] 1. Fabric 2 Surface layer 20 Surface threads 3. Back layer 30 Backing yarn 31 Core material 32 Outer layer 4. Middle Class 40 connecting threads

Claims

1. A fabric comprising a surface layer (2), a back layer (3), and an intermediate layer (4), The aforementioned surface layer (2) is composed of surface yarn (20) containing hydrophilic fiber yarn, The intermediate layer (4) is composed of connecting yarns (40) made of water-absorbing fiber yarns. The aforementioned back layer (3) is composed of back layer yarn (30) made of fiber yarn in which water-absorbent fiber yarn is coated with a water-non-absorbent fiber, The intermediate layer (4) is positioned between the surface layer (2) and the back layer (3), and the fabric (1) is characterized in that the connecting yarn (40) constituting the intermediate layer (4) connects the surface yarn (20) constituting the surface layer (2) and the back layer yarn (30) constituting the back layer (3) to form an integral structure.

2. The fabric (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the hydrophilic fiber yarn contained in the surface yarn (20) is a fiber yarn selected from rayon yarn, a rayon-cotton blend yarn, or a cupro-cotton blend yarn.

3. The fabric (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the water-absorbing fiber yarn constituting the connecting yarn (40) is a yarn with an irregular cross-section.

4. The fabric (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the back layer yarn (30) consists of a fiber yarn that forms the outer layer by using a polyester fiber yarn or an acrylic fiber yarn as a core material as a water-absorbing fiber yarn, and coating its outer periphery with a fiber yarn made of a mixture of polyester and silicon dioxide aerogel as a non-water-absorbing fiber.

5. The fabric (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the non-absorbent fibers constituting the outer layer of the fiber yarn constituting the backing yarn (30) are fiber yarns obtained by mixing 0.3 to 1.0% silicon dioxide aerogel with polyester.

6. The fabric (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface layer (2), the back layer (3), and the intermediate layer (4) are laminated by circular knitting.

7. The fabric according to claim 1, characterized in that its overall thickness is 0.5 to 3.0 mm.

8. A garment characterized by using at least a part of the fabric described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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