Linen products

Abstract

We offer linen products that combine a soft texture with quick-drying properties. [Solution] The linen product according to this invention is composed of a fabric woven from a blend of lyocell (registered trademark) and polyester fibers, and a cotton pile woven from cotton fibers. The linen product may be a towel, bath towel, face towel, fitted sheet, pillow, sheet, or duvet cover.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to linen products.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a pile towel woven by looping yarn has been used. The pile towel has a structure in which looped yarns stand up from the fabric. The loops constituting the pile towel absorb moisture and give the towel a fluffy texture. Also, since air can be held in the loops, it is warm.

[0003] For example, Patent Document [1] discloses a towel with piles on both sides. The towel described in the document has cotton piles on one side and synthetic fiber piles such as nylon having stiffness on the other side.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In order to solve the problem that the towel described in Patent Document [1] is not optimal for washing due to the softness of the cotton piles, synthetic fiber piles having stiffness are used on the other side. And the towel described in the document is said to absorb water by the cotton piles and wash dirt and grime by the stiffness of the synthetic fiber piles.

[0006] However, because the moisture absorbed by the cotton pile is also absorbed by the cotton pile and the base fabric, the towel is difficult to dry after use. Also, while the desired cleaning effect may be achieved when using this towel for the first time, there is a concern that the towel will deteriorate due to its difficulty in drying, and the cleaning effect will significantly deteriorate with repeated washing and drying. On the other hand, if both sides are made of synthetic fiber pile to allow for easy drying, it will be difficult to obtain the warm feel of cloth pile.

[0007] Furthermore, linen products, which have a soft texture, are difficult to dry out due to the moisturizing effect of the cotton pile. In addition, such towels tend to wrinkle when drying, so pressing is necessary. This is the most important process that determines the quality of linen products such as towels, and it is also the most costly and time-consuming process.

[0008] The objective of this invention is to provide a linen product that does not require finishing press and possesses both a soft texture and quick-drying properties. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The inventor initially considered towels made of cotton terry cloth because they do not require a finishing press and possess both a fluffy texture and quick-drying properties. Cotton expands when it absorbs water but shrinks when it dries, making it prone to wrinkles after repeated washing and drying. Additionally, towels are thick, and the surface terry dries easily while the inner fabric dries slowly, so the difference in drying speed in different parts can also cause wrinkles.

[0010] In addition, towels are usually loosely woven to achieve a fluffy texture, and during drying, the pile can flatten, be pulled in places, or the fabric can become taut in places, making them prone to wrinkles. Furthermore, cotton has poor shape recovery properties, so once it is folded or twisted, it does not easily return to its original state, and if dried in that state, it is prone to wrinkles. For this reason, as mentioned above, if one side has a cotton pile and the other side has a synthetic fiber pile, the synthetic fiber pile side dries easily, but the cloth pile side and the base fabric are difficult to dry and require finishing press.

[0011] The inventor selected lyocell from among cellulose fibers because, although it has the same basic structure as cotton, it dries easily, has a smooth and silky feel, is wrinkle-resistant, and has better shape recovery than cotton. However, fabrics made solely from lyocell did not have sufficient shape recovery and required finishing press.

[0012] The inventors of this invention have discovered that by using lyocell and polyester as the fabric, quick-drying properties and shape recovery are further improved, and wrinkle formation is suppressed to the point where the product can be shipped after drying alone. However, the fluffy texture is achieved through the pile.

[0013] Therefore, the inventor of this invention discovered that by using cotton as is for the pile, a fluffy texture is achieved, and the quick-drying and shape-recovering properties of the fabric eliminate the need for pressing, thus completing the invention. The invention derived from these findings is as follows:

[0014] (1) A linen product characterized by being composed of a fabric woven from fibers including a blend of lyocell and polyester, and a cotton pile woven from cotton fibers.

