High Seam Strength Architectural Fabric
AssigneeW. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
InventorsThomas Kelmartin, Martin Rodriguez
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An article useful as an architectural fabric having (a) a plurality of segments of fabric having a first surface and a second surface made of polytetrafluoroethylene fibers; and (b) a fluoropolymer coating disposed on at least the first surface of the fabric, and (c) at least one seam formed by an overlap of two of said segments, said seam having a seam warp strip tensile strength that is substantially equal to said nominal warp strip tensile strength at room temperature.
Claims16
An architectural fabric for retractable, temporary, or permanent structures comprising:
- a. a plurality of segments, each segment comprising:
- i. a layer of fabric having a first surface and a second surface and comprising expanded polytetrafluoroethylene fibers, said layer of fabric having a nominal warp strip tensile strength;
- and
- ii. a fluoropolymer coating disposed on at least one of said first surface and said second surface and extending between and among said fibers from said respective first or second surface;
- and
- b. at least one seam formed by an overlap of two of said segments, said seam having a seam warp strip tensile strength that is substantially equal to said nominal warp strip tensile strength at room temperature.
A method of changing the mode of failure at ambient temperature in the warp direction of a seam of an architectural fabric comprising expanded polytetrafluoroethylene fibers from fiber pullout to ultimate fabric strength comprising coating said fibers with a fluoropolymer coating selected from the group consisting of PVDF and ETFE.
A method of increasing seam strength at an elevated temperature of 70° C. of an architectural fabric comprising expanded polytetrafluoroethylene fibers by a minimum of 50% and 20% in the warp and fill directions respectfully, comprising coating said fibers with a fluoropolymer selected from the group consisting of PVDF and ETFE.
A method of increasing seam toughness at ambient temperature of an architectural fabric comprising expanded polytetrafluoroethylene fibers by a minimum of 35% and 85% in the warp and fill directions respectfully, comprising coating said fibers with a fluoropolymer selected from the group consisting of PVDF and ETFE.
A method of increasing seam toughness at an elevated temperature 70° C. of an architectural fabric comprising expanded polytetrafluoroethylene fibers by a minimum of 95% and 100% in the warp and fill directions respectfully, comprising coating said fibers with a fluoropolymer selected from the group consisting of PVDF and ETFE.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.