Fusible Coatings for Fabrics

The present invention relates to the production of quilted or layered fabric products and, more particularly, to fusible coatings for simulating a stitch pattern of a jump baste or quilted/padded stitching.

Traditional techniques for producing a quilted effect in fabrics when two or more pieces of cloth are joined include use of conventional sewing machines, programmable computer stitching, and dielectric or ultrasonic type bonding of cloth.

Several problems occur in connection with the above-mentioned techniques for producing a quilted effect. For instance, the sewing machine is generally limited to utilizing a single needle for producing the desired stitching pattern. Production capacity is therefore limited by the speed of the sewing machine and the manual dexterity and efficiency of the machine operator. Costs are very high when utilizing this means of production.

Programmable computer stitching is efficient in that full widths of goods may be produced by quilting with multiple needle equipment. A severe limitation, however, is that costly programs are required to produce each pattern. Further, the specialized equipment necessary for this production means is of a high cost and runs at a slow speed.

Dielectric and ultrasonic quilting is also an extremely slow process wherein fibers are melted together as opposed to stitching. A number of drawbacks are immediately apparent with this quilting means, such as extremely slow and costly equipment, a limited number of fabrics which may be utilized in this process, and the fact that the fabric directly adjacent a "fused seam" is weak and subject to rips and tears under minimal stress.

In the art of fusibly bonding fabrics together, it is recognized that spacing of fusible dots is important in maintaining a desirable hand or "feel" to the fabric and prevent a moire or shimmering effect upon application of heat to the fabric. However, the spacing and patterns of the prior art have failed to achieve the desirable effects set forth in the present invention. Prior attempts to fusibly bond fabrics together are typified by the following patents.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,914,493 to Graber et al discloses an iron-in stiffening insert having an adhesive dot pattern arranged thereon. The substrate, however, is a non-woven material, and the dot pattern is of a substantially dense arrangement. The spacing between dots ranges from about 1 to 2.5 times the average diameter of the dots, the actual dot diameter being about 0.86 mm., thereby creating the above-mentioned dense pattern.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,418 to Lauchenauer discloses a heat-sealable interlining for textile fabrics wherein a coating of thermoplastic resin particles is applied to the textile sheet, preferably in a regularly spaced pattern of dots. As to the spacing between dots, it is indicated that the areas where dots are not applied should not be so great as to provide inadequate bonding between fused materials, thus suggesting a relatively dense pattern.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,520 to Tecl et al relates to a non-woven fabric having the fibers of the fabric bonded to each other and/or to another material at a plurality of spots. The spot pattern, however, is not intended to provide a quilted pattern, but is intended to solidify a non-woven fabric or act as a stiffening insert for an outer fabric layer.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,980 to Russell discloses an interliner for use in garment fabrication. In an example, the number of adhesive dots in a pattern was approximately 28.times.38 dots per square inch, yielding a total of 1064 per square inch, a very dense pattern.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,937,859 to Carra et al, and 4,415,622 to Kamat disclose fusible dot patterns in interlining structures. The material used, however, is of a non-woven type and no specific size or density of dots are taught.

The above-described products and methods have inherent therein various drawbacks, typically a too-stiff hand in the finished products, as well as exhibiting an undesirable moire effect.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to overcome the above-discussed limitations associated with known practices and to provide a fusible coating and technique for combining fabrics to create products having soft, natural hand similar to products of costly machine- or hand-sewn origin.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a fusible fabric coating which may be used to create a quilted or padded product in a uniquely simple and inexpensive manner.

The present invention provides a fabric coating useful for combining fabrics to create layered, quilted or padded products wherein the natural hand (feel) and inherent properties of the outer fabric and the product as a whole are not adversely affected.

The present invention encompasses a coating for fabrics, the coating comprising a particular configuration of dots, spaced in such a manner as to achieve bonding of an interlining to an outer fabric or material without impairing the natural hand and inherent properties of the outer fabric. The dot pattern configuration according to the invention comprises a relatively small number of dots per given area, accommodating any shape or form throughout the pattern.

The present invention provides a coating for holding together, for example, an outer fabric and a lining, in a manner which achieves a desirably soft hand while providing for normal shrinking of the interlining without adversely affecting the appearance of the combined product. The fusible dot coating of the invention does not penetrate the outer fabric as a sewn product or electronic seal will, thus resulting in a more even appearance on the face of the outer fabric. In addition, the present method is much less costly than stitching or ultrasonic welding of two or more pieces of fabric. Also, undesirable thread shrinkage, as may occur from washing and dry cleaning of a sewn product, cannot affect the appearance of a product made according to the invention.

The size of the fusible dots according to the present invention is substantially twenty times larger than that of similar fusible dot products presently being utilized for the same purpose. Further, spacing between dots is approximately ten times greater than the spacing of previously known patterns. Further, the height of the dot is far greater than any present method being utilized. All of these parameters taken in combination with the novel dot pattern of the invention result in a fusible dot coating which will hold firmly together two or more pieces of fabric, such as an outer fabric and interlining, regardless of the density of material used, will not show through to the face of the outer fabric, and will not impair the natural hand or feel of the outer fabric. The arrangement and degree of separation between the dots results in a soft, pliable hand and satisfying visual appearance which is desired in many manufactured products.

The particular manner in which the fusible dots of the invention are arranged on a fabric substrate, in combination with the novel spacing of the dots, ensures that substantially every contour or edge of a cut pattern will have located thereat a sufficient number of fusible dots to secure it to another fabric surface.

According to the present invention, a pattern of fusible dots which may be applied to, for example, an interlining, may comprise between five to ten dots per square inch, as opposed to the 200 to 1,000 dots per square inch heretofore typically utilized in products with applied fusible dots. The diameter and height of the dots according to the invention are great enough to provide a sufficiently large amount of coating material in each area of fabric to achieve a strong bond. In addition to the products discussed above having natural hand, quilting or padding effects can be achieved by bonding of an interlining to an outer material using a coating according to the invention, followed by substantial shrinkage of the interlining.

The objects of the present invention are fulfilled by providing a pattern of fusible resin dots or spots as a coating on a fabric substrate. The plurality of dots are typically between 0.5 and 1.5 millimeters in height with a diameter of 3 to 5 millimeters. The dots are arranged in, what will be designated for the purpose of description, substantially vertical and horizontal columns and rows, resulting in a grid-like pattern. The distance between each "horizontal" row of dots is 6 to 10 millimeters and the distance between each "vertical" column of dots is 8 to 14 millimeters. Further, according to the invention, the grid-like pattern is skewed at an angle of 12 to 40 degrees from the direction of weave of the fabric.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

The present invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the fusible dot pattern coating of the invention showing the manner in which it is skewed from the direction of weave of the fabric.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of how a padded or quilted effect may be achieved by fusing together materials of lightweight fabric using a coating according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration, similar to FIG. 2 simulating a padded or quilted effect when materials of extra-heavy fabric are fused together.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an fusible dot pattern coating according to the invention, showing the manner in which the pattern is arranged with respect to the direction of weave of the fabric. The fabric is woven in a criss-cross pattern of threads aligned in directions corresponding to the dashed horizontal and dashed vertical lines 28. A plurality of fusible dots 10 are arranged in rows and columns to form a grid. The grid of FIG. 3 is rotated to an angle of 20 degrees from the directions of weave on fabric 26. The actual angle at which the grid may be skewed from the weave directions may be between 12 to 40 degrees in either direction of rotation. The direction of the angle is dependent upon the end use of the product. The skew angle may be chosen to correspond to the bias effect of the outer fabric to which the fabric 26 will be fused. For example, a loosely knit or woven fabric whose bias is at a relatively great angle from the direction of weave of fabric 26 will require the grid of fusible dots 10 to also be disposed at a relatively great angle from the direction of weave. Similarly, a tightly woven fabric in a bonded product will have a bias more closely aligned with the direction of weave 28, and will, therefore, require the grid to be disposed on interfacing 26 at a smaller skew angle commensurate with the bias of the outer fabric.

In addition, by applying the coating of fusible dots 10 to interfacing 26 at an angle displaced from the vertical or horizontal by between 12 to 40 degrees, the dot coating will provide adhesion between materials regardless of the contour along the edges of a cut product. For instance, a product will not necessarily be rectangular in shape. When utilizing a skewed grid pattern having the features of the invention, fabrics of any shape, such as a collar, oval configuration, or any other shape typically used in fabric products, will be securely adhered to each other by the coating. Thus, the skewed grid pattern of the invention, having different spacings between the rows and columns, respectively, will effectively secure any cut configuration.

Also, the displacement of the grid pattern of dots to be in a direction similar to that of the bias of the outer fabric, assures natural movement and feel of the outer fabric material between each dot subsequent to bonding, alleviating a firmness and flat appearance which typically occurs with conventional methods, thereby allowing a lofty, padded effect which is highly desirable.

According to the present invention, the fusible dots are between 0.5 and 1.5 mm. in height, the height being measured from the fabric substrate surface to the top of the dot coating. Further, the diameter of the dot will range from 3 to 5 mm. As noted above, the fusible dot pattern may be considered to be arranged in "horizontal" and "vertical" lines of dots, thereby forming a grid configuration. The spacing 24 between horizontal rows should be between 6 to 10 mm. The spacing 22 between vertical columns should be between 8 to 14 mm.

The fusible coating is ade of a fusible resin which has a low fusing temperature and a low viscosity at the melting point. This low viscosity allows for bonding between the two or more layers of fabric with a limited amount of pressure applied thereto, and will also deter the resin from flowing through to the outer face of the bonded fabric. In addition, due to the great height and large diameter of the dots of the invention, the bonding strength of each fused dot is great, whereby few fusible dots are required per square inch of fabric. The specific type of resin used is dependent upon the type of fabrics being bonded together.

Use of a fusible coating according to the invention for a fabric substrate may yield a high loft padding and quilting effect, or a plumper appearance for stiffer materials such as leather or imitation leather. The invention provides a thicker feel but maintains the original hand of the outer fabric whether it is lightweight or a heavier weight fabric. Bonding softer pliable fabric using the inventive coating yields a product with thickness and body, retaining the lofty appearance provided by an interlining without unnecessarily stiffening the outer fabric.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a schematic illustration of how a padded or quilted effect is achieved when materials of lightweight fabric are fused together with the inventive coating. FIG. 3 is a similar schematic view of a padded or quilted effect when materials of extra-heavy fabric are fused together.

Particularly, a pattern comprising a plurality of fusible dots 10 or 16 may be coated on one or both sides of a fabric liner or backing for bonding together the liner or backing and two or more other pieces of fabric. The remaining fabric portions are nonfused. Following substantial shrinking of the interlining or backing layer, a "puffing" or quilted appearance results in the outer fabric or fabrics, which exhibits areas 14 or 20 which appear to be quilted, as shown schematically by lines 12 and 18, respectively.

Comparing FIGS. 2 and 3, it can be seen that dots of the relatively smaller diameter comprising less bonding material are required for lightweight fabrics as opposed to heavier weight fabrics requiring larger dots comprising greater amounts of bonding material as shown in FIG. 2. As a result of the advantageous features of the invention, the spacing can be varied over a broad range to vary the appearance of the final product.

An example of a product advantageously improved by the fusible coating of the invention is a chest piece in tailored clothing. A chest piece is generally made of two or more components forming a single unit which is then placed in the chest area of a garment. Traditionally, the two or more components have been joined by using a jump baste or sewn stitch or by fusing with a substantially continuous or dense fusible coating known as sintering. While the known fused product may be produced relatively cheaply, it has a somewhat stiff and harsh feel and better manufacturers generally utilize the sewn product method because it allows the components to retain their natural hand or feel. As previously mentioned, however, stitching is very expensive and oftentimes stitching will break when the product is laundered due to interlining shrinkage. A fusible coating according to the invention facilitates production of a product having the hand or feel like that of a stitched product while permitting one to take advantage of the economical production methods of the fused product. It is, therefore, possible to economically produce a product which has heretofore not been attainable, except at great cost. Additionally, as discussed above, a product produced with the novel fusible coating of the invention has advantageous features beyond even those produced by the more expensive stitching methods.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.