[0015] (2) Linen products are the linen products described in (1) above, which include towels, bath towels, face towels, fitted sheets, bath mats, pillowcases, sheets, or duvet covers. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a towel, which is an example of a linen product according to the present invention. Figure 1(a) is a top view, and Figure 1(b) is a back view. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the towel shown in Figure 1 along the line II-II. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of the towel 1, which has a weaving form different from the weaving form shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The present invention will be described in detail below, but is not limited thereto. Also, each aspect can be combined with each other.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a view showing a towel 1 which is an example of a linen product according to the present invention, FIG. 1(a) is a top view, and FIG. 1(b) is a bottom view. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of the towel 1 shown in FIG. 1 according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the towel 1 is composed of a front surface 3 and a back surface 5.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of the towel shown in FIG. 1, showing an example of a weaving form. As shown in FIG. 2, the fabric is woven by weaving the ground weft 11 into the ground warp yarns 7 and 9. Also, on the front surface 3 and the back surface 5 of the towel 1, surface pile warp yarns 13 and back pile warp yarns 15 of substantially equal length are woven, and the towel 1 is a double-sided pile towel. It may also be a single-sided pile towel with pile applied only on one side.

[0020] The lyocell used for the fabric constituting the present invention may be made from eucalyptus, beech, bamboo, etc. as raw materials. Also, as the fiber shape, either staple fiber which is short fiber or filament which is long fiber may be used.

[0021] As the polyester fiber, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), etc. may be used. As the fiber shape, similar to lyocell, either staple fiber which is short fiber or filament which is long fiber may be used. Examples of the fiber structure include hollow polyester, profiled cross-section polyester, and superfine polyester. In particular, water-absorbing and quick-drying polyester is preferable.

[0022] The fabric is composed of fibers including a blended fiber composed of lyocell and polyester in view of quick drying property and shape recovery property. These mass ratios may be lyocell: polyester = 20:80 to 80:20 from the viewpoint of having quick drying property and not requiring pressing finish, preferably 40:60 to 60:40, and most preferably 50:50.

[0023] Cotton pile can quickly absorb and hold water by the hydroxyl groups at the ends of cellulose. Therefore, the towel 1 provided with cotton pile has a water absorption rate of about 300 to 500%. Even when such excellent water-absorbing cotton pile is used, at least a blended fiber of cotton and synthetic fiber is used for the yarns constituting the fabric so that the quick drying property can be exhibited.

[0024] The pile constituting the present invention is woven with cotton.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of the towel 1, which is a weaving form different from the weaving form shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2. In FIG. 3, the ground weft yarns 13, 15, 17 are woven into the ground warp yarns 16, 17 including at least synthetic fiber to form the towel fabric. And cotton pile is applied to both the front surface 3 and the back surface 5 by the front pile warp yarn 21 and the back pile warp yarn 22.

[0026] Examples of the linen products according to the present invention include towels, bath towels, faille towels, box sheets, bath mats, pillowcases, sheets, or dupe covers. The towels, bath towels, faille towels, and bath mats having the above configuration can obtain particularly quick drying property and a fluffy texture. Further, the box sheets, bath mats, pillowcases, sheets, or dupe covers having the above configuration do not require pressing finish particularly and are easy to handle.

[0027] Thus, the linen products according to the present invention exhibit a fluffy texture due to the cotton pile, and do not require pressing finish due to the quick drying property and shape recovery property of the fabric.

Explanation of Signs

[0028] 1 Towel, 3 Front (of the towel), 5 Back (of the towel), 7, 9, 13, 15, 17 Ground weft (of the fabric), 11, 16, 17 Ground warp (of the fabric), C Center line (of the towel)

Claims

1. A linen product characterized by comprising a fabric woven from fibers including a blended fiber composed of lyocell and polyester, and a cotton pile woven from the aforementioned cotton fibers.

2. The linen product according to claim 1, wherein the linen product is a towel, bath towel, face towel, fitted sheet, bath mat, pillowcase, sheet, or duvet cover.

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