US4818596A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Waterproof article and method for making a waterproof article
Assignee: Freudenberg Nonwovens Ltd
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Filing: 1988-07-13
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Granted: 1989-04-04
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Expires: 2008-07-13
Abstract
Abstract An article which is rendered waterproof by a microporous membrane of a hydrophobic material, the pores of the membrane in a layer-like region on or towards a surface thereof being plugged with a hydrophilic material, leaving hydrophobic material exposed on the said surface between the pores.
Inventors
- 👤 John A. Cook
- 👤 Raymond W. Singleton
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 08:23
CPC Classifications
A; A41; A41D; A41D31/00; A41D31/04; A41D31/10; A41D31/102; B; B01; B01D; B01D67/00; B01D67/0002; B01D67/0023; B01D67/003; B01D67/0081; B01D67/0088; B32; B32B; B32B3/00; B32B3/26; B32B38/00; B32B38/10; B32B5/00; B32B5/18; C; C08; C08J; C08J9/00; C08J9/26; C08J9/36; C08J9/40; C08J9/42; D; D06; D06N; D06N3/00; D06N3/0043; D06N7/00; B01D2325/00; B01D2325/38; B32B2038/0052; B32B2038/0076; B32B2307/00; B32B2307/70; B32B2307/726; B32B2307/7265; B32B2307/73; B32B2310/00; B32B2310/08; B32B2310/0806; B32B2310/0831; C08J2471/00; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/249921; Y10T428/249953; Y10T428/249978; Y10T428/24998; Y10T442/00; Y10T442/30; Y10T442/3854; Y10T442/3878; Y10T442/3886
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
46 words
An article which is rendered waterproof by a microporous memberane of a hydrophobic material, the pores of the membrane in a layer-like region on or towards a surface thereof being plugged with a hydrophilic material, leaving hydrophobic material exposed on the said surface between the pores.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
46 words
An article which is rendered waterproof by a microporous memberane of a hydrophobic material, the pores of the membrane in a layer-like region on or towards a surface thereof being plugged with a hydrophilic material, leaving hydrophobic material exposed on the said surface between the pores.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
An article as claimed in claim 1, in which the membrane is laminated with a fabric.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
An article as claimed in claim 2, in which the plugged layer-like region of the membrane is on the surface remote from the fabric.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
An article as claimed in claim 2, in which the said fabric is the article that is rendered waterproof by the microporous membrane.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
An article as claimed in claim 1, which forms at least part of a garment, an item of footwear, or a tent or other shelter.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
An article as claimed in claim 1, in which at least on the surface of the membrane remote from the plugged layer-like region, the advancing water contact angle of the membrane is more than 90 degrees.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
An article as claimed in claim 6, in which the hydrophobic material of the membrane comprises polyethylene.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
An article as claimed in claim 1, in which the hydrophilic material is a homo- or copolymer of an alkylene oxide.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
An article as claimed in claim 8, in which the hydrophilic material comprises a polyethylene oxide.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
61 words
A method of making a waterproof article, which comprises: (a) forming plugs of hydrophilic material in the pores in a layer-like region on or towards a first surface of a micorporous membrane of hydrophobic material, so that hydrophobic material is left exposed on the first surface between the pores; and (b) laminating the membrane with an article to be rendered waterproof.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
61 words
A method of making a waterproof article, which comprises: (a) forming plugs of hydrophilic material in the pores in a layer-like region on or towards a first surface of a micorporous membrane of hydrophobic material, so that hydrophobic material is left exposed on the first surface between the pores; and (b) laminating the membrane with an article to be rendered waterproof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, in which step (b) is carried out before step (a).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, in which the plugged pores are formed in the layer-like region on the first surface of the membrane by selectively removing hydrophilic material from the opposite surface of a membrane which comprises microporous hydrophobic material with hydrophilic material within the pores.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as claimed in claim 12, in which the hydrophilic material is removed from the said opposite surface of the membrane by treatment with a solvent in which the hydrophilic material at that surface of the membrane is soluble.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as claimed in claim 12, in which the membrane which comprises microporous hydrophobic material with hydrophilic material within the pores is formed by a melt-processing technique.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, which includes the step of modifying the hydrophilic material so that its susceptibility to the removal treatment is less in the skin like region of the membrane than in the remainder of the membrane.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as claimed in claim 15, in which the modification step comprises crosslinking the hydrophilic material in the skin-like region of the membrane.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as claimed in claim 16, in which the modification step comprises treating the hydrophilic material in the layer-like region of the membrane with a composition which renders the hydraphilic material in that region crosslinkable.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as claimed in claim 11, in which the composition comprises a photosensitiser and a crosslinking agent.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as claimed in claim 18, which includes exposing the membrane to ultraviolet radiation.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, in which the article and the membrane are laminated with one another by the application thereto of a pressure of at least about 2 N. linear cm -1 .
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as claimed in claim 10, in which the article and the membrane are laminated with one another at an elevated temperature.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
86 words
A method of making a waterproof article, which comprises: (a) laminating an article to be rendered waterproof with a membrane comprising microporous hydrophobic material with hydrophilic materail within the pores, to cause the article and the membrane to bond directly together; (b) removing hydrophilic material from a surface region of the membrane to form plugs of hydrophilic material in the pores in a layer-like region at or towards the opposite surface of the membrane, leaving hydrophobic material exposed on the said opposite surface between the pores.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
86 words
A method of making a waterproof article, which comprises: (a) laminating an article to be rendered waterproof with a membrane comprising microporous hydrophobic material with hydrophilic materail within the pores, to cause the article and the membrane to bond directly together; (b) removing hydrophilic material from a surface region of the membrane to form plugs of hydrophilic material in the pores in a layer-like region at or towards the opposite surface of the membrane, leaving hydrophobic material exposed on the said opposite surface between the pores.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as claimed in claim 22, which includes the step of crosslinking the hydrophilic material in the layer-like region of the membrane so that the susceptibility of the hydrophilic material to removal is less in that region than in the remainder of the membrane.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-04-03 | 1992-10-03 | 1993-04-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-04-03 | 1996-10-03 | 1997-04-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-04-03 | 2000-10-03 | 2001-04-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |