阅读说明：本技术 三层织物隔热材料及其制造方法和装置 (Three-layer fabric heat insulating material and method and apparatus for manufacturing the same ) 是由 韦约·图奥里涅米 于 2018-05-02 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明描述了一种三层隔热材料(10),其包括第一织物层(12)、第二织物层(14)以及在第一织物层和第二织物层(12、14)之间的第三带凹槽的中间织物层(16),带凹槽的中间织物层(16)通过纵向接缝(18a-18n)交替地附接至第一织物层和第二织物层(12、14),形成用于隔热材料(22)的纵向通道(20a-20n),在每个纵向通道(20a-20n)内具有单独的隔热材料(22)束。还公开了一种用于制造该材料的方法和装置。(A three-layer insulation material (10) is described, comprising a first fabric layer (12), a second fabric layer (14) and a third grooved intermediate fabric layer (16) between the first and second fabric layers (12, 14), the grooved intermediate fabric layer (16) being attached alternately to the first and second fabric layers (12, 14) by longitudinal seams (18a-18n) forming longitudinal channels (20a-20n) for insulation material (22), with a separate bundle of insulation material (22) within each longitudinal channel (20a-20 n). A method and apparatus for making the material is also disclosed.)

1. A triple-layer insulation (10) comprising a first fabric layer (12), a second fabric layer (14) and a third grooved intermediate fabric layer (16) between the first and second fabric layers (12, 14), the grooved intermediate fabric layer (16) being attached alternately to the first and second fabric layers (12, 14) by longitudinal seams (18a-18n) forming longitudinal channels (20a-20n) for insulation (22) and forming separate bundles of insulation (22) within each longitudinal channel (20a-20n), characterized in that the longitudinal seams (18a-18n) are seams and the first and second fabric layers (12, 14) are laser welded fabrics transparent to infrared light, and the third grooved central fabric layer (16) is infrared absorbing.

2. Three-layer insulation according to claim 1, characterised in that the third grooved middle fabric layer (16) is made infrared absorbent by applying an infrared absorbent to the surface.

3. A method for manufacturing a three-layer insulation material (10), the method comprising the steps of:

-introducing a first fabric layer (12), a second fabric layer (14) and a grooved intermediate fabric layer (16),

-attaching the grooved intermediate fabric layer (16) alternately to the first fabric layer (12) and the second fabric layer (14) to form a plurality of longitudinal channels (20a-20n), and

-simultaneously forming said longitudinal channels (20a-20n), each channel (20a-20n) being filled with a separate bundle of insulating material (22).

4. The method for manufacturing a three-layer insulation (10) according to claim 3, wherein the first (12) and second (14) fabric layers are attached to the grooved middle fabric layer (16) by stitching.

5. The method for manufacturing a three-layer insulation (10) according to claim 3, wherein the first (12) and second (14) fabric layers are attached to the grooved middle fabric layer (16) by laser welding.

6. The method for manufacturing a three-layer insulation (10) according to claim 3, wherein the first (12) and second (14) fabric layers are attached to the grooved middle fabric layer (16) by ultrasonic welding.

7. A method for manufacturing a three-layer insulating material (10) according to claim 3, characterised in that the first (12) and second (14) fabric layers are attached to the grooved middle fabric layer (16) by adhesive bonding.

8. Process for manufacturing a three-layer insulating material (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that said first (12) and second (14) textile layers are chosen as infrared-transparent textiles and said third grooved intermediate textile layer (16) is chosen as an infrared-absorbing textile.

9. The method for manufacturing a three-layer insulating material (10) according to claim 5 or 8, characterised in that the third grooved middle fabric layer (16) is made infrared absorbent by applying an infrared absorbent to the surface.

