Stretchable fabric

• Main Author: GREENWAY; JOHN M
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 28.06.1988
• Edition: 4
• Subjects: BRAIDING; COTTON-WOOL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS,NON-WOVEN FABRICS; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; KNITTING; LACE-MAKING; LAUNDERING; MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARYMATERIAL; NON-WOVEN FABRICS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TEXTILES; TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; TRIMMINGS; WADDING; WALL, FLOOR OR LIKE COVERING MATERIALS, e.g. LINOLEUM,OILCLOTH, ARTIFICIAL LEATHER, ROOFING FELT, CONSISTING OF AFIBROUS WEB COATED WITH A LAYER OF MACROMOLECULARMATERIAL

A stretchable textile-like fabric comprising at least one layer of nonwoven fibers hydroentangled into a diamond shaped structure so that a substantial number of fibers are oriented equally on all sides of the diamond. This fiber orientation results in a balanced fabric structure. Subsequent to entangling the fibers, they are compacted so as to arrange the fibers into a series of wave-like configurations. The combination of the diamond shape fabric structure and the wave-like configurations of the fibers permits multi-directional stretch in the fabric when tension is applied. Additionally, when the tension in the fabric is released, the inherent memory of the fibers causes the fabric to return to its original form without substantial permanent deformation.