Patent Publication Number: US-6708528-B2

Title: High-elasticity wet suit fabric

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a high-elasticity wet suit fabric, more particularly to a high-elasticity fabric exclusively for production of wet suits with high elasticity and comfort. 
     2. The Related Art 
     Traditionally, the fabric piece for production of wet suits is a one-sided knitted cloth made of 100% nylon and laminated with an artificial rubber sponge. However, since wet suits must be a good fit, the conventional wet suits made of the aforementioned fabric piece, that has only single-directional low elasticity, restricts the movement of the joints of a wearer. In addition, since each part of the human body is different, the constraint needed for individual parts of the wearer&#39;s body is variable. However, the conventional wet suits are not capable to meet this demand and make wearers uncomfortable due to poor fit of such wet suits. 
     The present invention provides a high-elasticity wet suit fabric to alleviate the aforementioned disadvantages of the conventional wet suits. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide a high-elasticity wet suit fabric with better flexibility for the joints of a wearer&#39;s body in comparison with the conventional wet suit fabric pieces and reduce uncomfortable constraint on individual parts of the human body. 
     The wet suit fabric of the present invention is made of fine count artificial fibers with fine denier counts and elastic yams with high elongation and recovery capabilities, and knitted with a high-speed circular knitting machine. The wet suit fabric made under such conditions has a higher density and elongation than the conventional single-sided knitted cloth made of 100% nylon. 
     After treated in a dyeing and finishing process, the wet suit fabric is laminated with a layer of artificial rubber sponge to form a fabric piece that is suitable for the production of wet suits and other related products. The wet suits made of such fabric are more fitted, softer and more comfortable. 
     The present invention will be described in details with reference to the attached drawings, in which: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a high-elasticity wet suit fabric of the present invention laminated to one single side; and 
     FIG. 2 shows a high-elasticity wet suit fabric of the present invention laminated to both sides. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The method for production of high-elasticity wet suit fabric in accordance with the present invention is divided into two phases: (1) manufacturing high-elasticity wet suit fabric and (2) lamination of artificial rubber sponge. 
     Phase I: Manufacturing High-Elasticity Wet Suit Fabric 
     The high-elasticity wet suit fabric of the present invention is made of fine count artificial fibers with fine denier counts and elastic yams with high elongation and recovery capabilities, and has a texture designed on the basis of elastic features. Such a fabric is knitted with a high-speed circular knitting machine and treated in a dyeing and finishing process. 
     The yarn used in the aforementioned process is made of artificial fibers having a specification below 100 deniers. The fine yarn below 100 deniers is light in weight and capable to reduce absorbency of fabrics. The fabric made under such conditions is thinner and has a better adhesion resistance capability, a smoother surface and an excellent breakage strength. Having been knitted with elastic PU fibers having a specification below 40 deniers and high elongation and recovery capabilities, the wet suit fabric of the present invention has a high elongation capability and a high density as the basis for the high adhesion resistance capability. 
     In the aforementioned process, a plain knit is designed to give the wet suit fabric a highest elongation capability. The nylon fibers and elastic PU fibers are fed simultaneously with each feeder of the loom. The knitting machine is readjusted to a 100 to 250 gram/yard ratio for the gray cloth and the gray cloth is 54 to 60 inches in the breadth. 
     Such a fabric is knitted with a loom having a needle size 28 gauge or more, so as to create a high knitting density, reach the expected adhesion resistance level and bring an excellent elongation to laminated finished products. In the knitting process, the tension of the nylon yarns and the elastic PU fibers are appropriately controlled, and a higher tension of the lower fabric is applied to the loom to make the surface of the fabric, having a high content of elastic PU fibers, smooth and produce an excellent touch and a good adhesion resistance effect. 
     After being dyed, shaped and otherwise treated in the process, the gray cloth of the high-elasticity wet suit fabric is in the 100 to 250 gram/yard ratio and is 54 to 60 inches in the breadth, and the elastic elongation in both the vertical and horizontal directions is more than 200%. 
     The high-elasticity fabric 20 of the present invention is produced in the aforementioned process. 
     Phase II: Lamination of Artificial Rubber Sponge 
     In a lamination process, the polypropylene wet suit fabric of the present invention  20  is laminated with an artificial rubber sponge  10 . The thickness of the artificial rubber sponge  10  can be any of a plurality of thicknesses. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the polypropylene wet suit fabric is capable of being laminated on one single side or both sides with a binder  30 , respectively. The laminated polypropylene fabric is then made to be a polypropylene wet suit fabric piece with high elasticity at a special elasticity-processing stage. 
     The differences between the performances of the present invention and the conventional wet suit fabric are shown in attached Table 1, including bursting strength (kgf/c m 2 ), elongation at specified load (%/4.5 kg), tensile breaking strength (kg), 60% elastic modulus (kg/60%), 120 elastic modulus (kg/120%) and absorbency (%). 
     As shown in Table 1, the present invention is obviously better in performance than the conventional wet suit fabric, especially in the aspects of elastic elongation, low modulus, low absorbency and high adhesion resistance capability. In the application to professional wet suits, the present invention is more comfortable, flexible and fitted for wearers in comparison with conventional wet suit fabrics, and is capable to provide higher value in industrial applications. 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
               
