Composite fabric combining entangled fabric of microfibers and knitted or woven fabric and process for producing same

Claim 2

A composite fabric usable as a substratum sheet for artificial leather and comprising a woven or knitted fabric constituent and at least one non-woven fabric constituent in an amount of 100% or more based on the weight of said woven or knitted fabric constituent, said non-woven fabric constituent having a smooth and even outer surface and consisting of numerous extremely fine individual fibers which have an average diameter of 0.1 to 6.0 microns and are randomly distributed and three-dimensionally entangled with each other to form a body of non-woven fabric, said non-woven fabric constituent and said woven or knitted fabric constituent being superimposed and bonded together, to form a body of composite fabric in such a manner that a portion of said extremely fine individual fibers in said non-woven fabric constituent penetrate into the inside of said woven or knitted fabric constituent and are entangled with a portion of fibers in said woven or knitted fabric constituent, and the bonding strength between said woven or knitted fabric constituent and said non-woven fabric constituent being at least 30 g/cm.

Claim 3

A composite fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein said woven or knitted fabric constituent is interposed between two non-woven fabric constituents.

Claim 4

A composite fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein one non-woven fabric constituent is superimposed on one woven or knitted fabric constituent.

Claim 5

A composite fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein said extremely fine individual fibers in said non-woven fabric constituent are produced from a synthetic polymer by using a melt blow process and are substantially free from melt-bonding to each other.

Claim 6

A composite fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein said extremely fine individual fibers in said non-woven fabric constituent are three-dimensionally entangled with each other, and penetrate and three-dimensionally entangle with a portion of the fibers in said woven or knitted fabric constituent by using the action of numerous liquid jets ejected under a high pressure toward said non-woven fabric constituent placed on said woven or knitted fabric constituent.

Claim 7

A composite fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein said extremely fine individual fibers consist of a polyester or a polyamide.

Claim 8

A composite fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein said non-woven fabric constituted had a density of from 0.10 to 0.30 g/cm 3 and a tensile strength of from 0.10 to 0.30 kg/mm 2 .

Claim 9

A composite fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the total weight of said at least one non-woven fabric constituent is in a range from 80 to 300 g/m 2 .

Claim 10

A composite fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein said woven or knitted fabric constituent has a weight of from 20 to 80 g/m 2 .

Claim 11

A composite fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the total weight of said at least one non-woven fabric constituent is in a range of from 200 to 800% based on the weight of said woven or knitted fabric constituent.

Claim 12

A composite fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bonding strength between said woven or knitted fabric constituent and said non-woven fabric constituent is in a range of from 50 to 250 g/cm.

Claim 13

A composite fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein said composite fabric has an average density of from 0.15 to 0.32 g/cm 3 and a tensile strength of from 0.5 to 1.8 kg/mm 2 .

Claim 14

A composite fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein numerous piles consisting of said extremely fine individual fibers are formed on the surface of said non-woven fabric constituent.

Claim 15

A composite fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein said composite fabric is impregnated with a rubber-like elastic polymer and the non-woven fabric constituent surface of said impregnated composite fabric is raised.

Claim 16

A composite fabric as claimed in claim 14, wherein said elastic polymer is polyurethane.

Claim 17

A composite fabric as claimed in claim 14, wherein said elastic polymer is present in an amount of from 20 to 70%, based on the total weight of said composite fabric.

Claim 18

A composite fabric as claimed in claim 13, wherein said extremely fine piles have an average length of from 0.05 to 1.0 mm.

Claim 19

A composite fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein said composite fabric has an area shrinkage of from 5 to 20% in boiling water.

Claim 20

A process for producing a composite fabric usable as a substratum sheet for artificial leather, comprising: forming a fibrous web constituent by randomly massing numerous extremely fine individual fibers having an average diameter of from 0.1 to 6.0 microns; forming a multilayer precursory sheet by superimposing a woven or knitted fabric constituent and at least one said fibrous web constituent on each other, jetting numerous fluid streams ejected under a pressure of from 15 to 100 kg/cm 2 toward the surface of said fibrous web constituent of said percursory sheet, at a ratio of a total impact area of said fluid jets on said percursory sheet surface to an area of said precursory sheet surface to be impacted of at least 1.5, to convert said fibrous web into a non-woven fabric constituent in which said extremely fine individual fibers are randomly entangled with each other and to convert said precursory sheet into a composite fabric in which said non-woven fabric constituent is bonded to said woven or knitted fabric constituent in such a manner that a portion of said extremely fine individual fibers penetrate from said non-woven fabric constituent into the inside of said woven or knitted fabric constituent and are entangled with a portion of the fibers within said woven or knitted fabric constituent, and; at the same time as said fluid stream jetting operation, applying a reduced pressure of 10 to 200 mmHg onto a surface of said precursory sheet opposite to said fibrous web surface.

