Non-desrtructive evaluation of functional fabrics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016273154-A1
Application number	US-201514664107-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 20, 2015
Priority date	Mar 20, 2015
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for determining the functionality remaining in a functional fabric, the method comprising the steps of: providing a functional fabric having a known original functionality, a current wear, and a current unknown functionality, providing a light source, providing a detector, optically measuring the current wear using the light source and the detector, and evaluating the current unknown functionality using a correlation that expresses the current unknown functionality as a function of the current wear, optionally the detector further comprises a digital camera, and wherein the method further comprises the step of: obtaining an image of the functional fabric and quantifying the fractal dimension using a box-method fractal analysis on the image. The method may be applied the insecticide treated fabrics. The present invention further provides a method for determining the amount of functional compound remaining in a functional fabric, the method comprising the steps of: providing a functional fabric having a functional compound, a known original functional compound loading, a current wear, and a current unknown functional compound loading, providing a light source, providing a detector, optically measuring the current wear using the light source and the detector, and means for evaluating the current unknown functional compound loading using a correlation that expresses the current unknown functional compound loading as a function of the current wear-based damage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for determining functionality remaining in a functional fabric, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a functional fabric having a known original functionality, a current wear, and a current unknown functionality, (b) providing a light source, (c) providing a detector, (d) optically measuring the current wear using the light source and the detector, and (e) evaluating the current unknown functionality using a correlation that expresses the current unknown functionality versus the current wear.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
(f) aligning the light source, the detector and the functional fabric and measuring reflectance of the light source off of the functional fabric, wherein the light source [ 20 ] is aligned relative to the functional fabric [ 10 ] at a first angle [ 21 ], wherein the first angle is from 0 to 180 degrees; and wherein the detector [ 30 ] is aligned relative to the light source at a second angle [ 22 ], wherein the second angle is from 0 to 180 degrees, wherein a sum of the first angle plus the second angle is at most 180 degrees.

3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
(f) aligning the light source, the detector and the functional fabric and measuring a transmittance of the light source through the functional fabric, wherein the light source [ 120 ] is aligned relative to the functional fabric [ 110 ] at a first angle [ 121 ], wherein the first angle is about 90 degrees; and wherein the detector [ 130 ] is aligned relative to the light source at a second angle [ 122 ], wherein the second angle is from −5 to 5 degrees, wherein a sum of the first angle plus the second angle is at most 180 degrees.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the light source emits light with a wavelength from 10 nanometers to 100 micrometers.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the light source emits lights with a wavelength from 10 nanometers to 400 nanometers.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the light source emits light with a wavelength from 700 nanometers to 100 micrometers.

7 . The method of claim 1 , where the light source emits light with essentially a single wavelength.

8 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the optically measuring the current wear using the light source and the detector further comprises a color temperature measurement.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the functionality is insect repellency or mortality derived from an insecticide or an insect repellent.

10 . The method of claim 9 , where the insecticide or insect repellent comprises a pyrethroid.

11 . The method of claim 10 , where the insecticide or insect repellent comprises permethrin.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the detector further comprises a digital camera, and wherein the method further comprises the step of:
(f) obtaining an image of the functional fabric and quantifying a fractal dimension using a box-method fractal analysis on the image.

13 . The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:
(g) aligning the light source, the detector and the functional fabric and measuring a reflectance of the light source off the functional fabric.

14 . The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:
(g) aligning the light source, the detector and the functional fabric and measuring a transmittance of the light source through the functional fabric.

15 . The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:
(h) measuring the transmittance of the light source through a reference material and quantifying the intensity or spectral distribution of the light source.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the digital camera is a smartphone, and wherein the step of obtaining an image of the functional fabric and quantifying a fractal dimension using a box-method fractal analysis on the image is performed using the smartphone.

17 . The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of:
(g) aligning the light source, the detector and the functional fabric and measuring a transmittance of the light source through the functional fabric.

18 . The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of:
(h) measuring the transmittance of the light source through a reference material and quantifying the intensity or spectral distribution of the light source.

Assignees

• Tda Research Inc

Inventors

• France Christopher Brian
• Ellis William Wallace
• Clapsaddle Brady
• Bell William
• Cook Ronald

Classifications

• D06H3/02

  visually (D06H3/12, D06H3/14, D06H3/16 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01N21/8806

  Specially adapted optical and illumination features · CPC title

• G01N21/95

  characterised by the material or shape of the object to be examined (G01N21/89 - G01N21/91, G01N21/94 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01N21/8851 Primary

  Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges (G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002) · CPC title

• D06H3/08 Primary

  by photo-electric or television means (D06H3/12, D06H3/14, D06H3/16 take precedence) · CPC title