10. An apparatus for manufacturing a three-layer insulation material (10), the apparatus comprising: an upper guide element (30) for the first fabric layer (12); a lower guide element (32) for the second fabric layer (14); and the following means (34, 36): the device is used for guiding a fabric layer (16) to an attachment position for attaching the first and second fabric layers (12, 14) by means of an attachment device and making a groove for the fabric layer (16) at the attachment position, wherein the first fabric layer (12) is attached to a first side of the grooved intermediate layer (16) and the second fabric layer (14) is attached to a second side of the grooved intermediate layer (16) thereby forming longitudinal bundle channels (20a-20n), characterized in that a plurality of guide devices are installed at the attachment position for introducing insulation material (22) to each longitudinal bundle channel (20a-20n) respectively, and the attachment device is located on both the upper side and the lower side of the three layers of insulation material (10).

11. Device for manufacturing a three-layered insulating material (10), according to claim 10, characterised in that said attachment means are stitching means.

12. Device for manufacturing a three-layer insulating material (10), according to claim 10, characterised in that said attachment means are laser welding means (40).

13. Device for manufacturing a three-layer insulating material (10), according to claim 10, characterised in that said attachment means are ultrasonic welding means.

14. Device for manufacturing a three-layered insulating material (10) according to claim 10, characterised in that said attachment means are adhesive bonding means.

Technical Field

The disclosed invention relates to a triple-layer woven insulation material having a corrugated middle layer, wherein a plurality of insulation bodies are respectively guided to a plurality of corrugated bundle channels extending in the fabric length direction. The insulation is not attached to the fabric but merely floats in the bundle channel by friction between the insulation and the fabric wall. The insulation is specifically designed for garments, bedding, sleeping bags, and the like. A method and apparatus for manufacturing the insulation is also disclosed.

Background

In US 2607104, corrugated two and three layer fabrics are described, which have high elasticity for lateral compression. The elastic resistance of such fabrics to lateral compression is described to provide cushioning comparable to sponge rubber. Triple layer fabrics include a top fabric, a bottom fabric, and a stiffer middle fabric, which are woven in a single operation. To form the three-dimensional shape, the top and bottom fabrics are shrunk by heat treatment. The unshrunk middle layer will form a corrugated fabric layer. In order to open the channel for filling, the shrinking process must be completed after weaving. Thus, filling is a separate operation for the insulation material after weaving and shrinking the fabric, if it is entirely industrially feasible. However, the material disclosed in this document is configured to keep the corrugated channels open even under considerable pressure by the harder intermediate layer. It is also uneconomical to manufacture a triple layer fabric and if any insulation is introduced in the process, it should be done in the weaving process, which is not found in the specification.

The insulating properties can be improved by filling the corrugated channels with insulating fibers. US 2607104 suggests filling strands with an inflatable rubber-like material such as vinyl chloride strips, which material expands under heat and fills the channels; or alternatively glass fibers. Although this document suggests filling the channels with insulating material, it does not provide information on how to proceed in an industrial manner, nor does it suggest that the material is suitable for use in garment manufacture.

GB 1390609 describes an insulating material having two sheets of material, wherein each of the two sheets of insulating material is attached by stitching to one of the layers forming the composite insulating material. The corrugated (e.g., grooved) surface couples together the peaks of the corrugations, which are dispersed in the corrugation folds of the other sections in one section, so that the stitching of one section does not overlap the stitching of the other section, whereby the two sections together provide a composite insulation material having uniform insulation across the entire width of the material without cold bridging caused by pinholes. However, the insulating material lacks a third intermediate fabric layer that couples the two sheets together and provides an additional air sealing layer. In its simplest form, insulation is just two common quilted insulation materials that are placed back-to-back together and remain only naturally bonded together and have irregular surfaces.

An apparatus manufactured by applying an alternating quilting method is disclosed in US 2014-0250575A. Multiple layers may be arranged in groups of layers, and the layers of each group of layers may be stitched to one another so that stitches may be formed. The spaces between the layers of each layer set may be filled with an insulating material. The sets may be offset relative to one another such that the stitches of one set are blocked by regions of another set that are rich in insulating material for the purpose of preventing cool air from passing through the alternating quilting structure from the pinholes. This is an expensive solution because the two insulation layers need to be quilted and the parts must be carefully placed in the proper positions relative to each other.

