Composite down feather sheet with elastic webs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing down insulation technologies face challenges in maintaining alignment and secure attachment of down feathers within fabric articles during manufacturing and use, particularly in apparel, where stretching and washing processes can cause displacement and friction, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A composite down insulating sheet with a core of bound down feathers bonded between opposed elastic adhesive webs, allowing for secure attachment to fabric sheets and resistance to displacement through heat treatment, ensuring firm retention and uniform thermal insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If down feathers are retained by a chemical binder in a homogeneous sheet, then manipulation during manufacturing is improved, but the down feathers can still displace during washing and drying due to pulling forces
Solution Approach 1:
The down sheet is divided into multiple down-containing layers, each independently secured to fabric layers. This segmentation ensures that even if one layer experiences displacement forces, the overall insulation structure remains intact and aligned, resolving the reliability issue during washing and drying while maintaining manufacturing ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic adhesive webs are pre-applied to the fabric layers before the down feathers are inserted. This preliminary action ensures that the down feathers are immediately captured and held in position as they are inserted through the fabric, preventing displacement during subsequent manufacturing steps and washing processes.
2Manufacturing precision
If stitching patterns are used to bind material together in alignment, then alignment during cutting is improved, but manufacturing time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical stitching system is replaced with an elastic adhesive web system. The adhesive webs provide alignment and binding functions through chemical adhesion rather than mechanical stitching, eliminating the time-consuming stitching process while maintaining precise alignment during cutting and assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
Elastic adhesive webs are introduced as an intermediary element between fabric layers. These webs serve as a mediator that provides both alignment guidance during cutting and secure bonding during assembly, replacing the need for intricate stitching patterns and significantly reducing manufacturing time.
3Reliability
If elastic adhesive webs are bonded to down core layer, then secure attachment to fabric sheets is improved, but the complexity of the down sheet structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
Thin elastic adhesive film webs are used to provide secure attachment between the down core layer and fabric sheets. These thin films maintain a simple overall structure while providing reliable bonding, avoiding the need for complex rigid attachment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic adhesive webs serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide structural support, enable secure attachment to fabric, allow for elastic stretching during washing, and facilitate heat treatment bonding. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, maintaining structural simplicity while achieving reliable attachment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a stretchable and breathable down insulation that remains firmly secured within fabric articles, reducing friction and preventing down feather displacement during use and washing, while simplifying manufacturing by eliminating the need for intricate stitching patterns and ensuring consistent thermal performance.
Implementation Method 1
a web of elastic stretchable adhesive is bonded to at least one of the opposed flat faces of the core
Implementation Method 2
conveyed through an oven set at a predetermined temperature to cause the chemical agent to bind to the down feathers and the web of stretchable elastic adhesive to bind to a bottom surface of the core
Implementation Method 3
an insulating core of down feathers bound together by a chemical binding agent
Data Source
AI summary
A composite down feather sheet is comprised of an insulating core of down feathers bound together by a chemical binding agent or binding fibers or combination thereof. The core of down feathers is of substantially constant thickness and defines opposed flat faces to which is bonded a web of stretchable elastic adhesive. The method of fabricating the composite down insulating fabric sheet is also described as well as the method of bonding the composite down insulating fabric sheet to an outer shell fabric and a liner fabric to provide a composite sheet which facilitate the manufacture of down feather insulated fabric articles.