US4995151A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Apparatus and method for hydropatterning fabric
Assignee: Avintiv Specialty Materials LLC
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Filing: 1989-04-14
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Granted: 1991-02-26
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Expires: 2009-04-14
Abstract
Abstract An hydropatterning apparatus and method conveys a sheet of fabric (12) through a patterning station (16) along a machine direction on a conveyor (24), preferably a drum, having a support surface (16, 60) formed with a pattern of raised or solid areas (16a) and lowered or void areas (16b), and has one or more manifolds (30) of hydrojet nozzles (32) disposed above the conveyor for directing a continuous curtain of fluid (40) downwardly to impact on the fabric so that properties of the fabric become altered in correspondence to the pattern of the support surface (16, 60). Fabric colored with a non-colorfast dye is hydropatterned by subtractive color removal to obtain a patterned washout effect. Alternatively, a support surface having raised or embossed areas is used to obtain a fiber displacement, lace-like effect in light fabrics. The disclosed hydropatterning technique is particularly suitable for producing a color washout effect in indigo dyed denim.
Inventors
- 👤 Jodie M. Siegel
- 👤 Herschel Sternlieb
- 👤 Timothy J. Connolly
- 👤 J. Michael Greenway
- 👤 D. A. Parker
- 👤 Arlene T. Simon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 02:28
CPC Classifications
D; D04; D04H; D04H1/00; D04H1/40; D04H1/44; B; B29; B29C; B29C59/00; B29C59/02; D04H1/46; D04H1/492; D04H1/495; D04H18/00; D04H18/04; D06; D06C; D06C23/00; B29K; B29K2313/00; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24273; Y10T442/00; Y10T442/60; Y10T442/689
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
217 words
An hydropatterning apparatus for producing a visual pattern in woven or bonded, nonwoven fabric comprising: a conveyor for conveying a sheet of the woven or bonded, nonwoven fabric to a patterning station along a machine direction, the conveyor including a support surface formed with a pattern of raised or solid areas and lowered or void areas interspersed therein, wherein the fabric is placed flat in contact with the support surface as it is carried through the patterning station; hydrojet means disposed above the conveyor for directing a curtain of fluid downwardly to impact on the fabric as it is moved through the patterning station on the support surface, wherein said fluid curtain is substantially continuous across the fabric, such that a visual property of the fabric becomes altered in correspondence to the pattern of raised or solid areas and lowered or void areas of the support surface due to the impact of the fluid curtain on the fabric against the patterned support surface, wherein said hydrojet means includes a manifold extending in a cross direction perpendicular to the machine direction having a plurality of nozzles spaced in the cross direction which eject divergent, fan sprays having an angle of divergence so as to provide overlapping jets of water forming said water curtain substantially evenly across the fabric.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
217 words
An hydropatterning apparatus for producing a visual pattern in woven or bonded, nonwoven fabric comprising: a conveyor for conveying a sheet of the woven or bonded, nonwoven fabric to a patterning station along a machine direction, the conveyor including a support surface formed with a pattern of raised or solid areas and lowered or void areas interspersed therein, wherein the fabric is placed flat in contact with the support surface as it is carried through the patterning station; hydrojet means disposed above the conveyor for directing a curtain of fluid downwardly to impact on the fabric as it is moved through the patterning station on the support surface, wherein said fluid curtain is substantially continuous across the fabric, such that a visual property of the fabric becomes altered in correspondence to the pattern of raised or solid areas and lowered or void areas of the support surface due to the impact of the fluid curtain on the fabric against the patterned support surface, wherein said hydrojet means includes a manifold extending in a cross direction perpendicular to the machine direction having a plurality of nozzles spaced in the cross direction which eject divergent, fan sprays having an angle of divergence so as to provide overlapping jets of water forming said water curtain substantially evenly across the fabric.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
An hydropatterning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor is a belt conveyor driven on rollers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
An hydropatterning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor is a cylindrical drum.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
An hydropatterning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support surface has raised and lowered areas formed three-dimensionally therein.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
An hydropatterning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support surface is formed from a plate having the void areas perforated therein.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
An hydropatterning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hydrojet means includes a plurality of manifolds arranged in parallel spaced apart in the machine direction over the fabric.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
An hydropatterning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzles have an angle of divergence of 18 degrees and are disposed about 1 to 10 inches above the conveyor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
An hydropatterning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hydrojet means employs a water pressure of about 1000 psi, and the conveyor conveys the fabric at a process speed of about 60 ft/min.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
An hydropatterning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising recovery means disposed beneath the support surface for recovering and recirculating fluid passed by the hydrojet means through the fabric.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
An hydropatterning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor and support surface include open areas for draining fluid from said hydrojet means downwardly therethrough.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
127 words
A method for hydropatterning a visual pattern in a woven or bonded, nonwoven fabric, comprising the steps of: conveying a sheet of the woven or bonded, nonwoven fabric along a machine direction supported on a support surface formed with a pattern of raised or solid areas and lowered or void areas interspersed therein; directing a curtain of fluid downwardly to impact on the fabric as it is conveyed on the support surface, wherein said fluid curtain is substantially continuous across the fabric, such that a visual property of the fabric become altered in correspondence to the pattern of raised or solid areas and lowered or void areas of the support surface due to the impact of the curtain of fluid on the fabric against the support surface.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
127 words
A method for hydropatterning a visual pattern in a woven or bonded, nonwoven fabric, comprising the steps of: conveying a sheet of the woven or bonded, nonwoven fabric along a machine direction supported on a support surface formed with a pattern of raised or solid areas and lowered or void areas interspersed therein; directing a curtain of fluid downwardly to impact on the fabric as it is conveyed on the support surface, wherein said fluid curtain is substantially continuous across the fabric, such that a visual property of the fabric become altered in correspondence to the pattern of raised or solid areas and lowered or void areas of the support surface due to the impact of the curtain of fluid on the fabric against the support surface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method for hydropatterning fabric according to claim 11, wherein the fabric to be hydropatterned is dyed woven fabric which has a non-colorfast characteristic, and water is used as the fluid for subtractive color removal of dye from the fabric to obtain a washout effect.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method for hydropatterning fabric according to claim 11, wherein the impact of fluid is used on fabric against a patterned support surface to obtain a fiber displacement effect in the fabric.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method for hydropatterning fabric according to claim 11, wherein the fluid directing step includes providing a manifold extending in a cross direction perpendicular to the machine direction eject divergent, overlapping jets of water so that the resulting water curtain impacts substantially evenly across the fabric.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method for hydropatterning fabric according to claim 14, wherein the fluid directing step includes providing a plurality of manifolds arranged in parallel spaced apart in the machine direction over the fabric.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
A product produced by the method according to claim 11, wherein the fabric is dyed fabric, and is hydropatterned with a color pattern effect.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
A product produced by the method according to claim 11, wherein the fabric is hydropatterned with a regularly repeating pattern.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
20 words
A product produced by the method according to claim 11, wherein the fabric is hydropatterned with a fiber displacement effect.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
A product produced by the method according to claim 11, wherein the fabric is indigo dyed denim, and is hydropatterned with a color washout pattern.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
28 words
A product produced by the method according to claim 11, wherein the fabric is a light fabric of moderate size yarn, and is hydropatterned with a lace-like pattern.
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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) | 1994-02-25 | 1994-08-27 | 1995-02-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-02-25 | 1998-08-27 | 1999-02-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-02-25 | 2002-08-27 | 2003-02-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |