Fabric having a waterproof barrier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10189231-B2
Application number	US-201715436532-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2017
Priority date	Sep 12, 2014
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

Provided herein are ecologically friendly waterproof fabrics that include a base fabric having a body-facing surface and an outward-facing surface, and a hydrophobic, waterproof barrier disposed on the outward-facing surface of the base fabric. The base fabric may be a wicking fabric or may be treated with a compound that enhances wicking, and the hydrophobic, waterproof barrier may include a plastic polymer, polyurethane, polyethylene, and/or polytetrafluoroethylene. The waterproof fabrics also may include an abrasion-resistant coating and/or a PFC-free durable water repellant (DWR) agent disposed on an outward-facing surface of the hydrophobic, waterproof barrier, and one or both of the abrasion-resistant coating and/or PFC-free DWR agent may be discontinuous. Also provided are methods of making a waterproof fabric.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of clothing, body gear, sporting gear, gloves, headwear, or footwear, comprising:
a base material having an inward-facing surface and an outward-facing surface;
an exposed, breathable, hydrophobic, waterproof barrier disposed on the outward-facing surface of the base material, the waterproof barrier having an exposed, outward-facing surface and an inward-facing surface directed toward the base material;
a seam running through the waterproof barrier; and
a waterproof tape bonded to the outward-facing surface of the waterproof barrier and oriented to seal the seam against water ingress.

2. The waterproof material of claim 1 , further comprising a perfluorocarbon-free (PFC-free) durable water repellant (DWR) agent disposed on the outward-facing surface of the waterproof barrier.

3. The waterproof material of claim 2 , wherein the PFC-free DWR agent comprises paraffin or a silicon-based active ingredient.

4. The waterproof material of claim 2 , wherein the PFC-free DWR agent comprises 15-25% by weight active water repellant ingredient.

5. The waterproof material of claim 1 , further comprising an abrasion-resistant coating disposed on the outward-facing surface of the waterproof barrier.

6. The waterproof material of claim 5 , wherein the waterproof tape is applied over the abrasion-resistant coating, and wherein the waterproof tape bonds to both the abrasion-resistant coating and the waterproof barrier.

7. The waterproof material of claim 5 , wherein the abrasion-resistant coating covers about 15-50% of a surface area of the waterproof material.

8. The waterproof material of claim 1 , wherein the waterproof barrier comprises titanium dioxide.

9. The waterproof material of claim 1 , wherein the waterproof barrier comprises polyurethane.

10. The waterproof material of claim 9 , wherein the waterproof barrier comprises 1-20% by weight polyurethane.

11. The waterproof material of claim 1 , wherein the waterproof barrier is perfluorocarbon-free (PFC free).

12. The waterproof material of claim 1 , wherein the waterproof barrier is pigmented.

13. The waterproof material of claim 12 , wherein the pigment comprises one or more natural pigments.

14. The waterproof material of claim 1 , wherein the waterproof barrier comprises one or more of charcoal, indigo, and bamboo pigments to impart color.

15. The waterproof material of claim 1 , wherein the waterproof material is undyed.

16. The waterproof material of claim 1 , wherein the base material is perfluorocarbon-free (PFC-free).

17. A method of making a waterproof article of clothing, body gear, sporting gear, gloves, headwear, or footwear, the method comprising:
providing a base material having an inward-facing surface and an outward-facing surface;
disposing an exposed, breathable, hydrophobic, waterproof barrier on the outward-facing surface of the base material, thereby forming a waterproof material, wherein the waterproof barrier has an exposed outward-facing surface and an inward-facing surface directed toward the base material; and
forming the article with the waterproof material, wherein forming the article comprises creating a seam between two pieces of the waterproof barrier; and bonding a waterproof tape to the outward-facing surface of the waterproof barrier, wherein bonding the waterproof tape comprises aligning the waterproof tape to seal the seam against water ingress.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
disposing a perfluorocarbon-free (PFC-free) durable water repellant (DWR) agent on the outward-facing surface of the waterproof barrier.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the PFC-free DWR agent comprises 15-25% by weight isobutyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the PFC-free DWR agent comprises 50-70% by weight water.

Assignees

• Columbia Sportswear Na Inc

Inventors

• Blackford Michael E “Woody”
• Mergy Jeffrey Thomas
• Gates Craig M
• Skankey Wayne Alan

Classifications

• B32B5/06

  characterised by a fibrous {or filamentary} layer {mechanically connected, e.g. by needling} to another layer, e.g. of fibres, of paper · CPC title

• B32B2255/26

  Polymeric coating · CPC title

• B32B2307/75

  Printability · CPC title

• B32B2307/7265

  Non-permeable · CPC title

• B32B2037/243

  Coating · CPC title