Fabric material

Abstract

To provide a fabric material capable of enhancing a heat shielding effect while achieving weight reduction.SOLUTION: A fabric material is formed by using a first yarn 42 composed of at least one kind of yarn. The first yarn 42 is formed by arranging and bundling fibers 42A having a single fiber diameter ranging from 1 μm or more to 5 μm or less without twisting, and has a wide shape in which a dimension in a width direction is larger than a dimension in a thickness direction in a state of being formed into the fabric material. In the fabric material, at least six fibers 42A are stacked in the thickness direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to fabric materials, which may be woven or knitted. [Background technology]

[0002] Fabric materials are used in various industries, including apparel, construction, and vehicles, including textiles for clothing as described in Patent Document 1 below. Heat-shielding performance is sometimes required for these fabric materials. Specifically, these applications include outerwear such as blousons, hats, arm covers, face covers, neck covers, and parasols in the apparel industry, as well as sunshades for vehicles, tents, and other outdoor products.

[0003] For example, in a vehicle such as a car, when sunlight incident through a windowpane or the like hits the interior material of the vehicle, the temperature of the interior material rises, and in some cases it may become difficult to touch with one's hand. For this reason, studies have been conducted to suppress the temperature rise of the interior material by using a skin material with a near-infrared reflective function, and Patent Document 2 listed below discloses a skin material that uses an aggregate of fibers with a relatively small diameter and is capable of reflecting the near-infrared rays of sunlight, and describes that the temperature rise of various articles covered with the skin material is suppressed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-35165 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-202479 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The more layers of the fibers described in Patent Document 2 are piled up, the more the heat-shielding effect can be enhanced. However, if the fibers are piled up too much, the basis weight also increases, which is a problem in that the weight of the fabric material increases.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a fabric material that can enhance heat-shielding effect while achieving weight reduction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the fabric material of the present invention comprises: A fabric material that is a woven or knitted fabric formed using a first yarn that is at least one kind of yarn, The first yarn is It is made by bundling fibers with a single fiber diameter of 1 μm to 5 μm without twisting them together. When molded into the fabric material, the fabric has a wide shape with a width dimension greater than a thickness dimension, and at least six or more fibers are stacked in the thickness direction.

[0008] The "fibers" constituting the "first yarn" have a relatively small single fiber diameter of 1 μm or more and 5 μm or less, and as described in Patent Document 2, fabrics made using fibers with a single fiber diameter within this range have excellent reflective performance in the visible to near-infrared region. Furthermore, a fabric material of this configuration has six or more fibers with a single fiber diameter of 1 μm or more and 5 μm or less stacked in the thickness direction, and tends to have a higher light reflectance than light transmittance. In other words, a fabric material of this configuration can effectively reflect near-infrared rays and enhance its heat-shielding effect.

[0009] It is believed that using such fibers, the greater the basis weight of the fiber layer, in other words, the greater the thickness of the fiber layer, the higher the light reflectivity and the greater the heat-shielding effect. However, increasing the basis weight naturally results in an increase in weight. In a fabric material with this configuration, the closer the number of overlapping ultrafine fibers in the thickness direction of the first yarn is to six, which is sufficient to provide sufficient near-infrared reflectivity, the smaller the basis weight and the lighter the material can be. Furthermore, generally, fabric materials tend to have gaps around the intersections between yarns. However, with this fabric material, the yarns are flattened in the molded state, which makes it possible to suppress an increase in the void ratio of the fabric material. From the above, a fabric material with this configuration can be realized that is relatively lightweight and has high heat-shielding properties.

[0010] Note that the fabric material of this configuration is not limited to one formed using only the "first yarn," but may also be one formed using ordinary twisted yarns in addition to the first yarn. The fabric material of this configuration may be either woven or knitted, but in order to flatten the first yarn, it is desirable for the fabric to have few bending points. Furthermore, when the fabric material is a woven fabric, if the first yarn is used as one of the warp and weft yarns, multiple first yarns will be arranged in parallel and spread out in a flat plane, making it possible to effectively reflect near-infrared rays.

