Nubuck-like fabric and method of manufacturing nubuck-like fabric

Abstract

Provided is a nubuck-like fabric 100 having a nubuck-like distinct moist feel and nubuck-like distinctive nap that are close to those of natural leather and also having superior abrasion resistance with a woven or knitted fabric used for a base material. The nubuck-like fabric 100 includes a flexible sheet 100 ′ formed by application of a resin 20 to the woven or knitted fabric. The flexible sheet 100 ′ includes a filled portion 40 that includes filaments 10 and the resin 20 , and a non-filled portion 30 including spaces. The flexible sheet 100 ′ also includes a nap part 50 at its surface, and the nap part 50 has a thickness ranging from 0.01 to 0.4 mm, inclusive.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A nubuck-like fabric comprising a flexible sheet formed by application of a resin to a woven or knitted fabric,
 wherein the flexible sheet includes:
 a filled portion including filaments and the resin; and 
 a non-filled portion including spaces. 
   
     
     
         2 . The nubuck-like fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexible sheet further includes a nap part at a surface of the flexible sheet. 
     
     
         3 . The nubuck-like fabric according to  claim 2 , wherein the nap part has a thickness ranging from 0.01 to 0.4 mm, inclusive. 
     
     
         4 . The nubuck-like fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the spaces in the non-filled portion include voids that are surrounded by the filaments. 
     
     
         5 . The nubuck-like fabric according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the filled-portion includes, in a multifilament yarn forming the woven or knitted fabric, a multifilament-yarn composite where the filaments and the resin hold together; and   in a unit area of a section of the flexible sheet, a rate of occupancy, Gy (%), by the voids is defined by a formula (1), Gy (%)={C1/(A1+B1+C1)}×100, and satisfies a formula (2), Gy (%)≤15, where A1 is a sectional area of the filaments included in the multifilament-yarn composite, B1 is a sectional area of the resin included in the multifilament-yarn composite, and C1 is a sectional area of the voids surrounded by the filaments that are held together by the resin in the multifilament-yarn composite.   
     
     
         6 . The nubuck-like fabric according to  claim 5 , wherein:
 the flexible sheet further includes a nap part at a surface of the flexible sheet;   the filled portion further includes, at a base of the nap part, a nap composite where the filaments and the resin hold together, the nap composite being film-shaped; and   in a unit area of the section of the flexible sheet, a rate of occupancy, Gs (%), by the voids is defined by a formula (3), Gs (%)={C2/(A2+B2+C2)}×100, and satisfies a formula (4), Gs/Gy>1, where A2 is a sectional area of the filaments included in the nap composite, B2 is a sectional area of the resin included in the nap composite, and C2 is a sectional area of the voids surrounded by the filaments that are held together by the resin in the nap composite.   
     
     
         7 . The nubuck-like fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the spaces in the non-filled portion include fissures formed by separation of the filaments. 
     
     
         8 . The nubuck-like fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the filaments has a filament linear density ranging from 0.1 to 0.7 dtex, inclusive. 
     
     
         9 . The nubuck-like fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the resin is at least one selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane resin, a silicone resin, and an acrylic resin. 
     
     
         10 . A method of manufacturing a nubuck-like fabric, the method comprising:
 a napping step of raising a nap on a surface of a woven or knitted fabric to form the nap on the surface;   a pressing step of pressing the woven or knitted fabric at the surface formed with the nap to form a base material;   a resin application step of impregnating the base material with a resin; and   a drying step of drying the base material impregnated with the resin with moist heat.   
     
     
         11 . The method of manufacturing a nubuck-like fabric according to  claim 10 , wherein a masking step of applying a water-soluble composition to a surface of the base material is carried out subsequently to the pressing step. 
     
     
         12 . The method of manufacturing a nubuck-like fabric according to  claim 10 , wherein a dressing step of raising the nap on the surface of the base material including the resin is carried out subsequently to the drying step to arrange the nap. 
     
     
         13 . The method of manufacturing a nubuck-like fabric according to  claim 12 , wherein a crumpling step is carried out subsequently to the dressing step.