Breathable waterproof garment
View Patent ↗A garment containing a breathable laminate that is optionally bonded to an outer layer fabric and an optional inner layer fabric. The breathable laminate is constructed from a microporous membrane situated in a face to face relationship with a nanoweb and optionally bonded thereto.
1. A garment having an outer side and an inner side comprising a breathable laminate and an outer layer fabric, said breathable laminate comprising a microporous membrane situated in a face to face relationship with a nanoweb.
2. The garment of claim 1 , wherein said membrane faces the outer layer fabric.
3. The garment of claim 1 , wherein said membrane faces the inner side of the garment.
4. The garment of claim 1 , further comprising an inner layer fabric.
5. The garment of claim 4 , wherein the laminate is bonded to the inner layer fabric.
6. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the membrane is selected from the group consisting of ePTFE and a microporous film.
7. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the membrane is bonded to said nanoweb by a means selected from the group consisting of solvent bonding, adhesive bonding, thermal bonding, ultrasonic bonding and combinations thereof.
8. The garment of claim 2 , wherein the laminate is bonded to the outer layer fabric by a means selected from the group consisting of stitching, adhesive bonding, thermal bonding, ultrasonic bonding and combinations thereof.
9. The garment of claim 5 , wherein the laminate is bonded to the inner layer fabric by a means selected from the group consisting of stitching, adhesive bonding, thermal bonding, ultrasonic bonding and combinations thereof.
10. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the outer layer fabric comprises woven materials selected from the group consisting of nylon, cotton, polyesters, polyacrylics, polypropylene, and combinations thereof.
11. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the inner layer fabric comprises woven materials selected from the group consisting of nylon, cotton, polyesters, polyacrylics, polypropylene, and combinations thereof.
12. The garment of any of claims 1 , 5 , 8 or 9 , wherein the laminate and the fabric layer are bonded to each other over a fraction of their surfaces.
13. The garment of claim 6 , wherein the membrane is ePTFE which is bonded to the outer layer fabric with a polyurethane adhesive.
14. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the nanoweb comprises nanofibers of a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyacetals, polyamides, polyesters, cellulose ethers, cellulose esters, polyalkylene sulfides, polyarylene oxides, polysulfones, modified polysulfone polymers and mixtures thereof.
15. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the nanoweb comprises nanofibers of a polymer selected from the group consisting of poly(vinylchloride), polymethylmethacrylate, polystyrene, and copolymers thereof, poly(vinylidene fluoride), poly(vinylidene chloride), polyvinylalcohol in crosslinked and non-crosslinked forms.
16. The garment of claim 14 , wherein the nanofiber layer comprises polyamide nanofibers selected from the group consisting of nylon-6, nylon-6,6, and nylon 6,6-6,10.
17. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the nanoweb is calendered.
18. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the nanoweb is either oleophobic or hydrophobic.
19. The garment of claim 1 , further comprising a spacer scrim bonded between the microporous membrane and the outer fabric layer.
20. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the nanoweb further comprises an antistatic agent.