STEEL MESH FABRIC FOR MAKING A PIECE OF GARMENT

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a piece of protective garment made from metal mesh or chain mail, i.e. from a flexible fabric or web made of metal rings interlinked, in particular steel rings.

[0002] It is well known to make a protective garment, such as a glove, an apron, a vest or the like, or a part of such a garment, from chain mail. Such a piece of garment is used in certain industries (notably the meat industry) or for the protection of persons against projectile (bullet, etc.) or knife attacks, because of their intrinsic qualities of cut or perforation resistance.

[0003] These mail fabrics consist of a lattice of interlocking metal rings which, conventionally, have an internal diameter of about 2.9 to 3 mm, an outer diameter of about 4 mm and are made from a stainless steel wire 0.5 to 0.55 mm in diameter. Using wires of 0.55 mm gives good protection against perforation but unfortunately the protective garment obtained is heavy and uncomfortable. On the other hand, products made with wires of 0.5 mm allow decreasing the weight by 20% but also decrease the resistance to perforation to a level unacceptable for suitable body protection.

[0004] According to FR 2898249, it has been proposed to produce the chain mail fabric with rings that have an internal diameter of between 3 and 3.2 mm and are made with a wire having a diameter less than 0.45 mm. The combination of these structural / dimensional (large-diameter inner ring and using a small diameter wire) is supposed to produce a coat of mail fabric with significantly improved flexibility.

[0005] Another improvement proposed concerned the steel used for making the rings. Actually, the possibility of using very hard and very strong steel was thought to be limited by the web making techniques, especially the necessary operations of metal particle cutting, drawing, forming, bending and/or welding. If used, very hard and very strong metals would enable obtaining webs having higher strength and hardness properties than conventional webs, or having similar properties, but with a lighter weight because a smaller thickness would be used.

[0006] FR-2898250 discloses a method for obtaining hard steel as a base material for making the steel rings, of structurally hardened metal, namely metal presenting in a certain state relatively low strength and hardness characteristics and, in any case, compatible with the steel ring cutting and shaping operations (and possibly the metal web forming operation) and supposedly presenting, after a heat treatment, higher strength characteristics, especially higher than those compatible with the aforementioned cutting/shaping (and possibly forming) operations.

[0007] The heat treated web is possibly not totally in the form that is used for making the final garment. In this case, the corresponding web is finalized by any technique appropriate to the strength and hardness of the metal rings. For example, the steel attaching rings can be made of a conventional stainless steel the properties of which satisfy to the standards in force and which can be bent without being dominantly harmful to the strength of the web assembly. Optionally, before the steel particles or the web are shaped, the steel is subjected to a mechanical deformation/elongation, such as kneading, which enables obtaining a work hardening of the steel to approach the shaping capability limits of the steel elements (according to the available equipments and techniques). This particularity enables optimizing the later heat treatment to obtain the highest possible strength and hardness characteristics.

[0008] However, it has been found that the above known techniques are not always satisfactory. Changing the conventional dimensions of the rings and the diameter of the steel wire also change the way the fabric behaves and this may be not satisfactory in some instances. As for the heating and mechanical treatment proposed, it has the disadvantage of making the process longer and also, in case the treatment is not correctly performed, the disadvantage of rendering the wire brittle or easily breakable.

[0009] Thus, the skilled man is still hoping for a solution to the problems mentioned.

[0010] The invention comprises chain mail fabric for protective piece of garment made of a mesh of interlocking rings which rings have an external diameter of between 3.98 and 4.02 mm and are made with a wire whose diameter is between 0.47 and 0.52 mm exhibiting a tensile strength between about 1200 and 1500 N/mm².

[0011] This is much above the usual tensile strength of conventional wires of 0.5 mm in diameter, whose tensile strength is often comprised between 680 and 750 N/mm². It is even more that the conventional wires of 0.55 mm in diameter, whose tensile strength is generally comprised between 900 and 1050 N/mm².

[0012] In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, such characteristics are exhibited by rings formed from an embodiment of steel having an austeno-ferritic structure. One such composition comprises Fe with:

• a C content not higher than 0.03 % by weight
• a Mn content not higher than 2.00% by weight
• a Si content not higher than 0.75% by weight
• a S content not higher than 0.01% by weight
• a P content not higher than 0.030% by weight
• a Ni content of between 4.50% by weight and 6.50% by weight
• a Cr content of between 21 % by weight and 23 % by weight
• a Mo content of between 2.50% by weight and 3.50% by weight
• a N content of between 0.15% by weight and 0.20% by weight

the balance being substantially Fe and incidental impurities.

