Dual-function spun and filament woven terry cooling towel

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a terry fabric including a first side configured to exhibit absorbent capacity and a second side configured to exhibit cooling capacity, wherein the first side can include spun fiber loops including a plurality of pile warp yarns, and the second side can include a plurality of weft yarns and a plurality of ground warp yarns, wherein at least one of the plurality of weft yarns and the plurality of ground warp yarns includes synthetic filament yarns.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 795,211, filed January 22, 2019, and incorporates by reference in its entirety.

[0002] This application relates to a dual-functional multi-layer terry fabric. [Background technology]

[0003] Terry fabrics get their name from the weaving method used to create the fibers, i.e., terry weave. Terry fabrics, such as terry towels, generally correspond to warp-pile fabrics, which include uncut pile loops on either side of the fabric. The pile loops on either side of the fabric are available to absorb liquids (e.g., water). Thus, terry fabrics can be used for bathing and / or exercise activities to absorb excess water and / or sweat. However, such fabrics are generally composed of 100% cotton, resulting in low evaporative cooling capacity. Furthermore, while synthetic fabrics have improved evaporative cooling capacity compared to cotton-based fabrics, synthetic fabrics are not as effective at absorbing liquids as cotton-based fabrics. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for a solution that can overcome at least some of the above-described deficiencies. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to one embodiment, the present invention relates to a terry fabric comprising a first side configured to exhibit an absorbent capacity and a second side configured to exhibit a cooling capacity. According to one embodiment, the first side comprises a plurality of pile warp yarns. spun yarnThe first side may include loops, and the second side may include a plurality of weft yarns and a plurality of ground warp yarns, where at least one of the plurality of weft yarns and the plurality of ground warp yarns includes synthetic filament yarns (and / or synthetic spun yarns). [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an improved terry fabric according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows a 3-pick woven terry with one pile loop according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows a three-pick woven terry with two pile loops according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4A-4B] 4A-4B show cross-sectional views of synthetic filament yarns according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. [Figures 5A-5D] 5A-5D show coated synthetic filament yarns according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The following description of the embodiments provides non-limiting representative examples that refer to numerals to explain in detail the features and teachings of different aspects of the present invention. It should be recognized that the described embodiments can be implemented separately or in combination with other embodiments derived from the description of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art who review the description of the embodiments should be able to learn and understand the different described aspects of the present invention. The description of the embodiments should facilitate understanding of the present invention to the extent that other implementations that are not specifically covered but are within the knowledge of those skilled in the art who read the description of the embodiments are deemed to be understood as being consistent with the field of application of the present invention.

[0008] According to one embodiment, evaporative cooling capabilities can be added to cotton-based terry fabrics (e.g., towels) by inserting synthetic filament yarns (polyester or nylon-based) during the weaving process. Terry fabrics are generally composed of 100% cotton or chief value cotton (CVC) (i.e., greater than 50% cotton) and typically weigh between 340 and 370 grams per square meter (gsm). After the synthetic filament yarns are inserted, the improved terry fabric can absorb more than four times its weight in liquid (e.g., sweat or water) on the loop side of the fabric, while retaining the ability to conductively cool a person's skin on the flat, non-loop side by more than 20°F (11.1°C) below the average human core body temperature (e.g., under moderately warm weather conditions) and by more than 10,000 cumulative watts of cooling power after wet activation. According to one embodiment, the improved terry fabric can be composed of a combination of synthetic and cotton yarns, each of which can correspond to at least one of the ground, pile, and weft yarns.

[0009] According to one embodiment, one side of the improved terry fabric is configured to exhibit absorbent capacity. This side can include raised loops with a cotton pile height of greater than 0.5 millimeters on the loop side. The raised loops can be modified to other lengths depending on the desired absorption and weight. Additionally, the other side of the terry fabric is configured to exhibit cooling capacity. This other side can include synthetic filament yarns configured to provide additional evaporative cooling performance for the purpose of providing a cooling sensation to the user.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the improved terry fabric may have a wet pick-up percentage (WPU%) of greater than 400% (i.e., four times) the weight of the fabric. Furthermore, the improved terry fabric may have a wet pick-up percentage (WPU%) of greater than 10,000 w / m 2 (watts per square meter) at a peak of 700 watts per minute when measured on the non-loop side of the fabric. 2Furthermore, according to one embodiment, the improved terry fabric can remain wet for a sustained period of more than 10 hours.