Claim 21

A process for producing a composite fabric usable as a substratum sheet for artificial leather, comprising: forming a fibrous web constituent by randomly massing numerous extremely fine individual fibers having an average diameter of from 0.1 to 6.0 microns; forming a multilayer precursory sheet by superimposing a woven or knitted fabric constituent and at least one said fibrous web constituent on each other, jetting numerous fluid streams ejected under a pressure of from 15 to 100 kg/cm 2 toward the surface of said fibrous web constituent of said percursory sheet, at a ratio of a total impact area of said fluid jets on said percursory sheet surface to an area of said precursory sheet surface to be impacted of at least 1.5, to convert said fibrous web into a non-woven fabric constituent in which said extremely fine individual fibers are randomly entangled with each other and to convert said precursory sheet into a composite fabric in which said non-woven fabric constituent is bonded to said woven or knitted fabric constituent in such a manner that a portion of said extremely fine individual fibers penetrate from said non-woven fabric constituent into the inside of said woven or knitted fabric constituent and are entangled with a portion of the fibers within said woven or knitted fabric constituent, and; at the same time as said fluid stream jetting operation, applying a reduced pressure of 10 to 200 mmHg onto a surface of said precursory sheet opposite to said fibrous web surface.

Claim 22

A process as claimed in claim 19, wherein said fluid stream jetting operation is carried out in at least two successive steps in such a manner that each fluid stream jet in a preceding jetting step impacts against said precursory sheet in an impact area smaller than that in a succeeding step and the impacting force of each fluid stream jet in a preceding jetting step is at least ten times that in a succeeding step, in order to eliminate holes and densts formed on said precursory sheet surface by the action of said fluid stream jets in the preceding step. .Iadd. 21. An extremely fine fiber fabric usable as a substratum sheet for an artificial leather, comprising at least one non-woven fabric constituent having a smooth and even outer surface and consisting of numerous extremely fine individual fibers which have an average diameter of 0.1 to 6.0 microns and are randomly distributed and three-dimensionally entangled with each other to form a body of non-woven fabric. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 22. A fabric as claimed in claim 21, wherein said extremely fine individual fibers in said non-woven fabric constituent are produced from a synthetic polymer by using a melt blow process and are substantially free from melt-bonding to each other. .Iaddend..Iadd. 23. A fabric as claimed in claim 21, wherein the three-dimensional entanglement of said extremely fine individual fibers is formed by using the action of numerous liquid jets ejected under a high pressure toward said non-woven fabric constituent. .Iaddend..Iadd. 24. A fabric as claimed in claim 21, wherein said extremely fine individual fibers consist of a polyester or a polyamide. .Iaddend..Iadd. 25. A fabric as claimed in claim 21, wherein said non-woven fabric constituent had a density of from 0.10 to 0.30 g/cm 3 and a tensile strength of from 0.10 to 0.30 kg/mm 2 . .Iaddend..Iadd. 26. A fabric as claimed in claim 21, wherein the total weight of said at least one non-woven fabric constituent is in a range from 80 to 300 g/m 2 . .Iaddend..Iadd. 27. A fabric as claimed in claim 21, wherein numerous piles consisting of said extremely fine individual fibers are formed on the surface of said non-woven fabric constituent. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 28. A fabric as claimed in claim 21, wherein said fabric is impregnated with a rubber-like elastic polymer and the surface of said impregnated fabric is raised. .Iaddend..Iadd. 29. A fabric as claimed in claim 28, wherein said elastic polymer is polyurethane. .Iaddend..Iadd. 30. A fabric as claimed in claim 28, wherein said elastic polymer is present in an amount of from 20 to 70%, based on the weight of said fabric. .Iaddend..Iadd. 31. A fabric as claimed in claim 27, wherein said extremely fine piles have an average length of from 0.05 to 1.00 mm. .Iaddend.