US 3805720 describes a quilted structure having a special seam construction, i.e. tuck-in tucks, which prevent fraying, snagging, and tearing of the seam lines. This structure can only be sewn by sewing each seam individually, and is not suitable for manufacture by a quilting machine.

WO 2014/190319a1 discloses an insulating material comprising a layer of lining material; a face material layer; at least one continuous layer of synthetic insulation disposed between the layer of lining material and the layer of facing material; the filler is disposed between the liner material layer and the face material layer; one or more first seams couple the layer of lining material with at least one continuous layer of synthetic insulation; and one or more second seams couple the facing material layer with at least one continuous layer of synthetic insulation. The first seam and the second seam form two or more baffles to separate the fill in the insulation material. This document describes a continuous insulating layer, which is a conventional sheet. The facing material layer is attached to the insulating layer by sewing, welding or gluing (i.e. gluing with an adhesive). Additional secondary insulation is added between the insulation and the facing material layer and the insulation and the lining layer. Such as fillers, for example feather aerogels, wool or flannel, disposed between the facing material layer and the lining material layer. The continuous insulating layer may stabilize the positioning of the additional secondary insulating material (i.e., the filler) and thus reduce the migration of loose filler. This document does not disclose how to add an additional second layer (e.g. down). Traditionally, down is manually inserted into each compartment, filling one compartment at a time, which is time consuming and costly.

US 5713079a proposes a thermal insulating garment in which a first layer of insulation is sewn to a first fabric layer and a second layer of insulation is sewn to a second fabric layer by stitching. There may be a liner layer on the back of both insulation layers. The insulation layer is displaced such that the midpoint of the stitch array covers the pinhole array of the mating insulation layer. The insulation comprises goose-down on a first layer and a second layer made of a synthetic material. The invention aims to obtain the beneficial effects of two materials. When using this type of insulation, the garment needs to be uniquely configured with the midpoint of the first insulation layer to cover the stitching of the second insulation layer. Because users have several different body types, the garment may hang freely or may require contouring to cover the torso shape. The position of the outer layer relative to the inner layer can vary greatly, causing the insulation to shift.

In garment manufacturing, there are two elements important for cold protection: preventing wind penetration and keeping the warm air layer close to the human body by using the fibers to form a layer of still air as an insulator.

Air is a common non-conductive insulator. The thermal insulation of the window is improved by adding glass panes and isolating the air layer between the panes. A window with three panes has higher thermal insulation than a window with two panes. Thus, the thermal insulation properties of a garment having three layers of fabric are better than a garment having only two layers of fabric.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention describes a material having three layers of fabric; the air permeability of each layer is low, preventing air from traveling through the fabric layer to the next bundle of channels. This prevents warm air from escaping the insulation and prevents cool air from occupying the interior of the insulation. A fiber strip (e.g., a continuous crimped tow) is inserted to float freely within the bundle channels between the fabric layers to keep the layers separated, capturing warm air emanating from the user's body. This solution results in superior thermal insulation capabilities compared to two-layer or single-layer fabric insulation.

Traditionally, insulation material in garments is introduced into quilting machines as a sheet. Thermal insulation is indicated between the facing and backing layers and sewn together with a row of needles. The pinholes create cold, i.e. hot, bridges. The cold bridges form weak points in the insulation, resulting in the migration of cold air from outside the garment into the interior of the garment. In one embodiment of the invention, laser welding is used, which makes it possible to attach two fabric layers together without pinholes. Furthermore, laser welded seams provide a barrier to barrier particles, liquids and gases. The fabrics are welded together only by the interconnection, so the surface of the fabric remains intact.

The manufacture of continuous insulation sheets involves specially designed methods and processes that add to the cost of insulation prices. Instead of using conventional sheet material as the insulation layer, the present invention uses continuous tow insulation, i.e., fiber strands, a loose, untwisted fiber rope, a continuous, possibly crimped tow, extruded directly from a spinneret as a plurality of continuous filament strands. The spinneret has tiny holes through which the chemical solution is extruded to form continuous filaments, such as polypropylene, nylon, or polyester. The plurality of fiber filaments form a continuous bundle-like tow.

The sliver may also be made by a carding process that forms a lightly coiled, lofty fiber strand, which may be the product of a fiber combing process. The strip may be introduced directly from the collection bucket to fill the fabric longitudinally, extending longitudinally along the bundle passage. The strips are attached to the interior of the bundle channel only by friction. Finally, when the insulation material is cut and sewn into a garment, the strip will be anchored in its place from its longitudinal ends. This straightforward approach bypasses the manufacturing process, which thereby simplifies the overall process and makes the insulation more economical.

Quilting a fabric with needles is a slow and labor intensive process that makes quilting uneconomical in many parts of the world. The bonding of the layers with the adhesive is the following process: wherein two or more different substances are bound by molecular forces acting in the contact area. This process requires melting and cooling of the resulting adhesive, which is a time consuming process. Due to limited peel strength, the adhesively bonded seams often delaminate when continuously bent and cleaned. Laser welding, on the other hand, is economical and efficient to produce. Laser welding can easily increase the speed several times compared to conventional quilting methods by stitching or adhesive bonding. Yield increase will have a significant economic impact.

To produce a high quality seam using laser welding, an infrared absorbing textile is required, as well as another textile that does not absorb infrared radiation. The laser energy penetrates through the non-infrared absorbing layer of the textile and is absorbed by the underlying infrared absorbing textile. Under the pressure of the pressure roller, the fabric layers melt together at the molecular level. During the laser welding process, the outer surface of the fabric is not affected and only the interconnecting thin layers of fabric melt. Thus, the surface or fabric is not affected.

Alternatively, in other embodiments, ultrasonic sewing may be used, however this method will melt the seam, which may be undesirable for some situations.

Laser welded seams do not use additional adhesive at the joint. Laser welding allows for greater flexibility and a softer feel at the joint than adhesive bonding. Infrared absorption by the fabric can be achieved by making the fabric itself infrared absorbing. The fabric may also be dyed or printed to be able to absorb infrared light, or an infrared absorbing agent may be applied to the seam prior to welding, for example by spraying. Welding requires the same thermoplastic properties, so for example polyester fabrics are best suited to weld with polyester; polypropylene is most suitable for welding with polypropylene; and polyamide is most suitable for welding with polyamide. Suitable laser welding heads that can be used for use in the welding of fabrics are developed, for example, by Leister Technologies AG, CH-6056Kaegiswil, Switzerland and TWI Ltd, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Drawings

The invention is discussed more precisely hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a three-layer insulation having a corrugated middle layer,

figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a laser welder capable of manufacturing corrugated insulation,

figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the laser welder in an open position,

figure 4 shows a side view of a laser welder and the material flow in the machine,

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a laser welded seam, an

FIG. 6 shows a garment and a piece of insulation material provided as part of the garment.

Detailed Description

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a three-layer woven corrugated insulating material 10 in which a first fabric layer 12, a second fabric layer 14, and a grooved third middle fabric layer 16 are longitudinally joined together by a plurality of longitudinally welded seams 18a-18 n. The first 12 and third 16 intermediate fabric layers and, correspondingly, the second 14 and third 16 opposite fabric layers form a plurality of bundle channels 20, which are each filled with an insulating material 22. The fabric layers 12, 14 and 16 may be different types of textile materials such as woven, knitted, warp knitted, felt or non-woven materials.

Fig. 2 shows a laser welder 24 that is capable of manufacturing the insulation material 10 (fig. 1). The machine 24 has an upper frame 26, which houses an upper fabric guide 30 that guides the first fabric layer 12, and a lower frame 28; the lower frame 28 houses a lower fabric guide 32 that guides the second fabric layer 14. The third fabric layer 16 is oriented between an upper groove fold 34 and a lower groove fold 36, wherein the upper groove fold is attached to the upper frame 26 and the lower groove fold is attached to the lower frame 28. A plurality of laser sources 38 are attached to the upper frame 26 above the plurality of welding stations 24a-24n and a plurality of laser sources 38 are attached to the lower frame 28 below the plurality of welding stations 24a-24 n.

