EP0323763A1 - Textile barrier protecting against any mechanically and/or thermally aggressive action - Google Patents

Abstract

A textile barrier for protection against any mechanical and/or thermal attack and applications of the barrier in the field of clothing and seats. It will find its application in many different fields such as clothing, furnishing, building, aeronautics, all kinds of transport and in general all applications in which it is necessary to have protection against, for example, attack by fire, explosion, projectiles, bullets, vandalism and the like. According to the invention, the textile protective barrier is in the form of at least one layer of nonwoven fibre of the aromatic polyamide type such as aramid.

Description

The invention relates to a textile barrier for protection against any mechanical and / or thermal attack as well as to applications of the barrier in the field of clothing and seats.

It will find its application in many different fields such as for clothing, furniture, building, aeronautics, any type of transport and in general all applications in which it is necessary to protect oneself against for example attacks by fire, explosion, projectiles, bullets, vandalism, etc.

Indeed, in many cases, it is firstly advantageous to avoid any damage whatsoever and / or secondly to facilitate the damping of the mechanical shocks caused.

A first type of assault which it is important to mitigate for security reasons is assault by fire or the like. In many specific cases, the use of certain materials is compulsory by their technical function, however these materials have a low resistance to fire and generally cause fumes of harmful vapors when they burn.

It is therefore advantageous to have a protective textile barrier which can contain the attack of fire and which prevents fire from spreading towards these flammable materials.

This is the case, for example, of very specific production of seats used in particular in transport vehicles, an area in which safety is essential. Thus, generally there is interposed between the upholstery fabric and the interior padding of the seat, a protective barrier which prevents this padding from being degraded in a fire by emitting toxic vapors and maintaining the fire.

In another area which is that of clothing, in many cases it is also necessary to have textile barriers of protection against mechanical and / or thermal attacks to protect the individual who wears such a garment from aggression caused by its occupation. In particular, such uses are found in the production of protective suits for racing drivers, or work clothing such as, for example, those used in steel works or foundries, or even for making bullet-proof vests or the like.

In the case of protection against mechanical attack, a first imperative consists in stopping the penetration of the projectile or the like. Added to this is the fact that it is advantageous to weaken the shock wave and dampen the thrust caused by this shock.

These mechanical protection functions are in particular necessary to stop projectiles, such as bullets, splinters or possibly stab wounds.

In other cases, these mechanical protection functions must be supplemented by thermal protection functions whose purpose is to create a fire barrier which blocks the transmission of heat to the protected interior. This is especially true during explosion or projection of molten particles.

For a long time, to make protective shields, rigid materials resistant to penetration have been used and special metals have been developed for respond to this usage.

To soften these shields, semi-rigid breastplates have also been made from leather and metal strips overlapping in the manner of roof tiles, for example.

However, these protective shields, although effective, are not often convenient to use since they are more generally unsightly.

In addition, the technological development of textile fibers has made it possible to perfect a certain number of fibers which allow the making of fireproof fabrics. The characteristics of these fabrics reside in the fact that they do not propagate the flame and that they give off practically little or no toxic gas when burning.

One of the drawbacks of these fabrics lies in the fact that, if they provide good fire resistance, they are completely ineffective as a fire barrier because, under the mechanical action of the flame, these fabrics after being charred are reduced to powder and therefore no longer act as a barrier.

In another field, fibers are also known which have significant mechanical strength, this is particularly the case for aromatic polyamide fibers such as aramid.

However, these fibers have a certain resistance against fire protection, but it is sometimes advantageous to be able to increase the effectiveness of this fire barrier. Likewise, such fibers are sometimes used for the confection of protective work clothes and are in the form of a fabric.

However, these present a certain discomfort for the user due to the very structure of the fibers which practically do not absorb water and prevent any breathing through this protective barrier. However, such fabrics do not absorb shock or the shock wave during aggression.

However, some tests of protective textile barriers have been carried out using fire-resistant fabric superimposed on metallic fabrics or glass fibers. However, these have not been entirely satisfactory because certain problems appear at the level of weaving, at the level of shock absorption and moreover it is difficult to vary the density of the materials used and to make the barrier homogeneous.

The object of the present invention is to provide a textile barrier for protection against any mechanical and / or thermal attack, such as attack by fire, by explosion, by projectile, by vandalism or the like, which makes it possible to overcome the drawbacks and meet the aforementioned security measures.

