(19)
(11) EP 2 233 620 B1

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION

(45) Mention of the grant of the patent:
08.10.2014 Bulletin 2014/41

(21) Application number: 10000909.1

(22) Date of filing: 29.01.2010
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
D03D 15/00(2006.01)
D02G 3/34(2006.01)
D03D 1/00(2006.01)
D02G 3/12(2006.01)
D02G 3/44(2006.01)

(54)

Shielding fabric against electromagnetic radiation

Abschirmungsgewebe gegen elektromagnetische Strahlung

Protection de tissus contre les radiations électromagnétiques


(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK SM TR

(30) Priority: 23.03.2009 PL 38758009

(43) Date of publication of application:
29.09.2010 Bulletin 2010/39

(73) Proprietor: Politechnika Lodzka
90-924 Lodz (PL)

(72) Inventors:
  • Grabowska, Katarzyna Ewa
    93-135 Lódz (PL)
  • Marciniak, Katarzyna
    90-135 Lódz (PL)

(74) Representative: Kaczur-Kaczynska, Ewa 
Politechnika Lódzka Rzecznik Patentowy ul. Skorupki 6/8
90-924 Lódz
90-924 Lódz (PL)


(56) References cited: : 
WO-A2-03/035951
JP-A- H09 316 741
DE-A1- 3 820 091
US-A- 3 154 111
   
       
    Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention).


    Description


    [0001] The object of the invention is shielding fabric against electromagnetic radiation, especially designed for the protecting clothes against electromagnetic radiation.

    [0002] The applied and produced by man devices can be a source of the artificial electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with considerable values of the intensity. The EMR sources are applied in the radio communication, industry, medicine and science. The EMR sources are, among all, a RTV antenna, a radar, mobile telephony installations, capacitive and microwave welders, apparatuses to the electrosurgery, micro and short-wave diathermy. It was concluded that there are the allegedly neurotic aggregates with superiority of the hypotonic attribute, which may impact the lowering activity of the sympathetic structure and the vagotonia. That was found after the clinical studies of the population professionally subject to EMR. The following affections are the consequences of exposition on EMR: pains of head, a general weakness, an easy fatigue, a sleepiness, a handicap of memory, an instability of pulse and a thrust of blood as well as a disorder of the autonomic nervous arrangement.

    [0003] Both the obligatory European directive 2004/40/WE and the current Polish regulations relating safety and hygiene of the workers subject EMR, permit the acceptance of execution of the professional activities in the zone, which the very strong EMR crossing over the admissible intensities values. The worker is obliged to apply the suitable individual protection with an appropriate effectiveness and these individual personal protections against EMR have to simultaneously to assure the easiness of movement, elasticity, durability on tearing, the exchange of thermal energy as well as the mass.

    [0004] The protective coveralls have been used so far as the individual protection. They are made of woven fabrics or nonwovens with good electrical conductivity metal nets introduced into textiles. The personal protections against EMR are also made of composite materials e.g. fibrous material including smooth electroconductive thread that creates the Faraday's cage. These materials are effective in the reference to the electric component of EMR, they do not muffle a magnetic component of EMR.

    [0005] A shielding fabric according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from WO 03/035951 A2.

    [0006] The paper of the Textile Industry Institute with its head office in Lodz, Poland was presented at the 4th International Symposium EL - TEX 2000- Lodz and informed about a textile material - a woven fabric with every fourth thread in warp direction made of the smooth electroconductive thread and a material - electroconductive nonwovens with a polyester monofilament pierced in a single direction manner by polyester monofilament. The paper also presents a material - nonwovens pierced in a single direction manner by a polyester monofilament, the monofilament was covered by finishing sub stance. Finally, the paper presents needled electroconductive nonwovens produced with two thicknesses of 2mm and 3.5mm. All of them might be use as an environmental protection against EMR.

    [0007] The paper of The Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland, presented at the 4th International Symposium EL - TEX 2000- Lodz showed the results of research on EMR muffling effectiveness by electroconductive nonwovens. The factor that differed those nonwovens was the number of layers and their mutual arrangement. The final conclusions explains that both the muffling effectiveness of electroconductive nonwovens used as a electromagnetic screen and comfort use of such protection still require improvements.

