Down-fill quilted fabric with combination stitched lines and tack stitches

A down-fill quilted fabric comprised of stitched lines and tack stitches as well as the method of fabrication of the fabric is described. A down-fill material is disposed between fabric sheets which are secured together by stitched lines. A plurality of tack stitches are disposed between the stitch lines to compress the down-fill material to reduce the thickness of the quilted fabric by at least twice the normal loft of the down-fill material while maintaining pliability of the fabric. The tack stitches eliminates stitch lines which produce cold spots and which add rigidity to the fabric. Such quilted fabric may be used as outer or inner fabric pieces in the manufacture of articles of apparel, for the fabrication of bedding quilts or other articles wherein an insulating fabric is desired.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present invention relates to a down-fill quilted fabric having 
spaced-apart stitch lines and a plurality of tack stitches whereby to 
compress the down-fill material to reduce the thickness thereof while 
maintaining pliability of the fabric. 
BACKGROUND ART 
In my U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,700 issued on Apr. 25th, 1995, I describe a 
down-fill fabric and wherein the thickness of the down-fill material is 
reduced from its normal loft by cross-stitched patterns which delineate 
small areas over the entire surface of the fabric. As described in that 
Patent such material may be used as an inner lining material or the outer 
layer of an article of apparel. Such material has found many utilities in 
the fabrication of articles of apparel. However, because of the closely 
stitched pattern, the insulation value of the material is reduced as the 
stitched lines produce cold spots because the material is highly 
compressed and does not provide insulation along the stitched lines. Also, 
the closely spaced stitch line adds rigidity and stiffness to the material 
and this eliminates certain applications thereof where material softness 
and pliability is desirable. Another inconvenience is in the fabrication 
of this thermally insulated fabric in that the many stitch lines required 
to produce the composite cross-stitch pattern while compressing the 
down-fill material is labour intensive. There was therefore the need to 
produce a down-fill quilted fabric wherein the down could be compressed, 
the stitch lines reduced to a minimum to reduce cold spots and wherein the 
fabric would retain its softness and pliability. 
SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
It is therefore a feature of the present invention to provide a quilted 
fabric which substantially meets the above need and reduces the 
above-mentioned inconveniences. 
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a quilted fabric 
which is comprised of a down-fill material sandwiched between opposed 
fabric sheets and retained therein, in compression by spaced-apart stitch 
lines and a plurality of tack stitches. 
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a method of 
producing the quilted fabric as afore-mentioned including stitch lines and 
tack stitches. 
According to the above features, from a broad aspect, the present invention 
provides a quilted fabric comprising a pair of opposed fabric sheets 
secured together by spaced-apart stitch lines. A down-fill material is 
disposed between the fabric sheets. A plurality of tack stitches are 
disposed between the stitch lines to compress the down-fill material to 
reduce the thickness of the quilted fabric while maintaining pliability of 
the fabric. 
According to a further broad aspect of the present invention there is 
provided a method of producing quilted fabric and which comprises 
positioning down-fill material between opposed fabric sheets. Spaced-apart 
stitch lines are then stitched between the fabric sheets to secure the 
down-fill material between the fabric sheets. A plurality of tack stitches 
are then formed between the stitch lines to compress the down-fill 
material to reduce the thickness of the quilted fabric while maintaining 
pliability of the fabric. 
According to a further broad aspect of the present invention there is 
provided a quilted fabric and a method of making same and wherein the 
down-fill material is compressed to at least twice the normal loft thereof 
without substantially reducing the thermal insulation value of the fabric.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, there is 
shown generally at 10 the quilted fabric of the present invention and 
which is formed by opposed fabric sheets, herein a top material sheet 11 
and a bottom material sheet 12 and having a down-fill material or other 
fluffy material 13 sandwiched therebetween. The quilted fabric is formed 
by stitching spaced-apart stitch lines 14 at spaced intervals or in any 
pattern form to interconnect the outer and inner fabric sheets 11 and 12 
and to maintain the down-fill material 13 substantially immovably between 
these fabric sheets. The stitch lines 14 may extend parallel to each other 
and may criss-cross to form patterns, but preferably these stitch lines 
should be spaced-apart as far as possible, usually a distance of about 6 
inches, whereby to reduce the formation of "cold spots" along the stitch 
lines. 