One of the aims of the present invention is to provide a textile barrier for protection against any mechanical and / or thermal attack, which is flexible, and which offers good resistance to attack to make it compatible with applications in clothing, furnishings, buildings, means of transport and more generally to provide armor protection against any attack.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a textile barrier for protection against any mechanical aggression, which allows, in addition to stopping the attack, to dampen the thrust caused by the shock and to weaken the shock wave.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a textile barrier for protection against any mechanical and / or thermal attack, which is reinforced during an attack by fire to provide the textile barrier with a homogeneous behavior of the charred skeleton.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a textile barrier for protection against any mechanical and / or thermal attack which, by virtue of its structure, can be easily achieved on traditional industrial manufacturing means.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear during the description which follows, which is however only given for information and which is not intended to limit it.

According to the present invention, the textile barrier for protection against any mechanical and / or thermal attack, such as attack by fire, by explosion, by projectiles, by vandalism or the like, is characterized in that it occurs under the form of at least one layer of nonwoven fiber of the aromatic polyamide type such as aramid.

Furthermore, the present invention provides an embodiment of the textile barrier according to the invention and its application to the production of protective clothing.

In addition, according to the invention, the textile barrier also finds its application in the production of anti-vandalism and fire protection screens for seats or the like.

• La figure 1 montre une vue en coupe d'un premier mode de réalisation de la barrière textile de protection de la présente invention.
• La figure 2 montre une vue en coupe d'une variante du premier mode de réalisation de la barrière textile de la figure 1 dans lequel la couche est formée de nappes de densité et d'épaisseur différentes.
• La figure 3 montre un second mode de réalisation de la barrière textile de protection de la présente invention.
• Les figures 4 à 6 montrent respectivement des vues en coupe illustrant d'autres variantes de réalisation de la barrière textile de protection de la présente invention.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description accompanied by the drawings which form an integral part thereof.

• Figure 1 shows a sectional view of a first embodiment of the protective textile barrier of the present invention.
• Figure 2 shows a sectional view of a variant of the first embodiment of the textile barrier of Figure 1 in which the layer is formed of plies of different density and thickness.
• Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of the protective textile barrier of the present invention.
• Figures 4 to 6 respectively show sectional views illustrating other alternative embodiments of the protective textile barrier of the present invention.

The present invention relates to a textile barrier for protection against any mechanical and / or thermal attack as well as a specific application in the field of clothing and another application in the field of making seats.

Apart from these two specific applications, of course the textile barrier of the present invention will find its application in any field where it is necessary to protect against attacks by fire, by explosion, by projectiles, by vandalism or other.

The advantage of the protective textile barrier of the present invention is twofold because it makes it possible to protect against any mechanical attack of the projectile, bullet, burst, and / or thermal type, as is the case during fires, of explosions or projections caused in various industrial fields.

In this regard, it should be noted that in many cases of use, protection must be simultaneous because during fire or projection of molten material for example, it is naturally necessary to have a fire barrier , but it must resist the mechanical effect caused by these attacks.

However, the protective textile barrier (1) of the present invention is, as shown in particular in Figure 1, in the form of at least one layer (2) of nonwoven fiber of the aromatic polyamide type.

It should be noted that this said layer (2) may have a density and a thickness which vary according to the application for which the barrier is intended. In particular, these parameters will be varied according to the shock absorption factor that we want to obtain.

In this regard, to promote damping, as shown in FIG. 2, said layer (2) of fiber of the aromatic polyamide type comprises a succession of layers of nonwoven fibers (6, 7, 8) of density aromatic polyamide and of different thickness. Again, the thicknesses and densities are adapted according to the application considered.

In addition, it should be noted that the textile barrier (1) can also include in its thickness a textile (11) or metallic woven or knitted or other support as shown for example in FIG. 6.

However, to further increase the fire resistance of the protective textile barrier (1) of the present invention even more, it consists, according to another embodiment, of at least one sandwich of two layers (2) and (3), each of the layers also having a variable density and thickness depending on the application for which the barrier is intended.

For example, as shown particularly in Figure 3, the first layer (2) consists of at least one layer of fibers of the aromatic polyamide type. These fibers are remarkable for their mechanical resistance thanks to an important molecular orientation.

Aramid fibers which are part of the family of aromatic polyamides and which are sold, for example, under the brand "KEVLAR" by the company DU PONT DE NEMOURS are known in this connection.

For example, as shown particularly in Figure 3, the second layer (3) consists of at least one layer of fibers of the polyacrylate type. Such fibers are remarkable for their resistance to the action of heat and that of chemicals. In addition, in the event of a fire, their fire resistance prevents the formation of smoke and toxic gases.

Such fibers are known in particular under the brand "INIDEX" sold by the company COURTAULDS.

Given the current manufacturing techniques, these layers will be in the form of sheets of non-woven fibers or of felt, which will make it possible to easily vary their thickness and density as required. As regards their assembly, it can be carried out by any traditionally known means, that is to say by sewing, by gluing or by any other mechanical means such as for example needling.