[0013] An embodiment of steel comprising the above specified composition yields a wire of high tensile strength without the need for thermal treatment. The wires were processed according to a conventional method in web machines to form mail fabric which was found to be comfortable, with good protection properties against perforation, and not too heavy.

[0014] The pieces of garment made according to the invention can be gloves, sleeves, aprons, chasubles, jackets, etc. If necessary, some parts of the protective garments can be made in other material, according to the level of protection required for the different parts of the garment. For example, a jacket can be made with a body according to the invention and sleeves made from titanium in order to have a lighter jacket.

[0015] In the case of gloves, by comparison with steel mesh gloves made with a 0.5 mm wire having a tensile strength between 680 and 750 N/mm², it has been found that the use of a wire with higher tensile strength between 1200 and 1500 N/mm² substantially doubles the lifetime of the glove.

Claims

1. A fabric made of a mesh of interlocking rings, said rings comprising an external diameter in the range of 3.98 mm to 4.02 mm, said rings comprising a wire having a diameter in the range of 0.47 mm and 0.52 mm and a tensile strength in the range of 1200 N/mm² to 1500 N/mm².

2. The fabric according to claim 1, wherein said rings are steel having an austeno-ferritic structure.

3. The fabric according to claim 2, wherein said steel comprises Fe with:

- a C content not higher than 0.03 % by weight

- a Mn content not higher than 2.00% by weight

- a Si content not higher than 0.75% by weight

- a S content not higher than 0.01% by weight

- a P content not higher than 0.030% by weight

- a Ni content of between 4.50% by weight and 6.50% by weight

- a Cr content of between 21 % by weight and 23 % by weight

- a Mo content of between 2.50% by weight and 3.50% by weight

- a N content of between 0.15% by weight and 0.20% by weight the balance being substantially Fe and incidental impurities.

Ansprüche

1. Gewebe, hergestellt aus einem Netz von ineinandergreifenden Ringen, wobei die Ringe einen äußeren Durchmesser im Bereich von 3,98 mm bis 4,02 mm umfassen, die Ringe einen Draht mit einem Durchmesser im Bereich von 0,47 mm bis 0,52 mm und eine Zugfestigkeit im Bereich von 1200 N/mm² bis 1500 N/mm² umfassen.

2. Gewebe nach Anspruch 1, wobei die Ringe Stahl mit einer austhenoferritischen Struktur sind.

3. Gewebe nach Anspruch 2, wobei der Stahl Eisen mit:

- einem C-Gehalt von nicht größer als 0,03 Gewichtsprozent

- einem Mn-Gehalt von nicht größer als 2,00 Gewichtsprozent

- einem Si-Gehalt von nicht größer als 0,75 Gewichtsprozent

- einem S-Gehalt von nicht größer als 0,01 Gewichtsprozent

- einem P-Gehalt von nicht größer als 0,030 Gewichtsprozent

- einem Ni-Gehalt von zwischen 4,50 Gewichtsprozent und 6,50 Gewichtsprozent

- einem Cr-Gehalt von zwischen 21 Gewichtsprozent und 23 Gewichtsprozent

- einem Mo-Gehalt von zwischen 2,50 Gewichtsprozent und 3,50 Gewichtsprozent

- einem N-Gehalt von zwischen 0,15 Gewichtsprozent und 0,20 Gewichtsprozent,
umfasst, wobei der Rest im Wesentlichen Eisen und zufällige Verunreinigungen ist.

Revendications

1. Tissu réalisé en une maille de boucles enchevêtrées, lesdites boucles comprenant un diamètre externe dans la plage de 3,98 mm à 4,02 mm, lesdites boucles comprenant un fil présentant un diamètre dans la plage entre 0,47 mm et 0,2 mm et une résistance à la traction dans la plage de 1200 N/mm2 à 1500 N/mm2.

2. Tissu selon la revendication 1, dans lequel lesdites boucles sont en acier présentant une structure austéno-ferritique.

3. Tissu selon la revendication 2, dans lequel ledit acier comprend du Fe avec :

- une teneur en C non supérieure à 0,03 % en poids

- une teneur en Mn non supérieure à 2,00% en poids

- une teneur en Si non supérieure à 0,75% en poids

- une teneur en S non supérieure à 0,01% en poids

- une teneur en P non supérieure à 0,030% en poids

- une teneur en Ni comprise entre 4,50% en poids et 6,50% en poids

- une teneur en Cr comprise entre 21 % en poids et 23 % en poids

- une teneur en Mo comprise entre 2,50% en poids et 3,50% en poids

- une teneur en N comprise entre 0,15% en poids et 0,20% en poids
le complément étant principalement du Fe et des impuretés éventuelles.