Porous Adhesive Composite Fabric for Soft Shell
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Solution Overview
Problem
Soft shell fabrics are expensive due to the need for stretch woven fabrics and complex lamination processes, which compromise on cost, durability, and breathability while maintaining wearer comfort and weather resistance.
Innovation Solution
A method involving casting a foamed liquid adhesive onto a smooth release-coated web, applying a fabric to the adhesive layer, drying, and then depositing a liquid skin coat composition onto an embossed substrate to create a porous adhesive-coated composite fabric with controlled porosity, mimicking the appearance and handle of woven fabrics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If stretch woven fabrics are used to provide elasticity and stretch, then wearer comfort is improved, but manufacturing cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive stretch woven fabrics with inexpensive knit fabrics that can be easily manufactured. The stretch functionality is achieved through the laminate structure itself rather than requiring expensive stretch woven materials, effectively substituting a cheap base material with a functional composite structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite laminate structure combining knit fabric with thermoplastic adhesive layers. This composite approach provides the stretch and comfort properties of knit fabrics while adding the durability and structure needed for outerwear, achieving the desired performance without relying on expensive stretch woven fabrics.
2Strength
If conventional lamination processes are used to bind layers, then structural integrity is maintained, but breathability and air permeability are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs thermoplastic adhesive layers with controlled porosity that contain numerous small holes or voids. These porous structures allow air and moisture vapor to pass through while the thermoplastic material maintains the bond between layers. The porosity is engineered to provide both structural integrity and breathability simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls the physical and chemical parameters of the thermoplastic adhesive, including its melting temperature, viscosity, and porosity. By adjusting these parameters, the adhesive can be optimized to provide strong bonding at processing temperatures while maintaining open porous structures at service temperatures that enable breathability and moisture vapor transmission.
3Reliability
If porous adhesive layers are introduced to improve breathability, then air permeability increases, but adhesive bonding strength may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The thermoplastic adhesive's bonding strength is temperature-dependent. During lamination, the adhesive is heated above its melting point where it flows and creates strong bonds. When cooled to service temperatures, it solidifies while maintaining its porous structure. This parameter change allows the adhesive to provide both strong bonding and breathability at different stages of the product lifecycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermoplastic adhesive is designed to provide its bonding function before the breathability function is critically needed. During the lamination process, the adhesive creates the structural bond that holds the laminate together. Subsequently, the same adhesive layer provides breathability during garment use, effectively cushioning or preparing the structure in advance.
4Ease of operation
If knit fabrics are used to provide stretch, then elasticity is improved, but durability and resistance to snagging deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite laminate where knit fabric provides stretch and comfort while the thermoplastic adhesive layers and outer shell provide durability, abrasion resistance, and protection against snags. The combination of materials compensates for the weaknesses of each individual component.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermoplastic adhesive layers act as flexible protective shells that encase and protect the knit fabric. These thin film layers provide a durable barrier that resists snags, abrasion, and environmental damage while allowing the knit fabric underneath to maintain its stretch and elasticity properties.
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 method produces a cost-effective, air-permeable composite fabric with enhanced durability, water repellency, and abrasion resistance, matching the properties of traditional stretch woven-faced soft shell fabrics while maintaining softness and stretchability.
Implementation Method 1
casting a foamed liquid adhesive onto a smooth release-coated web to provide a porous adhesive layer on the web
Implementation Method 2
depositing onto an embossed casting substrate a layer of liquid skin coat composition
Implementation Method 3
drying the first wet composite to fix the porous adhesive layer to the first surface of the fabric
Data Source
AI summary
A method for preparing a composite fabric includes: casting a foamed liquid adhesive onto a smooth release-coated web; applying a fabric to the wet adhesive; fixing the adhesive to the fabric by drying; removing the release-coated web from the adhesive coated intermediate; depositing onto an embossed casting substrate a layer of liquid skin coat composition; applying the porous adhesive layer of the adhesive-coated intermediate to the wet skin layer; drying to fix the skin layer to the adhesive-coated intermediate; and separating the embossed casting substrate from the dried composite to provide the composite fabric. The resulting composite fabrics look and feel like soft shell composite fabrics.