Foam core article with flexible heat-resistant knitted fabric

Abstract

A foam core article such as a mattress or pillow is covered on a surface with a flexible heat-resistant knitted fabric. Preferably a further sacrificial fabric also is used to allow passage of CPSC 16 CFR 1633 with a peak heat release of no more than 200 kilowatts in a 30 minute time period following ignition.

1 . An article of a mattress with a flexible heat-resistant knitted fabric comprising:
 (I) a mattress having a foam core; and   (II) a flexible heat-resistant knitted fabric covering at least a portion of a surface of the mattress wherein the knitted fabric comprises:
 (a) para-aramid yarn; and 
 (b) cellulosic yarn wherein cellulosic material in the yarn has not been treated to improve fire resistance, 
   with the provisos:
 (i) the para-aramid is present in an amount of at least 38 percent by weight of the knitted fabric on a basis of para-aramid and cellulosic material in the yarns, 
 (ii) the para-aramid yarn has a size in a range from 45 cc to 16 cc, 
 (iii) the cellulosic yarn has a size in a range from 45 cc to 16 cc and 
 (iv) the knitted fabric has a stitch density in a range from 300 to 1200 stitches per square inch. 
   
   
   
       2 . The article of  claim 1  wherein, the mattress does not contain springs. 
   
   
       3 . The article of  claim 1  wherein, the para-aramid is poly(paraphenylene terepthalamide). 
   
   
       4 . The article of  claim 1  wherein, the cellulosic material is cotton or rayon. 
   
   
       5 . The article of  claim 4  wherein, the celullosic material is cotton. 
   
   
       6 . The article of  claim 1  wherein, the para-aramid yarn has a size in a range from 40 cc to 20 cc and the cellulosic yarn has a size in a range from 40 cc to 20 cc and the knitted fabric has a stitch density in a range from 450 to 1000 stitches per square inch. 
   
   
       7 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the knitted fabric is a plated knit. 
   
   
       8 . The article of  claim 1 , which additionally contains a sacrificial fabric with a construction in order (a) mattress, (b) flexible heat-resistant knitted fabric and (c) sacrificial fabric,
 wherein, the article passes CPSC 16 CFR1633 with a peak heat release of no more than 200 kilowatts in a 30 minute time period after ignition.   
   
   
       9 . The article of  claim 8  wherein, the sacrificial fabric comprises cotton. 
   
   
       10 . An article comprising in order:
 (I) a foam core,   (II) a flexible heat-resistant knitted fabric covering at least a portion of a surface of the foam core wherein the knitted fabric comprises
 (a) para-aramid yarn and 
 (b) cellulosic yarn wherein cellulosic material in the yarn has not been treated to improve fire resistance, 
   with the provisos:
 (i) the para-aramid is present in an amount of at least 38 percent by weight of the knitted fabric on a basis of para-aramid and cellulosic material in the yarns, 
 (ii) the para-aramid yarn has a size in a range from 45 cc to 16 cc, 
 (iii) the cellulosic yarn has a size in a range from 45 cc to 16 cc and 
 (iv) the knitted fabric has a stitch density in a range from 300 to 1200 stitches per square inch and 
   (III) a sacrificial fabric,   with the proviso the article passes CPSC 16 CFR1633 with a peak heat release of no more than 200 kilowatts in a 30 minute time period after ignition.   
   
   
       11 . The article of  claim 8  having a CPSC16 CFR1633 thermal performance after stretching the knit fabric by 30 percent of at least 10 percent higher than the thermal performance of a similar article in which the knit fabric is not stretched. 
   
   
       12 . The article of  claim 10  wherein, the sacrificial fabric comprises cotton. 
   
   
       13 . A method for making a knitted fabric of  claim 1  comprising the step of feeding the aramid and cellulosic yarns so that the aramid and cellulosic yarns lie on separate sides of the fabric