[0011] Additionally, the unique combination of synthetic filament yarns and spun cellulose and / or synthetic yarns is configured to add cooling properties (e.g., maximum distance cooling power and cool to the touch) as well as moisture transport and evaporation. Specifically, special modified cross-section synthetic filament yarns can be added to the fabric to aid in moisture transport and evaporation. These yarns can also contain embedded cooling particle technology (e.g., jade or mica) to increase the Q-max rating (instant cool to the touch) of the material on the non-loop side. Additionally, bi-component yarns (e.g., polyester and nylon) with pie-shaped cross-sections can be used. spun yarn It is possible to add it instead of

[0012] According to one embodiment, cooling can be activated as follows: After using the material to absorb unwanted sweat, the improved terry fabric can then be moistened, wrung, and flicked to create a cooling device that provides cooling primarily on the non-loop side of the fabric. Furthermore, to inhibit microbial growth, the terry fabric can be treated with antimicrobial chemicals or have specialty yarns added to it to remain odorless even after repeated use and laundering. However, chemicals are not required in the cooling material to impart cooling capabilities. Furthermore, the improved terry fabric can be machine washed and dried. Furthermore, the improved terry fabric has a cooler touch (higher Q-max) due to the use of cooling yarns (e.g., synthetic filament yarns) on the non-loop side of the material.

[0013] Thus, in the case of improved terry fabrics, a single material can provide both absorption and cooling, e.g., one side is configured to absorb liquid / moisture to dry sweat or absorb moisture, while the other side is configured to provide conduction cooling. For example, as described above, one side (e.g., the non-loop cooling side) can be composed primarily of either polyester or nylon yarns, which may be composed of cross-section-modified yarns and may contain embedded particles (e.g., jade or mica) that help transport and evaporate moisture while providing a cool-to-the-touch feel. The opposite side (e.g., the loop absorption side) can be composed primarily of cotton yarns, which enable the improved terry fabric to absorb and retain moisture.

[0014] With the above in mind, the improved terry fabric can provide the following benefits: (i) dual functionality of absorbent and conductive cooling, (ii) a 30°C temperature reduction from average core body temperature after 5 minutes and a 20°C temperature reduction from average skin temperature after just 2 minutes when wet, as measured in a controlled, conditioned laboratory, (iii) cooling duration of over 10 hours in a conditioned laboratory environment, and (iv) a significantly higher WPU% by weight than existing cooling fabrics on the market, over 4 times the weight, and an increased Q-max (cool to the touch) on the non-cooling loop side of the material.

[0015] 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an improved terry fabric according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. According to one embodiment, the improved terry fabric 100 can include an absorbent side 110 and a cooling side 120. According to one embodiment, the absorbent side 110 can be made of a material such as cotton (or a cotton / synthetic blend) containing a plurality of pile warp yarns 115. spun yarnThe cooling side 120 may correspond to loops. Further, the cooling side 120 includes a plurality of weft yarns 125 and a plurality of ground warp yarns 126. According to one embodiment, the plurality of weft yarns 125 may be composed of synthetic filament yarns, such as polyester or nylon-based synthetic filament yarns. Similarly, the plurality of ground warp yarns 126 may be composed of polyester or nylon-based synthetic filament yarns. According to one embodiment, if the terry fabric 100 is a cotton / polyester blend, the blend must contain a total of at least 10% polyester. Furthermore, if the terry fabric 100 is a cotton / nylon blend, the blend must contain a total of at least 10% nylon. Furthermore, if the terry fabric 100 is a cotton / polyester / nylon blend, the blend must contain a total of at least 10% nylon and 10% polyester. Furthermore, according to one embodiment, instead of cotton, other polyesters such as Modal, Rayon, Bamboo, derived from Rayon, Tensel, etc. may be used. spun yarn It is also possible to use in one of the above blends. In addition, cotton and other spun yarn It is also believed possible to use a blend of at least one of: Further, according to one embodiment, the terry fabric 100 may include a weight range of 160 to 700 gsm.

[0016] The cooling effect of terry fabric 100 follows the principle of evaporative cooling. This principle elaborates that water must be subjected to the application of heat to change from a liquid to a vapor. Once evaporation occurs, this heat from the liquid water is removed due to evaporation, resulting in a cooler liquid. Once the terry fabric 100 has been wetted with water and preferably squeezed to remove excess water, it is recommended that it be flicked or swirled in air to facilitate and promote the transfer of moisture from the absorbent side 110, where the water is stored, to the cooling side 120, where the water evaporation occurs. Flicking or swirling in air also increases the evaporation rate and lowers the material temperature more rapidly by exposing a larger surface area of ​​the material to air and increased airflow. More specifically, the terry fabric 100 functions as a device that facilitates and accelerates the evaporation process.