Furthermore, according to a variant of this invention, as shown in Figure 4, the interface (4) between said first and second layers (2) and (3) is in the form of a third layer (5) obtained by an intimate mixture at least partially fibers of said first and second layers (2) and (3).

Thus, at the level of this third layer (5) we are in the presence of a homogeneous mixture of aramid fibers and polyacrylate fibers which has the advantage at the time of the action of fire of preserving in the charred skeleton a good mechanical cohesion avoiding the formation of cracks. This is particularly interesting so that the complex retains its protective barrier effect and prevents the part protected by the barrier from being subjected, for example, to the action of the flame.

In other words, we are faced with a textile complex in which the first layer of fibers of the aromatic polyamide type has excellent resistance to mechanical attack, in which the second layer of fibers of the polyacrylate type has excellent resistance to flame from the point of view thermal, and the third layer of which forms a fibrous structure which keeps the whole after the fire.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, said first and second layers (2) and (3) being in the form of sheets of nonwoven fibers, said third layer (5) is produced by needling the fibers of said first and second layers (2) and (3) at their interface (4).

Thus, polyacrylate fibers from layer (3) are penetrated into layer (2), which improves the fire-retardant nature of aromatic polyamide fibers, and conversely, the aromatic polyamide fibers of the layer (2) penetrate into the layer (3) to improve the fibrous skeleton of the whole.

By this embodiment, there is a mechanical link between the layers (2) and (3) by entanglement of the fibers, which has in particular the advantage over a solution where the two layers (2) and (3) are simply superimposed d '' have a mechanical resistance instead of a separation of the two layers after the fire. Thus, the barrier effect of the complex of the present invention is reinforced.

Furthermore, according to another variant of the present invention, as illustrated in particular in FIG. 5, the effect of mechanical resistance and shock absorption can also be increased by producing said first layer (3) of fibers of the polyamide type. aromatic in the form of a succession of layers of nonwoven fibers (6, 7) of aromatic polyamide of different density and thickness according to the needs of the use.

In this regard, it is possible to use a sheet (7) formed of a felt of aramid fibers of lower density but of greater thickness, this in order to increase the damping effect of the shock wave.

In another variant of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 6, the protective textile barrier (1) is formed from a sandwich successively comprising at least:
- a layer (3) formed of a sheet of polyacrylate type fibers,
- a layer (2) formed from one or more layers of fibers (6 to 9) of aromatic polyamide type,
- A layer (10) formed of a sheet of polyacrylate type fibers.

Thus, a complex is obtained which allows the constitution of a protective textile barrier which, in a way, is reversible with respect to aggression.

Furthermore, the barrier (1) can also include in its thickness a textile or even metallic support (11) woven or knitted or the like as shown in particular in FIG. 6.

Generally, the different layers (2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) are in the form of sheets of nonwoven fibers, the different sheets being joined together by needling at each interface. between layers. However, one could consider assembling the different layers or some of them by gluing.

The nonwoven therefore has a first advantage over mechanical attachment but also has a second advantage inherent in its structure, namely the ability to modulate the thickness and density of each sheet according to the uses and the desired resistances.

According to the present invention, the textile barrier formed from said two or three layers (2, 3, 5) will find an interesting application for the production of protective clothing.

In fact, the said textile barrier will be applied as padding for the pilot suit, or protective clothing of the steel or foundry type, or the like.

In this case, said second layer (3) formed of polyacrylate type fibers will advantageously be directed towards the user of the garment.

This will allow the user some comfort because the liquid absorbing power of the polyacrylate type layer will be used.

This has an important advantage over what is currently known. Indeed, remember that aramid fibers are sometimes used to make these combinations but have the disadvantage of being impermeable to moisture. Thus, the individual feels a situation of discomfort in his clothing due to the non absorption of his perspiration, especially since the aramid forms a screen and prevents any breathing through it.

In the same vein, according to the present invention, the textile barrier can be used for the production of anti-vandalism and anti-fire protection screens for seats or the like.

In fact, in the seats, synthetic materials are generally used as padding which have advantageous characteristics with regard to the comfort of the seat but which have the disadvantage of giving off toxic vapors and burning with a flame.

This is why it is advantageous to have a protective barrier between the padding materials and the exterior trim of the seat itself.

In these cases, a barrier of the type shown in FIG. 6 or similar will be used, for example, which shows a layer (3 and 10) formed of a sheet of polyacrylate type fibers on each outer face of the barrier.

Thus, one of said layers (10) is directed towards the seat of the seat to play its role as a moisture absorber as in the previous application to clothing, and the other layer (3) is directed towards the padding material to perform its role as a fire barrier.