[0011] The cross-sectional shape of the "fiber" in this configuration is not limited to a circular cross-section, but may be an irregular cross-section such as a polygonal cross-section. In the case of a fiber with an irregular cross-sectional shape, the diameter of the circumscribed circle can be considered the single fiber diameter. Furthermore, the material of the "fiber" is not particularly limited, but if synthetic fibers are used, the fiber can have a cross-sectional shape with excellent reflective properties. The synthetic fiber is not particularly limited, and various synthetic fibers can be used depending on the article in which the fabric material is used, such as polyester fibers such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber, polybutylene terephthalate fiber, polytrimethylene terephthalate fiber, and polylactic acid fiber; polyamide fibers such as polyamide 6 fiber and polyamide 66 fiber; polyacrylic fibers; and polyolefin fibers such as polypropylene fiber. Incidentally, the "fiber" is not limited to a material having optical reflectivity, and may also be a material that does not have optical reflectivity. However, it is preferable that the material does not contain light-absorbing materials such as carbon black and is optically transparent. Furthermore, even if the fiber does not have light reflectivity as a physical property, the "first thread" formed as an aggregate of fibers having a single fiber diameter of 1 μm or more and 5 μm or less as described above will have light reflectivity.

[0012] In the above configuration, the first yarn may have a width dimension that is three to five times the thickness dimension when formed into the fabric material.

[0013] If the width dimension of the first yarn is less than three times its thickness dimension, the number of gaps between the yarns increases, and the spacing between the yarns increases, resulting in an increased void ratio. On the other hand, if the width dimension of the yarn is more than five times its thickness dimension, the fiber density in the yarn decreases, which may lead to a decrease in the reflective performance of the yarn itself and a decrease in the reflective performance of the fabric material. In other words, with this configuration of fabric material, it is possible to achieve a void ratio of less than 10% while maintaining the reflective performance of the first yarn itself.

[0014] In the above configuration, the first yarn has a cross-sectional area of ​​1000 μm when molded into the fabric material. 2 The number of pieces may be 80 or more.

[0015] According to the fabric material of this configuration, the reflective performance of the first yarn itself can be sufficiently ensured, and a fabric material with high heat-shielding performance can be realized.

[0016] In the above configuration, the first yarn may have a dimension in the thickness direction of 30 μm or more and 300 μm or less when molded into the fabric material.

[0017] In addition, in the above configuration, the first yarn can be configured so that when molded into the fabric material, the number of fibers in the thickness direction at the thickest part is 15 or less.

[0018] These two types of fabric materials can realize a thin, lightweight fabric material with a basis weight of approximately 50 to 150 g. The dimension of the first yarn in the thickness direction is preferably 100 μm or less, and more preferably 50 μm or less.

[0019] In the above configuration, the woven fabric may use the first yarn as at least one of the warp and weft.

[0020] In this fabric material, the first yarns are arranged parallel to each other and spread out in a plane, i.e., fibers with a single fiber diameter of 1 μm to 5 μm are arranged in a plane, enabling effective light reflection. Furthermore, if the first yarns are used for both the warp and weft, the number of overlapping fibers in the thickness direction increases, thereby further enhancing light reflectivity. This fabric material is not particularly limited in weave, and any of plain weave, twill weave, and satin weave can be used. However, compared to plain weave, twill and satin weaves have fewer intersections between the warp and weft. In other words, gaps are likely to form around the intersections between the warp and weft, but compared to plain weave, twill and satin weaves have fewer intersections between the warp and weft, thereby suppressing an increase in void ratio.

[0021] In the above configuration, the fibers may have a triangular cross section.

[0022] A fabric material of this configuration has a higher light reflectivity of the first thread than when it is made up of fibers with a round cross section, which in turn increases the light reflectivity of the fabric material and gives it high heat-blocking performance. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fabric material that is lightweight and yet has an enhanced heat-shielding effect. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a fabric according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the weft yarn shown in FIG. [Figure 3] A cross-sectional perspective view of a composite fiber produced in the process of manufacturing each fiber shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the state in which weft fibers are extracted from the composite fiber shown in FIG. [Figure 5] A diagram showing the lamp irradiation test method [Figure 6] Table showing the test results of the lamp irradiation test shown in Figure 5 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] The fabric material 10 of this embodiment is a woven fabric, and FIG. 1 shows a schematic enlarged view of the surface. The fabric material 10 is composed of multiple warp threads 40 and multiple weft threads 42, and is woven by repeatedly passing the weft thread 42 under four warp threads 40 and then over one warp thread 40. The warp threads 40 are typical twisted threads formed by twisting multiple fibers 40A (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "warp fibers 40A"). In contrast, the weft threads 42 are aligned threads formed by bundling multiple fibers 42A (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "weft fibers 42A") without twisting them, as shown in FIG. 2. The width of the weft threads 42 is larger than the thickness and the diameter of the warp threads 40. In woven fabrics, as shown in Figure 1, gaps occur where warp threads 40 and weft threads 42 intersect, which prevents a reduction in light transmittance. However, by increasing the width dimension of weft threads 42, the number of gaps between weft threads 42 is reduced, making it possible to effectively reduce light transmittance (void ratio).

