Down and polymer mixture thermal insulating sheet

Abstract

A light weight composite thermally insulating sheet is comprised of down insulation mixed with binding fibers and plant-based material fibers. The plant-based material fibers maintain their original state during heat treatment to bind the core material together. As the binding fibers soften, they bind together at their crossing and also attach to the plant-based material fibers which remain in their original state creating an inner bonded support fiber structure made of plant-based material fibers and binding fibers. This fiber structure maintains the loft in the core by resisting to heat deformation of the binder material during the heat treatment to reduce compression of core material. The plant-based material fibers also act as wicking conductors to conduct moisture out of the down material and providing a faster drying of the thermally insulating sheet. Carbon fibers may be added to the core mixture of the scrim sheets, if used, may be formed of charcoal yarn to absorb odors.

1 . A light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet comprising a core formed of down material mixed with a heat activatable binder material and plant-based material fibers in predetermined proportions, said plant-based material fibers being dispersed and supported in a three dimensional fiber structure by said down material, said plant-based material fibers when subjected to heat treatment temperature to activate said binder material maintaining their original state due to their melting temperature being higher than said heat treatment temperature causing said binder material to bind thereto creating an inner bonded support fiber structure made of said plant-based material fibers in their original state and with at least some of said binder material attached thereto, said inner bonded support fiber structure maintaining loft in said core by resisting to heat deformation during said heat treatment of said binder material to reduce compression of said core by heat deformation of said binder material, said plant-based material fibers also acting as wicking conductors to conduct moisture out of said down material and providing a faster drying of said thermally insulating sheet. 
     
     
         2 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 1  wherein there is further provided an air permeable non-woven scrim sheet bonded to opposed top and bottom surfaces of said core. 
     
     
         3 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said scrim sheet is a non-woven film heat fused on opposed top and bottom surfaces of said core during said heat treatment. 
     
     
         4 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said plant-based material fibers are polyester microfibers made partially of a plant-based component such as corn glucose and identified by the registered trademark SORONA of the DuPont company. 
     
     
         5 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said plant-based material fibers are cellulosic yarn fibers made from esters of wood pulp, such as identified by the registered trademark NAIA of the Eastman company. 
     
     
         6 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said heat activated binder material is one of a glue binder, polymeric fibers and bulking fibers or combinations thereof to cause said core material to bind together when subjected to said heat treatment. 
     
     
         7 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said plant-based material fibers occupy a volume in the range of form about 10% to 50% of the total volume of said core. 
     
     
         8 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said core further comprises a predetermined quantity of an odor absorbing substance containing carbon. 
     
     
         9 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 1  wherein there is also provided a scrim sheet bonded to one or both of an outer or inner surface of said core, said scrim sheet being one of a non-woven material sheet containing carbon fibers and a scrim sheet formed of charcoal yarn to absorb odors emanating from a wearer person's body. 
     
     
         10 . A light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet comprising a central core zone formed of down material and opposed thermally insulating outer trapping barrier zones integrally bonded to a top and a bottom outer surface portions of said central core zone, said central core zone containing a binder material to trap said down material, said outer trapping barrier zones being comprised of a mixture of said binder material mixed with plant based material fibers in predetermined proportions to form a higher density trapping zone to prevent loose down clusters from said central core zone to propagate to an outer top and bottom surface of said down/polymer thermally insulating sheet, said plant based material fibers imparting to said outer trapping barrier zones breathability and permeability to wick humidity from said down material in said central core zone a provide faster drying time while maintaining resiliency and stretchability of said thermally insulating sheet permitting it to drape well for use in the manufacture of thermally insulating articles. 
     
     
         11 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said plant-based material fibers are polyester microfibers made partially of a plant-based component such as corn glucose, such as that identified by the registered trademark SORONA of the DuPont Company. 
     
     
         12 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said plant-based material fibers are cellulosic yarn fibers made from esters of wood pulp, such as that identified by the registered trademark NAIA of the Eastman Company. 
     
     
         13 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said central core zone also comprises a predetermined quantity of said plant based material fibers, said plant-based material fibers being disposed and supported in a three dimensional structure by said down material, said plant based material fibers forming wicking fibers to conduct humidity out of said down material in said central core zone and through said outer trapping barrier zones. 
     
     
         14 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 13  wherein said binder material is comprised, at least in part, of polymer binding fibers which soften and bind together at their crossings when subjected to heat at a predetermined temperature, said plant based fibers maintaining their original sate during said heat treatment thereby reducing compression of said core mixture during said heat treatment by providing support to binding fibers attaching thereto by melting polymer material and thereby forming a support fiber structure with said binding fibers to reduce compression of said core material and thereby improving the resulting loft of said central core zone. 
     
     
         15 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 14  wherein said binding fibers are comprised, at least in part, of crimped bulking polymer fibers to provide mass and volume to said central core zone. 
     
     
         16 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 14  wherein said central core zone is further comprised of one or a combination of crimped bulking fibers, hollow fibers, natural fibers and microspheres. 
     
     
         17 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 16  wherein said microspheres are trapped in said central core zone by said outer trapping barrier zones and held dispersed therein by said down material and binding fibers, said microspheres gradually expanding when subjected to said heat treatment to produce loft in said central core zone and to counter heat compression formed by said melting binding fibers and thereby substantially maintaining a desired loft of said central core zone after said heat treatment. 
     
     
         18 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the thickness ratios between said central core zone and said outer trapping barrier zones are one of approximately 50% to 90% central core zone and 5% to 25% for each said outer trapping barrier zones. 
     
     
         19 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said outer trapping barrier zones are air permeable zones permitting breathability and preventing the escape of down clusters from said down material of said central core zone and have a thickness ratio in the range of 5% to 10% of the total thickness of said thermally insulating sheet. 
     
     
         20 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said outer trapping barrier zones are formed of sheets of binding fibers fused with said plant based material fibers in predetermined proportions and fused to said central core zone during said heat treatment of said central core zone to form a unitary material thermally insulating sheet, said binding fibers and plant based fibers being oriented in a substantially horizontal plane to form outer trapping barrier sines of higher density fibers than said central core zone. 
     
     
         21 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 10  wherein there is further provided a meltable fiber mesh impregnated in an outer surface of said trapping barrier zones during said heat treatment of said central core zone, said barrier mesh being air permeable and providing an outer barrier coating to said outer trapping barrier zones. 
     
     
         22 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 10  wherein there is further provided an outer non-woven spunbound fabric sheet bonded to opposed outer surfaces of said outer trapping barrier zones, said spunbound fabric sheets being comprised by one of nylon, polyester, and blends to provide excellent thermal properties, superior moldability, added strength, high dimensional stability, inherent UV stability and good permeability, said outer non-woven spunbound fabric sheets being bonded together by a thermally activated binder material. 
     
     
         23 . A light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet comprising a core formed of down material mixed with a predetermined quantity of heat activated binder material and wherein there is further provided one of an odor absorbing substance mixed with said down material and binder material and a scrim sheet formed of charcoal yarn bonded to at least one of opposed top and bottom surfaces of the core, to absorb odors emanating from a wearer person's body when said thermally insulating sheep is incorporated in an article of warmth. 
     
     
         24 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 23  wherein said odor absorbing substance is carbon polymer fibers. 
     
     
         25 . The light weight composite down/polymer thermally insulating sheet as claimed in  claim 23  wherein said charcoal yarn is comprised of bamboo fibers or other suitable organic fibers capable of being heated to a temperature causing it to form charcoal and processed into nanoparticles for blending with organic fibers and woven into yarn.