Furthermore, the ply or plies of aromatic polyamide fibers forming the layer (2) are determined to resist mechanical attack of the projectile or stabbing type. However, other combinations as described in FIGS. 1 to 5 could be used depending on the desired safety and / or comfort functions.

By way of nonlimiting example, the compositions below have given good results:

EXAMPLE 1

Against the anti-vandalism of transport seats, a 660 g / m2 protective barrier was created formed by the combination of layers of aramid plies with different weights and densities reinforced in fire resistance by a layer of polyacrylate according to the figure 4.

• - 1ère nappe 60 g/m2 - densité moyenne,
• - 2ème nappe 100 g/m2 - faible densité,
• - 3ème nappe 100 g/m2 - forte densité,
• - 4ème nappe 100 g/m2 - faible densité,
• - 5ème nappe 100 g/m2 - forte densité.

The layer (3) is an assembly of five layers of aramid with the following weights and densities:

• - 1st tablecloth 60 g / m2 - medium density,
• - 2nd layer 100 g / m2 - low density,
• - 3rd layer 100 g / m2 - high density,
• - 4th layer 100 g / m2 - low density,
• - 5th layer 100 g / m2 - high density.

The thermal protection is reinforced by the 200 g / m2 polyacrylate layer (2).

The assembly produced by needling forms the interface (4).

EXAMPLE 2

• - 1ère nappe 400 g/m2 - forte densité,
• - 2ème nappe 400 g/m2 - faible densité,
• - 3ème nappe 400 g/m2 - forte densité,
• - 4ème nappe 200 g/m2 - faible densité,
• - 5ème nappe 200 g/m2 - densité moyenne,
• - 6ème nappe 200 g/m2 - faible densité,
• - 7ème nappe 400 g/m2 - forte densité,
• - 8ème nappe 400 g/m2 - faible densité,
• - 9ème nappe 400 g/m2 - forte densité.

Against splinters, a protective barrier of 3000 g / m2 was produced according to FIG. 2 manufactured by assembly of nine layers of aramid of different weights and densities:

• - 1st layer 400 g / m2 - high density,
• - 2nd layer 400 g / m2 - low density,
• - 3rd layer 400 g / m2 - high density,
• - 4th layer 200 g / m2 - low density,
• - 5th layer 200 g / m2 - medium density,
• - 6th layer 200 g / m2 - low density,
• - 7th layer 400 g / m2 - high density,
• - 8th layer 400 g / m2 - low density,
• - 9th layer 400 g / m2 - high density.

The assembly is carried out by needling.

Naturally, other implementations of the present invention, within the reach of the skilled person, could have been envisaged without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. Textile barrier for protection (1) against any mechanical and / or thermal attack, such as attack by fire, explosion, projectiles, vandalism or the like, characterized in that it is in the form of '' at least one layer (2) of nonwoven fiber of the aromatic polyamide type such as aramid. 2. Textile protective barrier according to claim 1, characterized in that said layer (2) of fiber of the aromatic polyamide type comprises a succession of non-woven plies of fibers (6 to 9) of aromatic polyamide of density and different thickness. 3. Textile protective barrier according to claim 2, characterized in that it has in its thickness a textile or metallic support woven or knitted or not (11). 4. Textile protective barrier according to claim 1, characterized in that it consists of a sandwich of two layers (2) and (3), the first (2) consisting of at least one layer of fibers of the aromatic polyamide type, such as aramid, the second (3) consisting of at least one layer of fibers of the polyacrylate type. 5. Textile protective barrier according to claim 4, characterized in that the interface (4) between said first and second layers (2) and (3) is in the form of a third layer (5) obtained by an at least partial intimate mixture of the fibers of said first and second layers (2) and (3). 6. Textile protective barrier, according to claim 4, characterized in that it is formed of a sandwich comprising at least successively:
- a layer (3) formed of a sheet of polyacrylate type fibers,
- a layer (2) formed from one or more layers of aromatic polyamide type fibers (6 to 9),
- A layer (10) formed of a sheet of polyacrylate type fibers. 7. Barrier fireproof textile according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the different layers (2, 3, 5 to 9) are assembled together by needling at each interface between layers. 8. Application of the textile barrier according to any one of the preceding claims, to the production of protective clothing, anti vandalism and fire protection screens for seats or the like. 9. Application of the textile barrier according to claim 8, in the production of clothing, said layer (3) of polyacrylate type fiber being directed towards the user of the clothing. 10. Application of the textile barrier according to claim 8, in the production of seats or the like, said layer of polyacrylate type fiber being directed towards the seat.

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