[0026] The warp fibers 40A and the weft fibers 42A are the same fiber. Appropriate warp fibers 40A and weft fibers 42A can be selected depending on the product in which the fabric material 10 is used. For example, various synthetic fibers can be used, including polyester fibers such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, and polylactic acid; polyamide fibers such as polyamide 6 and polyamide 66; and polyolefin fibers such as polyacrylic and polypropylene. Specifically, nylon (polyamide) and polyester can be used for clothing, polyester for parasols and sunshades, and PET for the covering material used in vehicle interiors.

[0027] On the other hand, while the warp fibers 40A are fibers with a circular cross section, the weft fibers 42A used in the aligned weft yarns 42 are fibers with a triangular cross section, as shown in Fig. 2, and have a single fiber diameter (more specifically, the diameter of the circumscribed circle) of 1 µm to 5 µm, and in this embodiment, about 2 µm. The weft yarns 42 are made up of six or more weft fibers 42A with triangular cross sections stacked in the thickness direction at their thickest part.

[0028] Here, a brief description will be given of a method for producing the weft fiber 42A. First, a composite fiber 50 made of two types of synthetic resins and having the cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 3 is formed by melt spinning. This composite fiber 50 is hollow and cylindrical, and includes an inner edge portion 52, an outer edge portion 53, a peripheral edge portion 56 having a shape with a plurality of radial portions 54 extending radially from the inner edge portion 52 at equal angular intervals and connecting to the outer edge portion 53, and a plurality (16 in this embodiment) of wedge portions 58 each having a wedge shape (triangular cross section) that fills the spaces between the radial portions 54. The wedge portions 58 are made of PET, and the peripheral edge portion 56 is made of polyamide. Then, by subjecting this composite fiber 50 to an alkali treatment, the peripheral portion 54 is dissolved, leaving only the wedge portions 58, as shown in FIG. 4. The remaining wedge portions 58 become the weft fiber 42A having the triangular cross section described above. Then, a plurality of such composite fibers 50 are bundled together and the peripheral edge 56 is melted to form the weft yarn 42, which is the first yarn described above.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, in the fabric material 10 of this embodiment, the width dimension of the weft yarns 42 is larger than the width dimension of the warp yarns 40. This reduces the number of gaps between the weft yarns 42 per unit area and the number of intersections between the weft yarns 42 and the warp yarns 40, resulting in a small void ratio (approximately 5.7% in this embodiment). Furthermore, although the weft yarns 42A after weaving are shown in FIG. 2 as being arranged in a regular staggered pattern, in reality, they are a collection of weft fibers 42A and are not regularly arranged. Furthermore, the weft yarns 42 after weaving are a collection of many weft fibers 42A, and their width dimension is between three and five times their thickness dimension. More specifically, their thickness dimension is approximately 40 μm, while their width dimension is approximately 170 μm, making them approximately 4.2 times their thickness dimension. The weft yarn 42 has 15 or less weft fibers 42A in the thickness direction.

[0030] In the fabric material 10, for example, the spacing between the weft yarns 42, the number of weft yarns 42 per unit length in the direction of the warp yarns 40, etc. are determined to satisfy the above conditions. The weft yarns 42 of the fabric material 10 configured as described above have a cross-sectional area of ​​1000 μm 2 There are 80 or more weft fibers 42A per unit area.

