Wool blend velour fabric

Abstract

A wool blend velour fabric article ( 12 ) is formed of yarns ( 14, 16 ) consisting of wool fibers ( 17 a, 17 b ) in a blend with manufactured fibers ( 19 a, 19 b ) (i.e., synthetic and/or regenerated fibers). The wool and manufactured fibers are blended, i.e. spun, together in a manner to control the distribution of the wool fibers and of the manufactured fibers, across the cross-section of the yarn such that each of the wool fibers is generally surrounded by manufactured fibers, and thus shielded from interaction with other ones of the wool fibers. The resulting velour fabric article exhibits reduced shrinkage and felting.

1 . A wool blend velour fabric article comprising:
 a fabric body having a technical face and a technical back, the fabric body having a velour surface formed at one or both of the technical face and the technical back,   wherein the velour surface is formed of yarn comprising a blend of wool and manufactured fibers,   wherein the wool and manufactured fibers are blended across a cross-section of the yarn such that each wool fiber is generally surrounded by manufactured fibers and thereby shielded from interaction with other ones of the wool fibers.   
     
     
         2 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein the wool fibers have an average diameter of 16 micron to about 36 micron. 
     
     
         3 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein the wool fibers are not chemically treated by any oxidative process. 
     
     
         4 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein the manufactured fibers are selected from the group consisting of polyester fibers, nylon fibers, acrylic fibers, modacrylic fibers, polyolefin, polylactic acid, and rayon fibers. 
     
     
         5 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein the manufactured fibers have an average thickness of less than 2 denier per filament. 
     
     
         6 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein the blend comprises at least 25 wt. % of the manufactured fibers, e.g. at least 50 wt. % of the manufactured fibers. 
     
     
         7 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein the yarn is a spun yarn. 
     
     
         8 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein the manufactured fibers have flame retardant property. 
     
     
         9 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 8 , wherein the manufactured fibers comprise modacrylic and/or flame retardant rayon. 
     
     
         10 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein the manufactured fibers comprise synthetic and/or regenerated fibers. 
     
     
         11 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein the wool fibers are treated with flame retardant chemical. 
     
     
         12 . A method of forming a wool blend velour fabric, the method comprising:
 joining a loop yarn and a stitch yarn to form a fabric prebody, the stitch yarn forming a technical face of the fabric prebody and the loop yarn forming a technical back of the fabric prebody; and   finishing at least one of the technical face and the technical back of the fabric prebody to form a velour fabric body,   wherein at least one of the loop yarn and the stitch yarn comprises a blend of wool and manufactured fibers,   wherein the wool and manufactured fibers are blended across a cross-section of the yarn such that each wool fiber is generally surrounded by manufactured fibers and thereby shielded from interaction with other ones of the wool fibers.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein both the loop yarn and the stitch yarn comprise blends of wool and manufactured fibers, wherein the wool and manufactured fibers are blended across respective cross-sections of the yarns such that each wool fiber is generally surrounded by manufactured fibers and thereby shielded from interaction with other ones of the wool fibers. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising finishing the technical face and the technical back to form a double-face velour fabric body. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising subjecting the fabric body to a dyeing process. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising finishing one of the technical face and the technical back to form a single face velour fabric body. 
     
     
         17 . A method of forming a velour fabric, the method comprising:
 joining a yarn comprising a blend of wool and manufactured fibers to form a fabric prebody, the wool and manufactured fibers being blended across a cross-section of the yarn such that each wool fiber is generally surrounded by manufactured fibers and thereby shielded from interaction with other ones of the wool fibers; and   finishing at least one surface of the fabric prebody to form a velour fabric body.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising subjecting the fabric body to a dyeing process. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising finishing opposing surfaces of the fabric prebody to form a double-face velour fabric body. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising finishing one of the technical face and the technical back to form a single face velour fabric body. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising:
 joining a yarn comprising a blend of wool and manufactured fibers to form a fabric prebody having a plaited construction; and   finishing one of the technical face and the technical back to form a plaited single face fabric.   
     
     
         22 . A wool blend velour fabric article comprising:
 a fabric body having a technical face formed by a stitch yarn and a technical back formed by a loop yarn, the fabric body having a velour surface formed at one or both of the technical face and the technical back,   wherein one or both of the stitch yarn and the loop yarn comprises a blend of wool and manufactured fibers,   wherein the wool and manufactured fibers are blended across a cross-section of the yarn such that each wool fiber is generally surrounded by manufactured fibers and thereby shielded from interaction with other ones of the wool fibers.   
     
     
         23 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 22 , wherein the wool fibers have an average diameter of 16 micron to about 36 micron. 
     
     
         24 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 22 , wherein the wool fibers are not chemically treated by any oxidative process. 
     
     
         25 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 22 , wherein the manufactured fibers are selected from the group consisting of polyester fibers, nylon fibers, acrylic fibers, modacrylic fibers, polyolefin, polylactic acid, and rayon fibers. 
     
     
         26 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 22 , wherein the manufactured fibers have an average thickness of less than 2 denier per filament. 
     
     
         27 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 22 , wherein the blend comprises at least 25 wt. % of the manufactured fibers, e.g. at least 50 wt. % of the manufactured fibers. 
     
     
         28 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 22 , wherein the yarn is a spun yarn. 
     
     
         29 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 22 , wherein the stitch yarn comprises elastomer yarn and/or fibers. 
     
     
         30 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 22 , wherein the manufactured fibers have flame retardant property. 
     
     
         31 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 30 , wherein the manufactured fibers comprise modacrylic and/or flame retardant rayon. 
     
     
         32 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 22 , wherein the manufactured fibers comprise synthetic and/or regenerated fibers. 
     
     
         33 . The wool blend velour fabric article of  claim 22 , wherein the wool fibers are treated with flame retardant chemical.