The plurality of laser sources 38 is only shown symbolically. The function and design of laser welding has been disclosed in various publications on laser transmission welding methods and is therefore well known to those skilled in the art and need not be described in detail here. Thus, the depiction of the laser source from which laser 38 originates is omitted.

As the first, second, and third fabric layers 12, 14, 16 are pulled, rolled, or otherwise moved forward, the first fabric layer and the intermediate layer, and on the opposite side the second fabric layer and the intermediate layer, are fused together longitudinally at a molecular level along the seams 18a-18n (fig. 1) by the laser source 38. A plurality of hollow conduits 42 are mounted in front of the folds 34 and 36. The insulation material 22 is introduced into the bundle channel 20 through the guide duct 42 while being welded. Even though hollow conduit 42 is the preferred embodiment, other means of directing the insulated tow to the cavity/tow channel 20 may be used. Guiding means such as rings, channels, pipes and tubes may be used. All these measures are widely used in the textile industry and are common knowledge to a person skilled in the art.

Fig. 3 shows the laser welder 24 in an open position. In this position, the machine can be cleaned and used, and the third fabric layer 16 can be inserted between the upper and lower groove folds 34, 36.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the welder 40 and the flow of material in the welder. The first fabric layer 12 is introduced to the welder 40 from roll 48, the second fabric layer 14 is introduced to the machine from roll 50, and the third intermediate fabric layer 16 is introduced to the machine from roll 52. A power source (not shown) is connected to the rollers 46 and pulls the insulation 10 through the machine and stores the insulation 10 on the rollers 46. Alternatively, other fabric movement methods may be used, including pressure rollers connected to a motor or fabric stretcher behind the welded frame.

Meanwhile, as the fabric moves through the machine, the plurality of bundle channels 20 (FIG. 1) are filled with insulation material 22a-22n, respectively, which is introduced through the plurality of conduits 42a-42 n. The first and second webs 12 and 14 from the roll 48 and the third web from the roll 52 are introduced between the folds 34 and 36 and are longitudinally welded together by a plurality of welding stations 24a-24 n.

For optimum energy absorption of the infrared light, laser absorbers 54a and 54b may be introduced into the fabric at the joint prior to welding the fabric. The absorbent may be sprayed onto the weldable portion of the fabric layer, for example, through nozzles 56 and 58. Commercial infrared absorbers are manufactured, for example, by the company Centex under the name clearwell. Alternatively, the infrared absorber may be included in the polymer solution prior to extrusion, printing, coating, or otherwise applying to the fabric.

In embodiments where thermal adhesive is used to join the fabric layers, the adhesive may be sprayed or otherwise conducted through a nozzle to the joining area. The binder may be in liquid form or may be applied as continuous filaments.

For alternative embodiments of the present invention, different laser welding methods may also be used. In laser welding, instead of using multiple laser heads to perform multiple contour weld joints, one can choose to use only one laser head to produce all joints simultaneously. Three main techniques are known in the industry for use in the present invention:

diffraction welding

A Diffractive Optical Element (DOE) shapes and separates the laser beams in an energy efficient manner. The diffractive beam splitter comprised in the laser source is a single optical element that splits the input beam into N output beams 29. The output beam may be directed to a predetermined location. Laser beam 29 is split and simultaneously directed to bond melting regions 18a-18n with minimal light loss.

Scanning welding

In scan welding, beam steering is performed by using a moving mirror included in the laser source 38. The beam 29 is directed by changing the angle of the mirror. The beam continuously scans the weld zones 18a-18n at a very high speed. The fabric passing through the weld zone will melt and fuse from the attachment zone in a nearly simultaneous manner.

Mask welding

The mask welding method utilizes a wide beam that moves across the surface being welded. The mask is a protected area that does not require soldering. The predetermined weld joint area 18a-18n will be melted and fused.