FIG. 2 shows the stitch lines 14 which connect the outer and inner fabric 
pieces to one another. As can be seen the thermal insulating down-fill 
material 13 within the area of the stitch lines 14 is compressed and 
therefore the thermal insulating value in the area of the stitches is 
substantially reduced thus forming the so called "cold spot". However, it 
is desirable to maintain the down-fill material in position and 
substantially evenly distributed throughout the fabric. To accomplish 
this, I have found that by producing tack stitches 15 having an inner 
thread length 15' and in a predetermined pattern or any other suitable 
patterns along the areas between the stitch lines 14 or any other 
patterned stitched lines that I can maintain the down-fill material in 
position and compress down it to at least half the normal left thickness 
of the down-fill material when in its natural, uncompressed state. This 
substantially reduces the formation of cold spot while producing a quilted 
fabric which is thinner than standard quilted fabric without the tack 
stitches due to the fact that the thickness of the normal loft of the 
down-fill is reduced. Furthermore, these tack stitches retain the 
pliability and softness of the fabric by eliminating as much as possible 
the stitch lines 14 which form rigid lines. 
As can be seen from FIG. 2 the tack stitches 15 are comprised of the 
threads 15' having a predetermined length to interconnect the opposed 
fabric sheets 11 and 12 but spaced from one another whereby to form an 
internal gap 16 between the opposed stitch areas 17 and 17' and throughout 
which down-fill material 13 is compressed somewhat but still provides 
thermal insulation in the gap 17. 
In FIG. 6 the loosetack stitch 15' is provided at an angle of inclination 
to produce slanted thread stitches which I have found allows interstitial 
portions 11" and 12" of the fabric to slant against each other in the 
areas 11' and 12' to produce a very soft and appliable fabric sheet. It is 
also possible to make a tight tack stitch as shown at 15" wherein opposed 
fabric sheets 11 and 12 touch each other or are brought together. 
FIG. 3 illustrates a normal quilted fabric 20 of the prior art. As 
hereinshown the fabric 20 is comprised of opposed fabric sheets 21 and 22 
having a down-fill material 23 sandwiched therebetween and retained in 
position by stitch lines 24. A plurality of the stitch lines are provided 
and may be patterned as desired. With normal quilt stitching the stitch 
lines 24 are usually spaced apart between 3 to 7 inches and the loft rise 
is usually between 2 to 5 inches depending on the quilt pattern size and 
the quality of the down-fill material 23. As shown in FIG. 4 by providing 
my tack stitches 15 between the stitch lines 24 and with a loose thread 
15' having a length in the range of between 1/16 to 1/2 an inch and which 
allow the down-fill material to extend through the gap 16 to avoid cold 
spots, I reduce the overhall thickness of the down-fill material within 
the range of less than 1 to 21/2 inches. My tack stitches are spaced apart 
a distance of between about 3/4 to 2 inches depending on the use of the 
fabric and the quality of the down-fill material. 
In FIG. 3 the letter "y" illustrates the thickness of a prior art quilted 
fabric. The distance "X" is that distance between adjacent stitch lines 
24, and as can be seen in FIG. 4 this distance as now appearing as X1, 
includes a plurality of tack stitches 15 therebetween. This distance X1 is 
enlarged in FIG. 5 to better illustrate that the thickness Y1 of the loft 
has been reduce to at least twice that of the thickness Y illustrated in 
FIG. 3 and with the down-fill material 13 extending through the gap 16 
created by the tack stitches 15. 
The method of fabrication comprises positioning the down-fill material 13 
between opposed fabric sheets 11 and 12 which my be die-cut to a pattern 
whereby to produce an article of clothing as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. 
Stitched-apart stitch lines 14 are then formed to secure the 
down-fill-material between the fabric sheets. A plurality of tack stitches 
15 are also formed between the stitch lines 14 to compress the down-fill 
material to reduce the thickness of the quilted fabric while maintaining 
pliability thereof. The fabric material thus formed has a reduced 
thickness, excellent thermal insulating values, provides an aesthetically 
pleasing design and may be used to produce an article of apparel 30, as 
shown in FIG. 7, wherein the quilted fabric 10 is used as the outer fabric 
of the article of apparel. In FIG. 8 the quilted fabric 10 of the present 
invention is hereinshown used as an inner liner for the article of apparel 
31. FIG. 9 shows a bedding quilt 32 formed with the quilted fabric 10 of 
the present invention. 
It is within the ambit of the present invention to cover any obvious 
modifications of the examples of the preferred embodiment described 
herein, provided such modifications fall within the scope of the appended 
claims. For example it is also intended to form patterned pouches having a 
down-fill material therein and the pauch closed by contour stitching. The 
down-fill is then secured in place and compressed by tack stitches 
distributed throughout the surface area of the patterned pauch. The tack 
stitches may be loose tack stitches 15' or light tack stitches 15".