Stretchable fabrics and protective gloves formed thereof, including with touch screen compatibility

Abstract

A stretchable fabric has first and opposite second surfaces, the first, outer surface including filaments, multi-filaments, spun yarns of staple fibers, and/or yarns having high modulus and high tenacity, and the second, inner surface having a raised surface. Garments, e.g. gloves, formed of the fabric have relatively high cut and/or abrasion resistance and/or flame resistance. Gloves having defined regions containing electrically conductive elements in at least the first, outer surface layer additionally have capacitive touch screen compatibility.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fabric comprising:
 a stretchable fabric body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface,   the stretchable fabric body comprising an elastomeric fiber, the first surface comprising filaments, multi-filaments, spun yarn of staple fibers, and/or yarns having high modulus and high tenacity, and the second surface being a raised surface comprising loop yarns.   
     
     
         2 . The fabric of  claim 1 , wherein at least the first surface comprises flame retardant filaments, multi-filaments, spun yarn of staple fibers, and/or yarns. 
     
     
         3 . The fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the loop yarns of the second surface comprise flame retardant filaments and/or yarns. 
     
     
         4 . The fabric of  claim 3 , wherein the loop yarns of the second surface comprise non-melt non-drip filaments and/or yarns. 
     
     
         5 . The fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the filaments, multi-filaments, spun yarn of staple fibers, and/or yarns having high modulus have a modulus of at least about  425  gdp. 
     
     
         6 . The fabric of  claim 1  or  claim 5 , wherein the filaments, multi-filaments, spun yarn of staple fibers, and/or yarns of the first surface comprise p-aramid or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene filaments, multi-filaments, spun yarn of staple fibers, and/or yarns. 
     
     
         7 . The fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the filaments, multi-filaments, spun yarn of staple fibers, and/or yarns having high tenacity have tenacity over about 6 gdp. 
     
     
         8 . The fabric of  claim 7 , wherein the filaments, multi-filaments, spun yarn of staple fibers, and/or yarns having high tenacity have tenacity over about 10 gdp. 
     
     
         9 . The fabric of  claim 8 , wherein the filaments, multi-filaments, spun yarn of staple fibers, and/or yarns having high tenacity have tenacity over about 20 gdp. 
     
     
         10 . The fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the stretchable fabric body has a single face plaited construction having a technical face defining the first surface and an opposite technical back defining the second surface. 
     
     
         11 . The fabric of  claim 10 , wherein the single face plaited construction comprises a single face plaited terry sinker loop construction having the technical face defining the first surface and the opposite technical back defining the second surface. 
     
     
         12 . The fabric of  claim 11 , wherein the technical face defining the first surface comprises a smooth jersey construction and the technical back defining the second surface comprises raised terry sinker loop yarns. 
     
     
         13 . The fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the first surface exhibits cut resistance. 
     
     
         14 . The fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the raised surface is velour. 
     
     
         15 . The fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the raised surface comprises first regions of raised pillars having a first pile height and second regions having a second pile height, or no pile height, lower than the first pile height, the second regions forming interconnected channels separating the first regions. 
     
     
         16 . The fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric body has 4-way stretch. 
     
     
         17 . The fabric of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric body has an air permeability of less than about 200 ft 3 /ft 2 /min, tested according to ASTM D-737 under a pressure difference of ½ inch of water across the fabric body. 
     
     
         18 . The fabric of  claim 17 , wherein the air permeability is less than about 100 ft 3 /ft 2 /min. 
     
     
         19 . A glove comprising:
 a fabric comprising
 a stretchable fabric body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the stretchable fabric body comprising an elastomeric fiber, the first surface comprising fibers/yarns having high modulus and high tenacity, and the second surface being a raised surface and comprising loop yarns; 
   an inner surface of the glove facing a skin surface of a wearer being the second surface of the fabric body, and an outer surface of the glove facing away from the skin of the wearer being the first surface of the fabric body.   
     
     
         20 . The glove of  claim 19 , wherein the high modulus fibers/yarns have a modulus of at least about 425 gdp. 
     
     
         21 . The glove of  claim 19  or  claim 20 , wherein the high modulus fibers/yarns in the first surface comprise p-aramid or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. 
     
     
         22 . The glove of  claim 19 , wherein the tenacity is over about 6 gdp. 
     