[0031] The fabric material 10 configured as described above has excellent light reflecting properties, particularly excellent reflecting properties in the near-infrared region, and can effectively suppress temperature rise of an object covered with the fabric material 10. The effects of the fabric material 10 of this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0032] To evaluate the performance of the fabric material 10, a lamp irradiation test shown in FIG. 5 was carried out. In this test, a thermocouple 82, which is a temperature sensor, was first placed on the back surface of the sample 80, and a reflector lamp 84 (1000 W / m 2) light was irradiated. The maximum temperature detected after irradiation was evaluated. The sample 80 was made by attaching a fabric material 80B to a polypropylene substrate 80A. This test was carried out at room temperature.

[0033] The fabric material 80B of the sample 80 is the fabric material 10 of this embodiment. Example 1 apart from, Two examples and one Two comparative examples were prepared. Examples are The weft yarn was made using the above-mentioned composite fiber 50 (fiber diameter: about 13 μm) and had a weight of 60 g / m 2 It is a fabric that is considered to be of a certain quality. Example 2 The weft is made of round cross-section fibers with a single fiber diameter of 2 μm, and the weight is 60 g / m 2 It is a fabric that is considered to be of a certain quality. Example 3 The weft is made of round cross-section fibers with a single fiber diameter of 2 μm and a weight of 50 g / m 2 It is a fabric that is considered to be of a certain quality. Example 2 and Example 3 The weft thread has a thickness dimension of Example 1 The weft yarn 42 is flattened to about 40 μm in diameter, while the For example The weft yarn is oval in shape. Example 3 The weft threads are about 4.5 times larger in width than in thickness. Example 2 The weft thread is about 5.0 times thick.

[0034] As shown in Figure 6, the comparison of weft yarns made from fibers with a single fiber diameter of 1 μm or more and 5 μm or less Examples are In the lamp irradiation test, the temperature rose to 44.8°C, whereas the fabric material of the present invention uses flattened weft yarns with a single fiber diameter of 1 μm or more and 5 μm or less. Example 1, Example 2, Example 3 was 3°C or more lower than the comparative example, at around 40°C. Example 1, Example 2, Example 3It was confirmed that the temperature rise of the base material 80A was effectively suppressed. The weft yarns 42 as the first yarns are configured by arranging and bundling fibers having a single fiber diameter of 1 μm or more and 5 μm or less without twisting, and when molded into the fabric material, the fabric material has a wide shape in which the dimension in the width direction is larger than the dimension in the thickness direction, and at least six or more fibers 42A are overlapped in the thickness direction, and the fabric material has excellent heat-shielding performance.

[0035] In addition, the cross section of the fiber is circular. Example 2 and Example 3 However, the temperature reached 40.8℃ and 41.8℃, whereas the cross section of the fiber was triangular. Example 1 The temperature was 39.5°C. In other words, it was confirmed that the fabric material 10 formed using the first yarn composed of fibers with a single fiber diameter of 1 μm or more and 5 μm or less and a triangular cross-sectional shape has superior heat-shielding performance.

[0036] <Other embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. For example, the following embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present invention. (1) In the above embodiment, the cross-sectional shapes of the fibers are exemplified as being circular and triangular, but the cross-sectional shapes are not limited to these and may be irregular shapes such as polygonal. (2) In the above embodiment, the first yarn is used only as the weft of the woven fabric, but the woven fabric may also be formed using the first yarn as the warp. (3) In the above embodiment, the fabric material is a woven fabric, but it may be a knitted fabric. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 10... Fabric material (woven fabric), 40... Warp thread, 40A... Warp fiber, 42... Weft thread (first thread), 42A... Weft fiber, 50... Composite fiber, 58... Wedge portion (weft fiber)

Claims

1. A fabric material that is a woven or knitted fabric formed using a first yarn that is at least one type of yarn, The first yarn is The fiber has a single fiber diameter of 1 μm or more and 5 μm or less, and is arranged and bundled without being twisted. When molded into the fabric material, the fabric material has a thickness dimension of 30 μm or more and 300 μm or less, a width dimension greater than the thickness dimension, and a wide shape in which 6 to 15 fibers are stacked in the thickness direction.

2. The fabric material according to claim 1, wherein the first yarn has a width dimension that is between three and five times its thickness dimension when formed into the fabric material.

3. The fabric material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first yarns have 80 or more fibers per 1000 μm 2 of cross-sectional area when molded into the fabric material.

4. The fabric material according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is a woven fabric using the first yarn as at least one of a warp yarn and a weft yarn.

5. 5. The fabric material according to claim 1, wherein the fibers have a triangular cross-section.

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