               
                   
                   
                 Conventional 
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                   
                 Wet Suit 
                 The Present 
               
               
                 Test Item 
                 Direction 
                 Fabric 
                 Invention 
                 Tester 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 Bursting 
                 #N/A 
                 10 
                 10 
                 Mullen 
               
               
                 Strength 
                   
                   
                   
                 Bursting 
               
               
                 (kgf/cm 2 ) 
                   
                   
                   
                 Strength 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Tester (15 × 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 15 cm/PC) 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 Elongation at 
                 WARP 
                 Fabric 
                 120 
                 greater than 
                 CRE/Grab 
               
               
                 Specified Load 
                   
                   
                   
                 200 
                 Method 
               
               
                 (%/4.5 kg) 
                 WARP 
                 Fabric 
                 90 
                 greater than 
                 (Fabric &amp; 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Piece 
                   
                 180 
                 Fabric 
               
               
                   
                 WEFT 
                 Fabric 
                 170 
                 greater than 
                 Piece/Clamp 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 200 
                 Width 1″) 
               
               
                   
                 WEFT 
                 Fabric 
                 140 
                 greater than 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Piece 
                   
                 180 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 Tensile 
                 WARP 
                 28 
                 20 
                 CRE/Strip 
               
               
                 Breaking 
                 WEFT 
                 21 
                 26 
                 Method (2.54 × 
               
               
                 Strength (kg) 
                   
                   
                   
                 12 cm/PC) 
               
               
                 60% elastic 
                 WARP 
                 1.7 
                 0.3 
                 CRE/Strip 
               
               
                 modulus 
                 WEFT 
                 0.9 
                 0.3 
                 Method (2.54 × 
               
               
                 (kg/60%) 
                   
                   
                   
                 12 cm/PC) 
               
               
                 120% Elastic 
                 WARP 
                 — 
                 0.7 
                 CRE/Strip 
               
               
                 Modulus 
                 WEFT 
                 2.6 
                 0.6 
                 Method (2.54 × 
               
               
                 (kg/120%) 
                   
                   
                   
                 12 cm/PC) 
               
               
                 Absorbency 
                 #N/A 
                 100% 
                 71% 
                 Comparative 
               
               
                 (Nylon = 100%) 
                   
                   
                   
                 Test (10 × 10 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 cm/PC) 
               
               
                 Durability 
                 #N/A 
                 50 
                 greater than 
                 (30 × 20 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 50 
                 cm/PC) 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     Although the substantial functions and uniqueness of the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it should be under stood that it is in no way limited to the details of such embodiment but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.