    [0008] The papers of the Institute of Telecommunication and Acoustics of the Technical University of Wroclaw that were prepared for the II International Symposium El- TEX' 96 - Warsaw mentioned the screening of EMR by the means of products made of fibers covered by metal and other products made of chemically modified fibers.

    [0009] Shielding fabric against electromagnetic radiation, especially designed for the protective clothes, contains an electroconductive thread, according to the invention, it comprises an electroconductive thread that is one of the wefts of the fabric, maximum every 10th weft thread. The electroconductive thread is a three - component bunch thread that contains electroconductive core thread being a good ferromagnetic. The core is covered by binding electroconductive effective thread. It creates a random accumulation of windings of effective thread on core thread. These accumulations take the shape of solenoids and are positioned, fixed on the core thread by winding thread. The electroconductive core thread being a part of three - component bunch thread is an iron or a nickel thread in polyester shield. A copper or a steel thread in a polyester shield plays a favorable role of the effect thread. The polyester thread plays a favorable role of binding thread. The warp threads and other weft threads are made of nonconductive threads, like cotton threads. The warp and weft threads are connected in a favorable way by the plain weave.

    [0010] According to the invention, the fabric with a bunch thread implemented as a weft contains a series circuit arrangement of thicker places connected with each other. These thicker places have a solenoid shape and a ferromagnetic core that has a screening ability varying about 80%, which is more than in case of other, already existing solutions. The muffling of electromagnetic component in EMR is also higher than in case of the other, already existing solutions. The proposed fabric is characterized by muffling ability similar to that which characterizes metal screens. Proposed solutions give additionally a high comfort of use while a comfort of use of individual protection screens for humans equals almost zero. The personal protective clothes made of proposed fabric fulfill all protection requirements that are necessary in case of protection against EMR. Proposed fabric has a high comfort of use, it means, a good drape, a high elasticity and strength, a high aeration and the high wrinkle recovery in range of the durable deformations. The three - component thread applied into fabric according to invention as well as the fabric including this thread can be produced on already existing twisting machine and looms.

    [0011] The object of the invention was presented on the figure 1 as an exemplary production case. A side view - figure 2 presents a piece of fabric with a three - component bunch thread as a weft. A perspective view - figure 3 presents a technological view of twisting machine, which was used for production of three - component bunch thread - a weft.

    [0012] The fabric are two mutually perpendicular sets of threads - warp and weft, which are interlaced with each other by the plain weave. Each 10th weft thread is a three - component bunch thread (11), consisting of an electroconductive core thread (1) made of iron in polyester cover that was round by copper effect thread (2) in a polyester cover that created on a core thread (1) random accumulation (3) in a shape of solenoids. The solenoids are stabilized on a core thread (1) by the means of polyester binding thread (4). Warp threads and other weft threads of the fabric are made of cotton.

    [0013] The three - component bunch thread was produced on the twisting machine with a hollow spindle intended for fancy yarns.

    [0014] The core thread (1) was introduced to the interior of spinning spindle (5) at the twisting machine by the means of drawing apparatus (3). The effect component (2) of the three - component thread was introduced inside the hollow spindle (5) by the means of introductory roller (7), through the feeding rollers (8) and (9), with a higher speed than the introduction speed of the core thread (1). The third component of the three - component thread - a polyester binding thread (4) was introduced to the hollow spindle (5). The bobbin placed on a hollow spindle (5) with the third thread was unwinded. The twisting of three components (1), (2) and (4) took place inside the hollow spindle. The temporary decrease of a linear passing speed of a thread (1) or the temporary increase of a linear passing speed of the effect thread (2) caused a local accumulation of effect thread (2) on the core thread (1) and a formation of the solenoid shape (3) on a core thread (1). The number of solenoid coils (3) made of thread (2) on a thread (1) (the thickness of accumulation), the length and the shape of this accumulation was regulated by selection of a suitable twist, overfeed of the effect thread (2) as well as the frequency of feeding speed changes of one of the components (1) or (2) or (4). The false twist hook (6), placed in the bottom part of spindle (5) separated false twist zone from the real twist. The three - component thread (11) with the solenoid effect (3) was obtained by the means of receiving rollers (10) placed below spindle (5) and than it was twisted on a cylindrical bobbins (12) with usage of grooved underbobin cylinders (13).