[0017] Once the temperature of the remaining water in the cooling side 120 drops through evaporation, heat exchange occurs within the water through convection, between the water and the fabric through conduction, and within the fabric through conduction, thus lowering the temperature of the terry fabric 100. The evaporation process continues by escaping water from the absorption side 110 to the cooling side 120 until the stored water is used up. The evaporation rate decreases as the temperature of the terry fabric 100 decreases. The temperature of the terry fabric 100 gradually decreases until a point is reached where an equilibrium is reached between the rate of heat absorption from the environment into the material and the heat loss through evaporation.

[0018] Once the wet terry fabric 100 is placed on a person's skin, cooling energy from the terry fabric 100 is transferred through conduction. After the transfer of cooling energy occurs, the temperature of the cooling fabric rises to equilibrate with the temperature of the skin. Once equilibration occurs, the wet terry fabric 100 can be easily reactivated by flicking or swirling methods to lower the temperature again.

[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates a three-pick woven terry with one pile loop according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. According to one embodiment, the woven terry 200 includes pile warp yarns 210, ground warp yarns 220 and 230, and weft yarns (i.e., picks) 240, 250, and 260. According to one embodiment, the front and back pile warp yarns 210 and the first and second ground warp yarns 220 and 230, respectively, can be used to form what is known as a 2 / 1 rib weave. In this weave, one pile warp yarn 210 precedes one ground warp yarn (e.g., 220 or 230) by one pick. For example, in a 1:1 warp sequence, each ground warp yarn is followed by a pile warp end, while in a 2:2 warp sequence, two ground warp ends are followed by two pile warp ends. According to one embodiment, the figure depicts a 2:1 warp sequence between the ground warp and pile warp ends. According to another embodiment, a 2:2 warp weave using pile yarns on only one side is also possible.

[0020] The woven terry 200 can be constructed in many ways, as shown in Table 1 below, where "C" represents cotton or regenerated cellulose. spun yarn "S" corresponds to synthetic filament yarns (where the filament size is in the range of 10 denier to 300 denier), "CS" corresponds to cotton / synthetic blend fibers (where the fiber size is in the range of 8Ne to 60Ne), and "SS" corresponds to synthetic spun yarn (where the fiber size is in the range of 8Ne to 60Ne).

[0021] [Table 1]

[0022] According to one embodiment, S can be one of polyester, nylon, and polyester / nylon blends. Similarly, SS can be one of polyester, nylon, and polyester / nylon blends. Furthermore, CS can be one of cotton / polyester blends, cotton / nylon blends, cotton / polyester / nylon blends, cotton / modal blends, cotton / Tencel blends, cotton / rayon blends, and cotton / viscose blends. According to one embodiment, other combinations of yarns for the woven terry 200 can be included as well. For example, pile 1 can be SS, grounds 1 and 2 can be SS, and the first, second, and third picks are S.

[0023] FIG. 3 illustrates a three-pick woven terry with two pile loops according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. According to one embodiment, the woven terry 300 includes pile warp yarns 310 and 320, ground warp yarns 330 and 340, and weft (i.e., pick) yarns 350, 360, and 370. According to one embodiment, the weave in FIG. 3 is similar to the weave in FIG. 2, except that in FIG. 3, the pile warp ends alternate on two distinct sides, e.g., the front and back sides. According to one embodiment, the pile height of the pile warp ends on one side is greater than the pile height of the pile warp ends on the other side. Specifically, the pile height of the shorter pile warp ends may be less than 0.5 mm. In this regard, the side with the greater pile height can be used for absorption, while the side with the shorter pile height can be used to provide more evaporative cooling (e.g., due to the addition of more evaporative cooling yarns for the pile warp ends).

[0024] As shown in Table 2 below, the woven terry 200 can be constructed in many ways.

[0025] [Table 2]

