Flat woven light-weight fabrics and their use for the production of seat covers

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of constructing a flat woven light-weight fabric and the use of this fabric for the production of a seat cover. The method comprises the steps of selecting a flat woven heavy-weight fabric having a weight of 260 to 340 g/m 2 , said heavy-weight fabric showing a decorative pattern; determining the warp and weft yarn titer, the warp and weft density of said heavy-weight fabric; modelling different weave designs by systematically decreasing the warp yarn titer, the weft yarn titer, the warp density and/or the weft density in the weave design program; comparing each of the obtained weave designs with the pattern of the heavy-weight fabric and selecting that weave design which shows the same decorative pattern as the heavy-weight fabric and which has a weight being at least 20% lower than that of the heavy-weight fabric; and weaving a fabric accordingly.

1 . Method of constructing a flat woven light-weight fabric, comprising the following steps: 
 i) selecting a flat woven heavy-weight fabric having a weight of 260 to 340 g/m 2 , said heavy-weight fabric showing a decorative pattern;    ii) determining the warp yarn titer, the weft yarn titer, the warp density and the weft density of said heavy-weight fabric and entering these parameters in a weave design program;    iii) modelling different weave designs by systematically decreasing at least one parameter selected from the the warp yarn titer, the weft yarn titer, the warp density and the weft density of said heavy-weight fabric in the weave design program;    iv) comparing each of the weave designs obtained in step iii) with the decorative pattern of the heavy-weight fabric and selecting that weave design which shows the same decorative pattern as that of the heavy-weight fabric and which has a weight being at least 20% lower than that of the heavy-weight fabric; and    v) weaving a fabric according to the weave design selected in step iv) thereby obtaining a light-weight fabric having the same decorative pattern as the heavy-weight fabric.    
     
     
         2 . Method of  claim 1 , wherein both the weave of the heavy-weight fabric and the weave of the light-weight fabric are twill weaves.  
     
     
         3 . Method of any of the preceding claims, wherein differently coloured yarns are used as warp yarn and weft yarn, the warp yarn and the weft yarn used in the light-weight fabric being of the same colour as the warp yarn and the weft yarn used in the heavy-weight fabric, respectively.  
     
     
         4 . Method of any of the preceding claims, wherein yarns having different textures are used as warp yarn and weft yarn, the warp yarn and the weft yarn used in the light-weight fabric being of the same texture as the warp yarn and the weft yarn used in the heavy-weight fabric, respectively.  
     
     
         5 . Method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the decorative pattern has a pattern repeat length in the range of 0.1 to 10 cm.  
     
     
         6 . Flat woven light-weight fabric, obtainable by the method of any of  claims 1  to  5 .  
     
     
         7 . Use of a flat woven light-weight fabric obtainable by the method of any of  claims 1  to  5  in combination with a flat woven heavy-weight fabric having a weight of 260 to 340 g/m2, said heavy-weight fabric and said light-weight fabric showing the same decorative pattern, for the production of a flat woven fabric having areas which are subject to different wear during use.  
     
     
         8 . Use of  claim 7 , wherein the flat woven fabric having areas which are subject to different wear during use is a seat cover.  
     
     
         9 . Method of producing a textile product, comprising the step of connecting a flat woven light-weight fabric obtainable by the method of any of  claims 1  to  5  and a flat woven heavy-weight fabric having a weight of 260 to 340 g/m 2 , said heavy-weight fabric and said light-weight fabric showing the same decorative pattern.  
     
     
         10 . Method of  claim 9 , wherein the textile product is a seat cover for vehicle seats, and wherein the connecting is carried out such that the light-weight fabric covers the side facings and the back of the seat and the heavy-weight fabric covers at least a part of the seating surface.  
     
     
         11 . Textile product obtainable by the method of any of claims  9  and  10 .  
     
     
         12 . Textile product of  claim 11 , the textile product being a seat cover for vehicles.  
     
     
         13 . Automotive seat comprising a seat cover according to  claim 12.