     
         23 . The glove of  claim 22  wherein the tenacity is over about 10 gdp. 
     
     
         24 . The glove of  claim 23 , wherein the tenacity is over about 20 gdp. 
     
     
         25 . A capacitive touch screen compatible glove, comprising a plaited terry sinker loop knit construction fabric defining a glove, the fabric comprising a stretchable fabric body comprising elastomeric fibers and having:
 a technical face layer defining a first, smooth surface comprising fibers/yarns having high modulus and high tenacity and forming an outer surface of the glove,   a technical back layer defining an opposite, second, raised surface and forming an inner surface of the glove, and   an interface region where yarns of the technical face layer and yarns of the technical back layer are intimately plaited together, and   at least the technical face layer comprising defined regions containing electrically conductive elements disposed for exposure to ambient environment at the first, smooth surface,   whereby, when a glove wearer applies a defined region of the glove fabric to an opposed region of a touch screen of a capacitive touch screen device, with very low pressure, electrical conductivity of the wearer's body is conducted by the defined region of the fabric to the opposed region of the touch screen in a manner to create a desired distortion of the touch screen electrostatic field.   
     
     
         26 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 25 , wherein the electrically conductive elements disposed for exposure to ambient environment at the first, smooth surface are plaited over the fibers/yarns having high modulus and high tenacity. 
     
     
         27 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 25 , wherein the electrically conductive elements disposed for exposure to ambient environment at the first, smooth surface comprise a coating of conductive polymer over the fibers/yarns having high modulus and high tenacity. 
     
     
         28 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 25 , wherein the technical face layer and the technical back layer comprise corresponding defined regions containing electrically conductive elements disposed in an electrically conductive relationship. 
     
     
         29 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 25 , wherein the technical face layer and the technical back layer comprise corresponding defined regions containing electrically conductive elements disposed in an electrically conductive relationship. 
     
     
         30 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 25 , comprising a pair of touch screen compatible gloves. 
     
     
         31 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 25 , wherein the fabric of the glove is thermally insulating. 
     
     
         32 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 25 , wherein additional surfaces of the glove, beyond index fingertip surfaces, are compatible for operation of a touch screen of a capacitive touch screen device. 
     
     
         33 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 32  wherein the additional surfaces of the glove comprise one or more surfaces selected from among: other fingertip surfaces, thumb tip surfaces, knuckle surfaces, hand palm surfaces, and back-of-the hand surfaces. 
     
     
         34 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 25  wherein the inner surface of the glove has a velour finish. 
     
     
         35 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 25 , wherein the inner surface of the glove has a raised grid finish, comprising discrete pillar regions of raised pile, surrounded by intersecting channels of low pile or no pile. 
     
     
         36 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 25 , wherein at least one of the technical face layer and the technical back layer comprises elastomeric elements. 
     
     
         37 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 36 , wherein the elastomeric elements have predetermined size of about 20 denier to about 150 denier. 
     
     
         38 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 36 , wherein the elastomeric elements are incorporated on every course, or repeat at every other course, or at every “X” course, where “X” is any integer. 
     
     
         39 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 36 , wherein the elastomeric elements are plaited under jersey yarn on the technical back layer. 
     
     
         40 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 25 , wherein the electrically conductive elements have an electrical resistivity of about 1×10 7  Ohms/cm or less. 
     
     
         41 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 40 , wherein the electrically conductive elements have an electrical resistivity of about 1×10 5  Ohms/cm or less. 
     
     
         42 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 25  wherein the electrically conductive elements are in the form of conductive yarns. 
     
     
         43 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 25  wherein the electrically conductive elements are in the form of conductive fiber blends. 
     
     
         44 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 25  wherein the electrically conductive elements are spaced apart by insulative/nonconductive yarns in the defined regions of the at least technical face in a predetermined distribution. 
     
     
         45 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 44 , wherein the predetermined distribution is a pattern extending across a width of a finger of the glove. 
     
     
         46 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 44 , wherein the predetermined distribution is a pattern extending along a length of a finger of the glove. 
     
     
         47 . The capacitive touch screen compatible glove of  claim 25  wherein one or more electrically conductive elements comprise wires extending across the width or along the length of one or more glove fingers and/or thumb, and the electrically conductive elements are incorporated by cut-and-sew fabrication techniques.