Velour fabric articles having flame retardance and improved dynamic insulation performance

Abstract

A velour fabric article consists of a fabric body having a technical face formed by a filament stitch yarn and a technical back formed by a loop yarn. The filament stitch yarn includes a heat sensitive material, e.g. a hot melt material or a heat shrinkable material, and/or an elastomeric material, such as spandex. The loop yarn includes flame retardant material, such as M-Aramide fiber. The fabric body has a velour surface formed at one or both of the technical back and the technical face. Raised fibers of at least one of the technical face and the technical back may be entangled, including in and/or through interstices of the fabric body, toward the other of the technical face and the technical back, e.g., by a hydroentanglement process applied after finishing. The fabric body has permeability of about 90 ft 3 /ft 2 /min, or less, under a pressure difference of ½ inch of water across the fabric body.

1. A velour fabric article comprises a fabric body having a technical face formed by a filament stitch yarn and a technical back formed by a loop yarn, said filament stitch yarn comprising heat sensitive material and said loop yarn comprising flame retardant material selected from the group consisting of: m-Aramide fibers, m-Aramide fiber and p-Aramide fiber blends, and fibers and fiber blends of inherent flame retardant materials, said fabric body having a velour surface formed at one or both of said technical back and said technical face, and said heat sensitive material responding to application of heat during processing to increase tortuosity with a result of said fabric body having permeability of about 90 ft 3 /ft 2 min or less under a pressure difference of ½ inch of water across the fabric body. 
     
     
       2. The velour fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein said heat sensitive material comprises hot melt material. 
     
     
       3. The velour fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein said heat sensitive material comprises heat shrinkable material. 
     
     
       4. The velour fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein said heat sensitive material is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, nylon, and polyester. 
     
     
       5. The velour fabric article of  claim 1 ,  claim 2 ,  claim 3 , or  claim 4 , wherein said heat sensitive material responds to application of dry heat. 
     
     
       6. The velour fabric article of  claim 1 ,  claim 2 ,  claim 3 , or  claim 4 , wherein said heat sensitive material responds to application of wet heat. 
     
     
       7. The velour fabric article of  claim 6 , wherein said heat sensitive material responds to application of wet heat applied by steam. 
     
     
       8. The velour fabric article of  claim 6 , wherein said heat sensitive material responds to application of wet heat applied by hot water. 
     
     
       9. The velour fabric article of  claim 1 ,  claim 2 ,  claim 3 , or  claim 4 , wherein said heat sensitive material responds to application of heat of about 212° F. to about 450° F. applied for about 2 minutes to about 60 minutes. 
     
     
       10. The velour fabric article of  claim 1 ,  claim 2 ,  claim 3 , or  claim 4 , wherein said filament stitch yarn comprises elastomeric material. 
     
     
       11. The velour fabric article of  claim 10 , wherein said elastomeric material comprises spandex. 
     
     
       12. The velour fabric article of  claim 10 , wherein filaments of said heat sensitive material and filaments of said elastomeric material are commingled together. 
     
     
       13. The velour fabric article of  claim 10 , wherein filaments o said heat sensitive material and filaments of said elastomeric material are plaited together. 
     
     
       14. The velour fabric article of  claim 10 , wherein raised fibers of the velour surface of at least one of the technical face and the technical back is entangled, including in and/or through interstices of the fabric body toward the other of the technical face and the technical back. 
     
     
       15. The velour fabric article of  claim 14 , wherein raised fiber of the technical back are entangled, including in and/or through interstices of the fabric body, toward the technical face. 
     
     
       16. The velour fabric article of  claim 1 ,  claim 2 ,  claim 3 , or  claim 4 , wherein said filament stitch yarn is a cored yarn comprising a core and a sheath, said sheath comprising hot melt material. 
     
     
       17. The velour fabric article of  claim 16 , wherein said hot melt material is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyester and polyamide. 
     
     
       18. The velour fabric article of  claim 16 , wherein said core comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyester and nylon. 
     
     
       19. The velour fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein said loop yarn splits to release multiple small diameter filaments. 
     
     
       20. The velour fabric article of  claim 19 , wherein said loop yarn splits by application of heat to release said multiple small diameter filaments. 
     
     
       21. The velour fabric article of  claim 20 , wherein said loop yarn comprises an “islands-in-sea” construction. 
     
     
       22. The velour fabric article of  claim 19 , wherein said loop yarn splits by application of a chemical treatment to release said multiple small diameter filaments. 
     
     
       23. The velour fabric article of  claim 19 , wherein said loop yarn splits by application of a mechanical action to release said multiple small diameter filaments. 
     
