Selectivity altering a fiber height in a pile fabric and apparatus
AssigneeIcon Textile Laser Systems, Inc.
InventorsGeorge P. Latos, Wayne K. Shaffer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A region of a pile fabric is impacted with a laser at spaced illuminated areas in a dithered image, wherein the laser energy and duration of impact in the illuminated areas are selected to shorten the fibers within the illuminated area. The spacing of the illuminated areas within the region and the amount of shortening within the illuminated areas are selected to essentially maintain a hand or feel of the pile fabric. Fleece and corduroy can be sculpted to provide a three-dimensional image, while maintaining the hand of the fleece. In dyed pile fabrics, the illuminated areas can be selected to change the dye distribution within the pile material to provide an altered coloration.
Claims12
A method of forming a stochastic image pattern in a given region of pile fabric having a multitude of projecting fibers of a given length, the method comprising:
- (a) illuminating the pile fabric at spaced areas in the stochastic image pattern to shorten the fibers within the area of illumination, wherein the height reduction of the fibers within each of the illuminated areas corresponds to a dot density of a stochastic image;
- and
- (b) maintaining the given length of fibers adjacent the illuminated area, wherein the given length of at least 25% of the fibers in the given region of pile fabric within the stochastic image pattern is maintained.
A method of imparting a contour to a given region of a pile fabric, the pile fabric having a multitude of projecting fibers of an original height, the method comprising:
- (a) illuminating the given region at a plurality of spaced illuminating areas in a dithered image with a laser to shorten the fibers within the illuminated areas, wherein each illuminated area is spaced from an adjacent illuminated area by less than 1000 microns, and wherein the height reduction of the fibers within each of the illuminated areas corresponds to a dot density of a stochastic image;
- and
- (b) maintaining original fiber height in a non-illuminated area.
A method of laser treating of a fleece, comprising:
- (a) illuminating spaced areas in a stochastic image pattern to reduce a fiber height within the illuminated area, wherein the reduced fiber height within each of the illuminated areas corresponds to a dot density of a stochastic image;
- and
- (b) spacing the illuminated area a sufficient distance to preserve the hand of the fleece.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.