[0026] 4A-4B show cross-sectional views of synthetic filament yarns according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. For example, FIG. 4A depicts a synthetic filament yarn (e.g., polyester and / or nylon) having a unique cross-section. According to one embodiment, the unique cross-section creates channels within the yarn for rapid moisture migration and evaporation. Thus, the synthetic filament yarn in FIG. 4A may be implemented with the cooling side 120 of a terry fabric 100. Furthermore, FIG. 4B depicts a synthetic filament yarn having a star-shaped cross-section. In this regard, the star-shaped cross-section provides higher absorbency and therefore retains water more efficiently. Thus, the synthetic filament yarn in FIG. 4B may be implemented with the absorbing side 110 of a terry fabric 100. According to one embodiment, the differentiated cross-section helps moisture migrate and spread to the outer layers of the fabric. Furthermore, the synthetic filament yarn may also include absorbent microdenier yarns. According to one embodiment, the absorbent microdenier yarns may be less than 1 denier per filament (dpf). Additionally, absorbent microfiber yarns can utilize a large number of filaments (e.g., 72 filaments) to provide absorbent properties. Additionally, according to another embodiment, conjugated bicomponent special cross-section yarns can be used to provide extreme absorbent properties. Furthermore, by splitting the yarn, a larger surface area, and therefore more pockets, can be created for absorbency.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the synthetic filament yarn comprises a thickness that is half the thickness of the cotton yarn. Thus, two ends of the synthetic filament yarn can be added instead of one to balance the thickness of the cotton yarn. This can be achieved by covering a primarily synthetic spun or filament yarn with another synthetic filament. Figures 5A-5D illustrate covered synthetic filament yarns according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. For example, Figure 5A illustrates a double-covered synthetic filament yarn. Specifically, Figure 5A depicts a covered synthetic filament yarn 500 including a core, primarily synthetic spun or filament yarn 502 that is covered in a double-covered manner with another synthetic filament yarn 504. Figure 5B illustrates a single-covered synthetic filament yarn. In this regard, Figure 5B depicts a core, primarily synthetic spun or filament yarn 502 that is covered in a single-covered manner with another synthetic filament yarn 504. Additionally, Figure 5C illustrates an air-jet covered synthetic filament yarn. In this regard, Figure 5B depicts a core, primarily synthetic spun or filament yarn 502 that is coated with another synthetic filament yarn 504 via an air-jet coating technique. Finally, Figure 5D shows a core-spun synthetic filament yarn. In this regard, a core, primarily synthetic spun or filament yarn 502 is wrapped with another synthetic filament yarn 504 and spun into a single yarn 500. The list in Table 3 below describes possible combinations of a core synthetic filament yarn 502 and another synthetic filament yarn 504.

[0028] [Table 3]

[0029] According to one embodiment, by increasing the thickness of the synthetic filament yarn, not only does the weight of the synthetic filament yarn balance the weight of the cotton, but it also increases the cooling strength of the entire terry fabric.

[0030] Furthermore, while the present invention has been described in connection with a three-pick terry weave, according to one embodiment, it may be implemented with two, three, four, five, or even more pick terry weaves. In this regard, the present invention may be implemented in any fabric that uses a terry weave.

[0031] In the description of the foregoing embodiments, various features may be grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claims require more features than are expressly recited in each such embodiment. Rather, as reflected in the following claims, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are incorporated into this description of the embodiments, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

[0032] Moreover, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art, from consideration of the specification and practice of the present disclosure, that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure as claimed. Therefore, it is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. a first side including yarn loops including a plurality of pile warp yarns; a second side including a plurality of weft yarns and a plurality of ground warp yarns, the second side being positioned as a cooling side, wherein at least one of the plurality of weft yarns and the plurality of ground warp yarns includes a synthetic filament yarn; Including, the second side is configured to provide greater evaporative cooling than the first side; and at least one other synthetic filament yarn covering the synthetic filament yarn. Terry fabric.

2. The woven fabric of claim 1 , wherein the yarn loops comprise one of cotton and a cotton / synthetic filament yarn blend.

3. 3. The woven fabric of claim 2, which is composed of greater than 50% cotton.

4. 3. The woven fabric of claim 2, wherein the cotton / synthetic filament yarn blend is one of a cotton / polyester blend, a cotton / nylon blend, or a cotton / polyester / nylon blend.

5. 10. The woven fabric of claim 1, wherein the synthetic filament yarn is one of polyester, nylon, and a polyester / nylon blend.

6. The woven fabric of claim 1 , wherein the first side comprises one type of pile loop.

7. 10. The woven fabric of claim 1, wherein the at least one other synthetic filament yarn coats the synthetic filament yarn via one of single-coated, double-coated, and air-jet coating techniques.

8. 10. The woven fabric of claim 1, wherein the synthetic filament yarn is wrapped with the at least one other synthetic filament yarn to create a covered synthetic filament yarn.

9. 2. The woven fabric of claim 1, wherein the yarn loops have a pile height of greater than 0.5 mm.

10. 10,000 watts / meter 2 and produces a cumulative cooling power of over 700 watts per minute at one peak when measured on the non-loop side of the fabric. 2 10. The fabric of claim 1, wherein the fabric exhibits a heat flux of greater than 100 .mu.m.

11. 10. The woven fabric of claim 1, comprising at least 10% synthetic filament yarns.

12. The fabric of claim 1 , wherein the first side is configured to absorb at least four times its weight in liquid.

13. The woven fabric of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ground warp yarns comprise synthetic spun yarns.

14. The woven fabric of claim 1 , wherein the first side is positioned as an absorbent side and is configured to provide greater moisture absorbency than the second side.

Images