     
       24. The velour fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein said loop yarn is textured. 
     
     
       25. The velour fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein said stitch yarn is textured. 
     
     
       26. The velour fabric article of  claim 1 ,  claim 2 ,  claim 3 , or  claim 4 , wherein raised fibers of the velour surface of at least one of the technical face and the technical back is entangled, including in and/or through interstices of the fabric body toward the other of the technical face and the technical back. 
     
     
       27. The velour fabric article of  claim 26 , wherein raised fiber of the technical back are entangled, including in and/or through interstices of the fabric body, toward the technical face. 
     
     
       28. The velour fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein said fabric body has a velour surface region formed at said technical back. 
     
     
       29. The velour fabric article of  claim 1 , wherein said fabric body has a velour surface region formed at each of said technical back and said technical face. 
     
     
       30. A velour fabric article comprises a fabric body having a technical face formed by a filament stitch yarn and a technical back formed by a loop yarn, said filament stitch yarn comprising elastomeric material and said loop yarn comprises flame retardant material selected from the group consisting of: m-Aramide fiber and p-Aramide fiber blends, and fibers and fiber blends of inherent flame retardant materials, said fabric body having a velour surface formed at one or both of said technical back and said technical face, and said fabric body having permeability of about 90 ft 3 /ft 2 /min or less under a pressure difference of ½ inch of water across the fabric body. 
     
     
       31. The velour fabric article of  claim 30 , wherein said elastomeric material comprises spandex. 
     
     
       32. The velour fabric article of  claim 1  or  claim 30 , wherein said fabric body has permeability of about 70 ft 3 /ft 2 /min or less. 
     
     
       33. The velour fabric article of  claim 30 , wherein raised fibers of the velour surface of at least one of the technical face and the technical back is entangled, including in and/or through interstices of the fabric body toward the other of the technical face and the technical back. 
     
     
       34. The velour fabric of  claim 32 , wherein raised fibers of the technical back are entangled, including in and/or through interstices of the fabric body, toward the technical face. 
     
     
       35. A velour fabric article comprises a fabric body having a technical face formed by a filament stitch yarn and a technical back formed by a loop yarn, said filament stitch yarn comprising heat sensitive material and said loop yarn comprising a spun yarn including flame retardant material selected from the group consisting of: m- Aramide fibers, m - Aramide fiber and p - Aramide fiber blends, and fibers and fiber blends of inherent flame retardant materials, said fabric body having a velour surface formed at one or both of said technical back and said technical face, and said heat sensitive material responding to application of heat during processing to increase tortuosity and decrease permeability, thereby to improve dynamic insulation performance of the fabric article.   
     
     
       36. A velour fabric article comprises a fabric body having a technical face formed by a filament stitch yarn and a technical back formed by a loop yarn, said filament stitch yarn comprising elastomeric material and said loop yarn comprising a spun yarn including flame retardant material selected from the group consisting of: m- Aramide fibers, m - Aramide fiber and p - Aramide fiber blends, and fibers and fiber blends of inherent flame retardant materials, said fabric body having a velour surface formed at one or both of said technical back and said technical face.   
     
     
       37. The velour fabric article of  claim 35  or  claim 36 , wherein the loop yarn forming the technical back comprises natural materials. 
     
     
       38. The velour fabric article of  claim 37 , wherein the loop yarn forming the technical back comprises synthetic materials. 
     
     
       39. The velour fabric article of any one of claims  35  or  claim 36 , wherein the loop yarn forming the technical back comprises synthetic materials. 
     
     
       40. The velour fabric article of  claim 35 , wherein said heat sensitive material responds to application of heat during processing to increase tortuosity with a result of said fabric body having permeability of about  90  ft 3   /ft   2   /min or less under a pressure difference of  1 / 2  inch of water across the fabric body.   
     
     
       41. The velour fabric article of  claim 35 , wherein said heat sensitive material responds to application of heat during processing to increase tortuosity with a result of said fabric body having permeability of less than about  193  ft 3   /ft   2   /min under a pressure difference of  1 / 2  inch of water across the fabric body.   
     
     
       42. The velour fabric article of  claim 35 , wherein said filament stitch yarn comprises elastomeric material. 
     
     
       43. The velour fabric article of  claim 36  or  claim 42 , wherein said elastomeric material comprises spandex. 
     
     
       44. The velour fabric article of  claim 35  or  claim 36 , wherein raised fibers of the velour surface of at least one of the technical face and the technical back is entangled, including in and/or through interstices of the fabric body toward the other of the technical face and the technical back.