Abstract:
A printable moisture management fabric including a hydrophilic yarn layer, and first and second hydrophobic yarn layers. The first and second hydrophobic yarn layers may be respectively disposed against opposing faces of said hydrophilic yarn layer to sandwich said hydrophilic yarn layer between said respective first and second hydrophobic yarn layers. The first and second hydrophobic yarn layers may be printable on outer surfaces thereof.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/563,806 filed Apr. 21, 2004, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0002]     a. Field of Invention  
         [0003]     The invention relates generally to moisture management structured fabrics, and more particularly to fabrics and garments produced by the use of such moisture management structured fabrics and including predetermined hydrophilic and hydrophobic layers for facilitating absorption and evaporation of moisture, and for further facilitating printing on one or both sides of the fabric.  
         [0004]     b. Description of Related Art  
         [0005]     As discussed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/112,957, filed Apr. 2, 2002, titled “Composite Yarns and Moisture Management Fabrics Made Therefrom,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/113,286, filed Apr. 2, 2002, titled “Elastic Hydrophobic/Hydrophilic Composite Yarns and Moisture Management Elastic Fabrics Made Therefrom,” owned by Assignee herein and the respective disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, in recent years, “structured fabrics” (also referred to as “engineered fabrics”) have become very popular in many application areas of commercial interest. A particularly important subclass of such structured fabrics is referred to commonly as “moisture management” fabrics.  
         [0006]     An effective class of moisture management fabrics utilizes two or more fiber types in layered structures formed so that the two sides of the fabrics are distinctly different in character. In particular, each side of the fabric exhibits different performance characteristics and properties with regard to water and water vapor. The innermost layer, or the fabric side that comes into contact with the body of the wearer, is comprised substantially of hydrophobic fibers, while the outer layer is made up substantially of hydrophilic fibers.  
         [0007]     The principal end use application areas for moisture management fabrics are in active sportswear garments, work clothing, intimate apparel, exercise garments, and footwear. For uses in garments that contact the body of a physically active wearer, the moisture management fabrics act to prevent or minimize the collection of perspiration as a liquid against the body and in the interstices of the fabric layer next to the body of the wearer. The perspiration, in liquid or vapor form, leaves the skin surface and diffuses, or wicks, through the hydrophobic fibers and is absorbed by the hydrophilic fibers in the outer fabric layer. The perspiration that passes from the skin surface through the hydrophobic fibers is absorbed by the outer layer of hydrophilic fibers and, then, evaporated into the ambient atmosphere away from the body. The transport of moisture from the body of the wearer to the atmosphere in this manner increases the comfort level of the garment to the wearer by preventing or minimizing the formation of wet areas at the skin surface or in the fabric layer nearest the skin. Further, by avoiding the collection of liquid perspiration at the body surface and in the fabric next to the body, the insulating value of the garment is improved so that it feels warmer at low temperatures and cooler, due to an evaporative cooling effect, at higher ambient temperatures to the wearer.  
         [0008]     For many moisture management fabric applications, particularly in the areas of active sports and physical exercise wear, it is desirable that the moisture management garments exhibit a certain degree of printability for printing of patterns, text and various other designs thereon.  
         [0009]     Presently, as discussed above, most moisture management fabrics are structured so that the hydrophobic yarn is against the skin of the wearer and hydrophilic yarn (e.g., a hydrophilic fiber made from a modified nylon and marketed under the trade name, “Hydrofil”) is to the outside. Thus, hydrophobic yarns such as nylon and/or polyester yarns are disposed against the skin of the wearer and “Hydrofil” (a modified nylon) yarns are disposed to the outside, either alone or intermingled with a hydrophobic yarn.  
