Elastic woven or knitted fabric, and cushioning material and seat using the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to an elastic woven or knitted fabric that has an elastic yarn comprising an organic synthetic macromolecule disposed in at least part thereof, and has the following physical properties: (1) a stress at 10% elongation in a range of 100 to 600N per 5 cm width in at least one of a warp direction and a weft direction, and an elongation recovery factor at 15% elongation of at least 75% in the same direction; (2) a ratio ST1/ST2 of not more than 5, wherein ST1 is the stress at 10% elongation in one of the warp and weft directions, and ST 2 is the stress at 10% elongation in the other one of the warp and weft directions, with the proviso that ST1≧ST2; and (3) a dry heat shrinkage factor at 180° C. in a range of 1.0% to 15% in each of the warp direction and the weft direction.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An elastic woven or knitted fabric that has an elastic yarn comprising an organic synthetic macromolecule disposed in at least part thereof, and has the following physical properties: 
 (1) a stress at 10% elongation in a range of 100 to 600N per 5 cm width in at least one of a warp direction and a weft direction, and an elongation recovery factor at 15% elongation of at least 75% in the same direction;    (2) a ratio ST1/ST2 of not more than 5, where ST1 is the stress at 10% elongation in one of the warp and weft directions, and ST2 is the stress at 10% elongation in the other one of the warp and weft directions, with the proviso that ST1≧ST2; and    (3) a dry heat shrinkage factor at 180° C. in a range of 1.0% to 15% in each of the warp direction and the weft direction.    
     
     
         2 . The elastic woven or knitted fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the organic synthetic macromolecule is a polyester-based resin.  
     
     
         3 . The elastic woven or knitted fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the breaking strength is at least 250N per 5 cm width in each of the warp direction and the weft direction.  
     
     
         4 . The elastic woven or knitted fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the sliding resistance of the elastic yarn comprising the organic synthetic macromolecule is at least 2N.  
     
     
         5 . The elastic woven or knitted fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the elastic yarn comprising the organic synthetic macromolecule is a monofilament.  
     
     
         6 . A seat cushioning material that uses the elastic woven or knitted fabric according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         7 . A seat that uses the cushioning material according to  claim 6 .  
     
     
         8 . An elastic woven or knitted fabric that has an elastic yarn comprising an organic synthetic macromolecule disposed in at least part thereof, and has the following physical properties: 
 (1) a stress at 10% elongation in a range of 100 to 600N per 5 cm width, and an elongation recovery factor at 15% elongation of at least 75%, in at least one of a warp direction and a weft direction;    (2) an air permeability upon passing through air at a pressure of 125 Pa in a range of 100 to 700 cc/cm 2  ·sec; and    (3) a ratio ST1/ST2 of not more than 5, where ST1 is the stress at 10% elongation in one of the warp and weft directions, and ST2 is the stress at 10% elongation in the other one of the warp and weft directions, with the proviso that ST1≧ST2.    
     
     
         9 . The elastic woven or knitted fabric according to  claim 8 , wherein the organic synthetic macromolecule is a polyester-based resin.  
     
     
         10 . The elastic woven or knitted fabric according to  claim 8 , wherein the breaking strength is at least 250N per 5 cm width in each of the warp direction and the weft direction.  
     
     
         11 . The elastic woven or knitted fabric according to  claim 8 , wherein the sliding resistance of the elastic yarn comprising the organic synthetic macromolecule is at least 2N.  
     
     
         12 . The elastic woven or knitted fabric according to  claim 8 , wherein the elastic yarn comprising the organic synthetic macromolecule is a monofilament.  
     
     
         13 . A seat cushioning material that uses the elastic woven or knitted fabric according to  claim 8 .  
     
     
         14 . A seat that uses the cushioning material according to  claim 13 .  
     
     
         15 . A method of manufacturing an elastic woven or knitted fabric, comprising the steps of: 
 carrying out knitting or weaving disposing in at least part an elastic yarn comprising at least two polyether-ester-based elastomers having different melting points to one another; and    then carrying out heat treatment at a temperature at which a low-melting-point polyether-ester-based elastomer component softens or melts;    whereby a woven or knitted fabric having the following physical properties is obtained: 
 (1) a stress at 10% elongation in a range of 100 to 600N per 5 cm width, and an elongation recovery factor at 15% elongation of at least 75%, in at least one of a warp direction and a weft direction; and  
 (2) a ratio ST1/ST2 of not more than 5, wherein ST1 is the stress at 10% elongation in one of the warp and weft directions, and ST2 is the stress at 10% elongation in the other one of the warp and weft directions, with the proviso that ST1≧ST2.  
   
     
     
         16 . The method of manufacturing an elastic woven or knitted fabric according to  claim 15 , wherein a low-melting-point polyether-ester-based elastomer resin fuses and hardens through the heat treatment at parts of the woven or knitted fabric where the yarns intersect.  
     
     
         17 . The method of manufacturing an elastic woven or knitted fabric according to  claim 15 , wherein the content in the woven or knitted fabric of the elastic yarn comprising the polyether-ester-based elastomers is at least 25 wt %.  
     
     
         18 . The method of manufacturing an elastic woven or knitted fabric according to  claim 15 , wherein the elastic yarn comprising the polyether-ester-based elastomers has a core-sheath structure, and the melting point of a core component polyether-ester-based elastomer is at least 30° C. higher than the melting point of a sheath component polyether-ester-based elastomer.  
     
     
         19 . The method of manufacturing an elastic woven or knitted fabric according to  claim 18 , wherein the weight ratio of the core component to the sheath component is in a range of 95:5 to 30:70.