Breathable light weight unidirectional laminates

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fibrous composite materials face challenges in achieving high strength, light weight, and breathability due to fiber crimping in woven fabrics and randomized orientation in non-woven felted fabrics, which limits their tensile strength and efficiency.

Innovation Solution

An open, non-woven fabric structure is created using high tenacity, high denier fibers or tapes with laterally spaced elongate bodies oriented at an angle, allowing for customized load carrying capacity and maintaining breathability by using a binder coating of less than 50% by weight, and laminating it to various substrates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If woven fabrics are used to achieve environmental resistance and breathability, then water vapor can pass through while blocking liquids, but fiber crimping reduces tensile strength and the ability to stay in tension

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironmental resistance and breathabilityVSAvoidtensile strength

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The fabric is divided into multiple layers with different functions: a breathable woven outer layer for environmental resistance and a non-woven inner layer for tensile strength. This segmentation allows each layer to optimize its specific function without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention combines woven fabric and non-woven fabric into a composite structure. The woven layer provides breathability and liquid barrier properties, while the non-woven layer contributes high tensile strength through straight fiber alignment, creating a material that exhibits properties superior to either component alone.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If non-woven felted fabrics are used to achieve breathability through porosity, then water vapor can pass through, but randomized fiber orientation reduces tensile strength

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovebreathabilityVSAvoidtensile strength

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The fabric is divided into multiple layers with different functions: a breathable woven outer layer for environmental resistance and a non-woven inner layer for tensile strength. This segmentation allows each layer to optimize its specific function without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention combines woven fabric and non-woven fabric into a composite structure. The woven layer provides breathability and liquid barrier properties, while the non-woven layer contributes high tensile strength through straight fiber alignment, creating a material that exhibits properties superior to either component alone.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Reliability

If low denier fibers are used in woven fabrics to achieve breathability, then porosity increases, but fiber strength and fabric durability decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovebreathabilityVSAvoidfiber strength

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The fabric is divided into multiple layers with different functions: a breathable woven outer layer for environmental resistance and a non-woven inner layer for tensile strength. This segmentation allows each layer to optimize its specific function without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the composite fabric have different fiber characteristics optimized for their specific functions. The woven layer uses low denier fibers optimized for breathability, while the non-woven layer uses high strength fibers optimized for tensile load bearing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS10443160B2Breathable light weight unidirectional laminates

Publication Date: 2019.10.15 SOLSTICE ADVANCED MATERIALS US INC

AI summary

Lightweight, breathable, non-woven fibrous materials and composite articles incorporating the same are provided. Composite articles are formed by merging an open, non-woven grid formed from high tenacity elongate bodies with at least one substrate, forming an article having excellent tensile strength, excellent breathability and a unique aesthetic appearance.