         [0010]     Nylons, and particularly a modified nylon (e.g., “Hydrofil”) generally make very poor substrates for printing. The pigments and dyes used in printing—particularly so, in transfer printing by sublimation—simply do not adhere very well to nylons or to many other natural and synthetic fibers. However, as discussed in the aforementioned &#39;957 and &#39;286 Applications, polyester can serve as an excellent substrate, and the composite yarns recited in the &#39;957 and &#39;286 Applications provide excellent printability. Printability in such fabrics is assured due to the embedded hydrophilic yarn within a matrix of hydrophobic filaments. Consequently, a fabric made using the composite yarns described in the &#39;957 and &#39;286 Applications, comprised of a “Hydrofil” (with or without spandex) yarn and a polyester yarn (i.e., a collection of polyester filaments), would always have polyester against the skin, and at the outside of the fabric, where it can serve as a stable substrate for prints.  
         [0011]     Although the composite yarn approach disclosed in the &#39;957 and &#39;286 Applications enables excellent printability, there remains a need for an economically cheaper alternative for producing excellent printing on moisture management fabrics for a variety of applications for which the costs associated with the composite yarn approach disclosed in the &#39;957 and &#39;286 Applications may be prohibitive.  
         [0012]     Referring now to the related-art fabrics of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,530,873 (&#39;873 Patent) and 5,486,500 (&#39;500 Patent), while the fabrics disclosed in the noted U.S. Patents are well known in the industry, none of the fabrics per the aforementioned U.S. Patents provide the advantages and benefits of the fabric structure according to the present invention.  
         [0013]     For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 of the &#39;873 Patent, the fabric includes outer cloth layer 2 made of polyester or nylon, water absorbent fabric layer 5 made of cotton and water permeable fabric layer 4, (Col. 10:44-57). Thus, while the &#39;873 Patent describes a conventional fabric structure having moisture management capabilities, based upon the written description of the &#39;873 Patent, the fabric structure is however not printable as is the case for the present invention.  
         [0014]     Referring to FIG. 1 of the &#39;500 Patent, the &#39;500 Patent discloses a printed towel including a first face 20 formed of a material able to receive printing and being generally non-absorbent, and a second face 30 formed of an absorbent material. As discussed above for the &#39;873 Patent, while the &#39;500 Patent describes a conventional printable fabric structure having moisture management properties, the fabric structure of the &#39;500 Patent however also does not provide the various benefits of the present invention fabric structure, as described in detail below.  
         [0015]     It would therefore be of benefit to provide a fabric including excellent printability and moisture management capabilities, and the capabilities of being manufactured in an economical and efficient manner.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]     The invention solves the aforementioned exemplary drawbacks and deficiencies of the prior art moisture management fabrics by providing a fabric structure including excellent printability and moisture management capabilities, and a variety of other benefits as discussed below.  
         [0017]     The present invention thus provides a printable moisture management fabric including one or more hydrophilic yarn layers, one or more first and second hydrophobic yarn layers. The first and second hydrophobic yarn layers may be respectively disposed against opposing faces of the hydrophilic yarn layer to sandwich the hydrophilic yarn layer between the respective first and second hydrophobic yarn layers. The first and second hydrophobic yarn layers may be printable on outer surfaces thereof.  
         [0018]     For the printable moisture management fabric defined above, the hydrophilic yarn layer may be made of polyester, and the hydrophobic yarn layer may be made of nylon. The fabric may be wearable by the first and/or second hydrophobic layers disposed against the skin of a wearer. The fabric may be double knit, wrap knit or woven. The first and/or the second hydrophobic yarn layers may include printing on the respective outer surface. The first and/or second hydrophobic yarn layers may include a flat or textured continuous filament yarn of polyester fiber. The hydrophilic yarn layer may include a flat or textured continuous filament modified 6-nylon or a spun staple yarn of a modified 6-nylon.  
         [0019]     Alternatively, the first and/or second hydrophobic yarn layers may include a flat or textured continuous filament yarn of polyester fiber. The hydrophilic yarn layer may include a flat or textured continuous filament or spun staple yarn of a modified 66-nylon.  
         [0020]     Yet further, the first and/or second hydrophobic yarn layers may include a staple yarn of polyester fiber. The hydrophilic yarn layer may include a flat or textured continuous filament modified 6-nylon or a spun staple yarn of a modified 6-nylon.  
