Pool Cover Fabric Containing Algaecide and/or Bactericide to Reduce Algae/Bacteria Growth

Abstract

A woven fabric pool cover has an antimicrobial agent that reduces/prevents the growth of microbes on the pool cover and in the water of a swimming pool covered by the cover. The fabric cover may be woven from polyolefin extruded monofilaments, and/or fibrillated tape yarns where the yarns have an antimicrobial agent added during the yarn extrusion process or added to fabric formed by the yarns. The fabric may be woven from traditional polyolefin extruded monofilaments, and/or fibrillated tape yarns before the resulting fabric is treated with a antimicrobial agent. Such treatment may involve spraying a solution onto the fabric or also dipping, soaking, or padding the fabric into the treating solution. The antimicrobial agent may form a zone of inhibition around the yarns and may seep out of the fabric to form zones of inhibition in the surrounding environment, like on the cover and/or in swimming pool water.

1 . A woven pool cover fabric comprising:
 a thermoplastic warp yarn;   a thermoplastic weft filling yarn; and   an antimicrobial agent applied to the yarn, wherein the antimicrobial agent is soluble with water and forms a zone of inhibition adjacent to the yarn.   
   
   
       2 . The woven pool cover fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic comprises one of polyolefin, polyester, and polyamide. 
   
   
       3 . The woven pool cover fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic comprises polypropylene. 
   
   
       4 . The woven pool cover fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic warp yarn and the thermoplastic weft filling yarn each comprise a thermoplastic base material, and the antimicrobial agent is incorporated into the thermoplastic base material. 
   
   
       5 . The woven pool cover fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the antimicrobial agent is incorporated into a surface of both the thermoplastic warp yarn and the thermoplastic weft filling yarn. 
   
   
       6 . The woven pool cover fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the woven pool cover fabric comprises 0.1% to 2.0% antimicrobial agent. 
   
   
       7 . The woven pool cover fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the antimicrobial agent seeps from the woven pool cover fabric and into a surrounding environment. 
   
   
       8 . The woven pool cover fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the antimicrobial agent comprises and algaecide. 
   
   
       9 . The woven pool cover fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the antimicrobial agent comprises one of a bactericide and a fungicide. 
   
   
       10 . A process for manufacturing a woven fabric containing antimicrobial agents, comprising the steps of:
 providing a thermoplastic base material;   applying an antimicrobial agent to the thermoplastic base material;   coextruding the thermoplastic base material and the algaecide or bactericide into one or more yarns; and   weaving the one or more yarns to form a woven fabric.   
   
   
       11 . The process of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of finishing the woven fabric. 
   
   
       12 . The process of  claim 10 , further comprising the steps of fabricating a pool cover from the woven fabric; and installing the pool cover onto a swimming pool. 
   
   
       13 . The process of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of applying the woven fabric as a building material or as a geotextile. 
   
   
       14 . The process of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of allowing the antimicrobial agent to seep into an environment adjacent to the woven fabric. 
   
   
       15 . A process for manufacturing a woven fabric containing antimicrobial agents, comprising the steps of:
 providing a thermoplastic base material to an extruder;   extruding the thermoplastic base material to form one or more yarns;   weaving the one or more yarns to form a woven fabric; and   applying an antimicrobial agent to a surface of the woven fabric.   
   
   
       16 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the step of applying an antimicrobial agent to a surface of the woven fabric comprises spraying the antimicrobial agent on to the surface of the woven fabric. 
   
   
       17 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the step of applying an algaecide antimicrobial agent to a surface of the woven fabric comprises dipping, soaking, or padding the woven fabric in a solution of the antimicrobial agent. 
   
   
       18 . The process of  claim 15 , further comprising the steps of fabricating a pool cover from the woven fabric; and installing the pool cover onto a swimming pool. 
   
   
       19 . The process of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of applying the woven fabric as a building material or as a geotextile. 
   
   
       20 . The process of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of allowing the antimicrobial agent to seep into an environment adjacent to the woven fabric.