    [0015] A produced three - component electroconductive bunch thread (11) was introduced in the continuous manner as every 10th weft thread in the weaving process of the fabric. The rest of the weft and warp threads of this fabric were made of cotton yarn.

    [0016] The produced fabric had a screening ability varying about 80% and additionally a high comfort of use by humans working professionally in a danger of EMR zone.


    Claims

    1. Shielding fabric against electromagnetic radiation, designed especially for protective clothes, includes an electroconductive thread, is characterized by the fact that electroconductive thread being one of the weft threads, maximum each 10th weft thread, which is an electroconductive three - component bunch thread (11) that includes electroconductive core thread (1) with ferromagnetic, covered by electroconductive effect thread (2) that creates on core thread (1) random accumulation (3) of winds in a solenoids shape which are fixed on a core thread (1) by binding thread (4), the other threads of warp and weft are interlaced with each other in a form of plain weave.
     
    2. The fabric, according to claim 1, is characterized by the fact that the electroconductive core thread (1) being a component of three - component bunch thread (11) is made of iron or nickel in a polyester cover.
     
    3. The fabric, according to claim 1, is characterized by the fact that the effect yarn (2) being a component of a three - component bunch thread (11) is made of copper or steel in a polyester cover.
     
    4. The fabric, according to claim 1, is characterized by the fact that the binding thread (4) being a component of a three - component bunch thread (11) is made of a polyester thread.
     


    Ansprüche

    1. Gewebe mit der Eigenschaft der Abschirmung gegen elektromagnetische Strahlung, das vor allem für die Schutzkleidung bestimmt wird und das einen stromleitenden Faden enthält, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der stromleitende Faden einer von den Schussfäden des Gewebes ist - höchstens jeder zehnte Schussfaden - wobei der stromleitende Faden ein Dreikomponenten-Bündelnfaden ist (11), der einen stromleitenden Kernfaden (1) aus ferromagnetischem Stoff enthält, der in der Umwicklung aus einem stromleitenden Effektfaden platziert wird (2), der auf dem Kernfaden (1) zufällig auftretende Verdickungen (3) der Umwicklung in Form von Zylinderspulen, die mithilfe von einem umbindenden Faden (4) auf dem Kernfaden (1) stabil befestigt sind, schafft, und die übrigen Schussfäden und Kettefäden sind mithilfe von Leinwandbindung miteinander zusammengeflochten.
     
    2. Gewebe nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der stromleitende Kernfaden (1) des Dreikomponenten-Bündelnfadens (11) der Faden aus Eisen oder Nickel in einem Polyester Bezug ist.
     
    3. Gewebe nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Effektfaden (2) des Dreikomponenten-Bündelnfadens (11) der Faden aus Kupfer oder Stahl in einem Polyester Bezug ist.
     
    4. Gewebe nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der umbindende Faden (4) des Dreikomponenten-Bündelnfadens (11) der Faden aus Polyester ist.
     


    Revendications

    1. Le tissu ayant les propriétés de blindage contre un rayonnement électromagnétique est destiné en particulier pour les vêtements de protection contenant le fil électro-conducteur, caractérisé en ce que le fil électro- conducteur est une des trame de tissu représentant au plus tous les 1/10e de fil de trame où à la fois le fil électro-conducteur est constitué de fil des touffes à trois composants (11) et celui-ci contient le fil électromagnétique à âme (1) avec le ferromagnétisme et qui est placé dans le guipage d'un fil électro-conducteur d'effet (2) formant sur le fil à âme (1) la condensation aléatoire du guipage sous la forme de solénoïdes qui sont fixés fermement sur le fil à âme (1) à l'aide du fil de liage (4) tandis que les autres fils de trame et de chaîne sont tissés en armure toile.
     
    2. Le tissu respectant la clause 1, caractérisé en ce que le fil électromagnétique à âme (1) du fil des touffes à trois composant (11) est un fil de fer ou de nickel dans une enveloppe de polyester.
     
    3. Le tissu respectant la clause 1, caractérisé en ce que le fil d'effet (2) du fil des touffes à trois composants (11) est un fil de cuivre ou d'acier dans une enveloppe de polyester.
     
    4. Le tissu respectant la clause 1, caractérisé en ce que le fil de liage (4) du fil des touffes à trois composants (11) est un fil de polyester.
     




    Drawing











    Cited references

    REFERENCES CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION



    This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.

    Patent documents cited in the description