         [0021]     Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the invention may be set forth or apparent from consideration of the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that both the foregoing summary of the invention and the following detailed description are exemplary and intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the invention as claimed.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0022]     The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and together with the detail description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:  
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is an illustrative view of a printable moisture management fabric according to the present invention, illustrating the various layers of the fabric. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]     Referring now  FIG. 1 , there is illustrated a printable moisture management fabric according to the present invention, generally designated DRI-LEX fabric  10  (DRI-LEX being a registered Trademark of Faytex Corp.).  
         [0025]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , fabric  10  according to the present invention may include at least three sandwiched layers, which in the particular embodiment of  FIG. 1  includes hydrophilic (e.g., “Hydrofil”) yarn layer  12  sandwiched between hydrophobic (e.g., polyester) yarn layers  14 ,  16 . Those skilled in the art would appreciate in view of this disclosure that since hydrophobic yarn layers  14 ,  16  are disposed symmetrically about hydrophilic yarn layer  12 , garments and the like produced by fabric  10  may be worn with hydrophobic yarn layers  14  or  16  disposed against the skin of a wearer. The aforementioned configuration of fabric  10  thus provides hydrophobic yarn (i.e. layers  14  or  16 ) against the skin, backed up by a layer of hydrophilic yarn (i.e. layer  12 ). Accordingly, while hydrophobic yarn layers  14  or  16  absorb moisture passing through inner hydrophilic layer  12 , this moisture is evaporated through the outer hydrophobic yarn layer  16  or  14  to the atmosphere. The outer layer ( 14  or  16 ) thus allows moisture vapor to escape easily to the atmosphere, but also serves as a good substrate for printing.  
         [0026]     For manufacturing garments and the like, fabric  10  may be knit either with double knit circular knitting machines or with wrap knitting machines having three or more needle bars, or woven as needed. Moreover, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , fabric  10  may be printed on either or both surfaces of hydrophobic yarn layers  14 ,  16 , at  20 ,  18  respectively.  
         [0027]     Fabric  10  according to the present invention thus provides a variety of advantages over conventional moisture management fabrics. For example, as discussed above, fabric  10  may be printed with equal ease on either or both surfaces of hydrophobic yarn layers  14 ,  16 . Fabric  10  also provides effective moisture management, irrespective of which side of the fabric is in contact with the skin of a wearer.  
         [0028]     With regard to printability on hydrophobic yarn layers  14 ,  16 , fabric  10  according to the present invention also provides a variety of advantages over conventional moisture management fabrics. For example, fabrics in which both nylon and polyester yarns are at the surfaces can be somewhat difficult to dye to even colors. In such fabrics, two dyestuffs must be utilized in a two-step dyeing process, one dye for the polyester (e.g., a disperse dye) and another dye for the nylon (e.g., an acid dye). Since fabric  10  according to the present invention includes polyester on both sides (see  FIG. 1 ), the fabric may be readily dyed with only one dyestuff in a single dyeing step.  
         [0029]     Fabric  10  according to the present invention is also advantageous over conventional moisture management fabrics in the final appearance thereof. For example, with regard to nylon yarns, it is known that nylon yarns are much more subject to yellowing than are polyester yarns. The yellowing is caused by atmospheric conditions such as UV-light, nitrogen oxides generated by burning coal, gas, and other fuels, active chlorine (i.e. as present in swimming pools and bleaches), and other factors. For the fabric according to the present invention, since the nylon hydrophilic (i.e., “Hydrofil”) layer  12  is beneath the more resistant hydrophobic (i.e. polyester) yarn layers  14 ,  16 , any slight yellowing is hidden from view by the layers of hydrophobic (i.e. polyester) yarn  14 ,  16 .  
         [0030]     As discussed above, various modifications may be made to fabric  10  without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, fabric  10  may include a plurality of layers of hydrophilic (i.e., “Hydrofil”) yarn, so long as the hydrophilic yarn layers are sandwiched between hydrophobic yarn layers. Additionally, instead of nylon and polyester, a variety of other known hydrophilic or hydrophobic yarn layers may be utilized.  
         [0031]     From the foregoing it can be seen that a simple and economical moisture management fabric has been devised having excellent printability for a variety of applications.  
         [0032]     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those particular embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.