Camouflage pattern with extended infrared reflectance separation
AssigneeInternational Textile Group, Inc.
InventorDale R. Wendel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Fabrics containing camouflage patterns are produced from dyes wherein at least certain of the colors contained in the pattern contain a low reflectance dye. The low reflectance dye is added to one or more colors in the pattern in order to preserve the camouflage pattern when viewed through night vision goggles as relatively long wavelengths, such at wavelengths greater than 900 nm. In one embodiment, the low reflectance dye comprises a thiazine. The low reflectance dye is blended with other dyes to produce colors in the pattern. By altering the concentration of the low reflectance dye in each of the colors, the colors contained in the camouflage pattern remain separate and distinct even at relatively long wavelengths.
Claims25
A fabric product comprising:
- a fabric substrate having a first side and a second and opposite side;
- and
- a camouflage pattern visible from the first side of the fabric substrate, the camouflage pattern comprising at least a first color, a second color, and a third color, the first, second, and third colors in the camouflage pattern being formed from a plurality of vat dyes blended together, the plurality of vat dyes blended together having a different chemical structure, at least the first color and the third color containing a low reflectance dye that has a reflectance of less than 70 percent at a wavelength of 1500 nm, the low reflectance dye being present in the first color at a higher concentration than in the third color, the dye being present in the first color so that the first color has a reflectance that is at least 5% different than the reflectance of the second color at a wavelength of 1500 nm;
- and
- wherein at least one color that makes up the camouflage pattern does not contain any pigments.
A fabric product comprising:
- a fabric substrate having a first side and a second and opposite side;
- a camouflage pattern visible from the first side of the fabric substrate, the camouflage pattern comprising at least a first color, a second color, and a third color, the first, second, and third colors in the camouflage pattern being formed from a plurality of vat dyes blended together, the plurality of vat dyes blended together having a different chemical structure, at least the first color and the third color containing a low reflectance dye that has a reflectance of less than 70 percent at a wavelength of 1500 nm, the low reflectance dye being present in the first color at a higher concentration than in the third color, the dye being present in the first color so that the first color has a reflectance that is at least 7% different than the reflectance of the second color at a wavelength of 1500 nm;
- the first color having a lower reflectance than the third color;
- and
- wherein all of the colors that make up the camouflage pattern do not contain any pigments.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.