The function, design, use and mode of operation of mask welding, diffraction welding and scanning welding are disclosed in various publications of the prior art on laser transmission welding methods, which are known per se and are therefore common general knowledge to the skilled person and therefore need not be described in detail here.

Fig. 5 shows a laser welded seam in which the fabric layer 12 is permeated with infrared radiation and in which the intermediate layer 16 of infrared absorbing fabric is applied and absorbs infrared radiation 29, and is then heated, melted and pressed together by the pressures 25a and 25 b. A controlled amount of heat is applied to the fabric joint. Laser energy passes through infrared-penetrating fabric layer 12, heats the surface of infrared-absorptive fabric layer 16, melts the surface of layer 16, and seals the interface regions together under pressure 25, thereby forming weld seam 18 as the fabric moves in direction 27. Pressure is applied between the pressure roller 23 (fig. 2 and 3) and the peaks of the flute folds 34 and 36 (fig. 2 and 3).

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pressure may be applied to the fabric by different methods, such as:

pressure plate

In a preferred embodiment, the fusible fabric layers 12 and 16 on the first side and the fusible fabric layers 14 and 16 on the second side are threaded through and pressed against: an infrared transparent pressure plate (not shown) between the laser source and the first fabric layer on the first side and the peaks of the upper groove elements 34; and an infrared transparent pressure plate (not shown) between the laser source and the second fabric layer on the second side and the peaks of the lower groove folds 36. The guide elements 30 and 32 are located on top of the recess folds and the upper and lower guide elements are similar. The laser is applied to the welding location by a laser transparent pressure plate.

Pressure roller

In one embodiment, the pressure may be applied by a laser beam transparent glass roller.

Pressure ball

In one embodiment, the pressure may be applied through a laser transparent sphere, which may be supported by an air bearing capable of frictionless rotation.

The advantage of using rollers or balls instead of plates is that the friction is less and therefore the heat between the pressure device and the fabric is less when the fabric is moved through the welding station.

The pressure of the welding station may be generated mechanically or, alternatively, hydrostatically or pneumatically, both with blowing pressure and with suction, to ensure adhesion and connection of the fabric in the welding zone.

The function, design, use and mode of operation of pressure forming have been disclosed in various publications on the prior art of laser transmission welding methods, which are known per se and are therefore common general knowledge to the skilled person, so that a detailed description thereof is not necessary here.

Different pressure sources in the case of laser welding are described, for example, in U.S. patent application US 2014/0363636a1 to Leister Technologies AG.

Fig. 6 shows a garment 60, and a piece of insulation material provided as part of the garment. The insulation 22 does not float adheringly on any of the fabric layers 12, 14 or 16. When the piece of apparel is sewn to another piece of apparel, such as in the shoulder seam 62 joining the front portion to the back portion, the insulation material will be held in place by the apparel manufacturer during the apparel manufacturing process.

In one embodiment, the material may be selected from the group of flame retardant materials. Flame retardant insulation is useful in area applications where there is a potential risk of fire.

In the above embodiments, the use of laser welded seams is described. Conventional seams made by sewing may also be used. The seam may also be an ultrasonic welded seam or an adhesive bonded seam.

Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to certain preferred embodiments, it is obvious that equivalents and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of the specification. The present invention includes all such equivalents and modifications, and is limited only by the scope of the following claims.

Reference numerals

10 insulating material

12 first fabric layer

14 second fabric layer

16 third intermediate fabric layer

18a-18n welded seam (longitudinal connection)

20a-20n bundle channels

22 insulating material

23 pressure roller

24a-24n welding station

25a, 25b pressure

26 machine upper frame

27 direction of welding

28 lower frame

29 laser beam

30 upper guide element

32 lower guide element

34 upper groove folding piece

36 lower groove folding piece

38 laser source

40 welding machine

42a-42n multiple conduits

44 intentional blank

46 newly-made heat insulation material storage roller

48 fabric storage roll

50 fabric storage roll

52 intermediate fabric storage roll

54 laser absorber

56 spray nozzle

58 nozzle

60 garment

Shoulder seam of 62 clothes