Background of the Invention The interior roof of most passenger cars and other similar vehicles are typically lined with a laminated composite structure of two or more materials. The laminated structure, for instance, can be comprised of various types of moldable foams, fiberglass, adhesives, and polyester fibers which, when laminated together form a composite which provides such benefits as sound insulation, structural rigidity, head protection in the case of collision, besides various other advantages.

Typically, a facing material, referred to as a headliner fabric, is adhered to the laminated composite structure, then molded together in a contoured headliner assembly that forms the part of the roof that is visible to the passenger seated within the vehicle.

Headliner fabrics used in these types of applications desirably have various characteristics and qualities. First, for instance, the material preferably is aesthetic, and should be pleasing in appearance in order to be acceptable. Also, the material must manufacture well into the headliner assembly and therefore must have certain stretch properties which allow it to mold and draw into deep contours without noticeable distortion and without"bridging over"areas of deep contours.

Further, the fabric must perform in the final

vehicle assembly by having good abrasion resistance properties so the material will not appear worn over a period of time.

Recently, nonwoven webs and needle punched webs have been used as headliner fabrics. These fabrics, however, present a rough surface and tend not to wear well over time.

In the past, TRICOT knit fabrics have also been used as headliner fabrics. TRICOT knit fabrics are made by laminating a thin knitted fabric to a foam substrate, which in turn, is laminated to the laminated composite which in turn is assembled in an automobile or vehicle. TRICOT knit fabrics, however, are somewhat expensive to produce. Further, the fabrics are not easily recyclable which is also presenting various problems to car makers. In particular, car makers are currently under pressure to fabricate automobiles as much as possible from recyclable parts.

In view of the above, a need currently exists for a material well suited for use as a headliner fabric or in various other applications. A need also exists for an aesthetic face fabric that is capable of being molded to contoured surfaces. In particular, a need exists for a headliner fabric that is durable as well as aesthetic. A need further exists for a moldable headliner fabric that is completely recyclable.

Summary of the Invention The present invention recognizes and addresses the foregoing disadvantages and others of prior art constructions and methods.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved moldable and durable fabric that is well adapted to be laminated to a contoured surface.

Another object of the present invention is provide a headliner fabric having an improved appearance.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a moldable and durable fabric made from a stitchbonded nonwoven web.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a moldable and durable fabric produced by stitchbonding a nonwoven base web made from synthetic fibers and then heat treating the web causing the web to densify and shrink at least 5% in the weft and warp directions.

These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a process for forming a durable and moldable fabric, such as a headliner fabric, that is well suited for lining the interior roof of an automobile. The process includes the steps of providing a nonwoven web of material that contains fibers made from a synthetic polymer or natural fibers. In particular, the fibers are bulkable when exposed to heat causing the web to densify. The nonwoven web is stitchbonded. For instance, 12 to 28 stitchbonded rows per inch and particularly at least 18 stitchbonded rows per inch are formed into the nonwoven web.

In accordance with the present invention, after stitchbonding the nonwoven web, the web is heated to a temperature sufficient to cause the web to densify without damaging the fibers. The web densifies for various reasons depending upon the fibers that are present in the web. For instance, during heating, the fibers in the web can undergo crimp recovery, can experience further crimping, and can undergo dimensional shrinkage, such as shrinkage in the length direction. Any of these actions create bulk and causes the web to densify.

Heating the web also causes the web to shrink.

For instance, the web shrinks at least 5% in the weft and warp directions, particularly from about 8% to about 20% in the weft and warp directions, and more particularly from about 10% to about 20% in the weft direction. Of particular importance, by causing the web to densify and shrink, it has been discovered that the stitchbonded surface of the web becomes smoother, has better visual character, becomes more aesthetic, increases in abrasion resistance, and molds and draws without distortion better.

The bulkable fibers used to make the nonwoven base web can be made from a natural material, such as wool, or from a synthetic polymer, such as polypropylene or nylon. Preferably, the fibers are made from polyester. In general, the fibers should have a denier of less than about 6, particularly from about 2 to about 6, and in one embodiment at a denier of about 3. The bulkable fibers can be present in the web alone or in combination with other types of fibers.

As described above, the fibers of the present invention are contained in a nonwoven web, which is stitchbonded and heat treated. The nonwoven web itself can be produced by carding a batt of fibers.

Prior to being stitchbonded, in order to increase the weight and thickness of the fabric product, the base web can be cross folded and needle punched if desired. For most applications, the basis weight of the fabric made according to the present invention is between from about 150 g/m2 to about 250 g/m2 and particularly, from about 170 g/m2 to about 220 g/m2.

The temperature to which the stitchbonded base web is heated in order to cause the fibers to crimp and the web to shrink will depend upon various

factors including the type of fibers used to make the web. When the web is made from polyester fibers, for most applications, the web can be heated to a temperature of from about 350 degrees F to about 450 degrees F and particularly from about 390 degrees F to about 410 degrees F.

Besides being directed to a moldable and durable fabric and to a process of making the fabric, the present invention is also directed to a laminated product, such as a laminated headliner for lining the interior roof of a vehicle. The laminated headliner includes a substrate having a shape designed to cover an interior roof of a motorized vehicle. The substrate has a contoured, aesthetically designed surface that is positioned to face the interior of the vehicle. A headliner fabric is adhered to the contoured surface of the substrate.

The headliner fabric includes a stitchbonded nonwoven web. The web contains bulkable fibers, such as polyester fibers. The nonwoven web is heat treated causing the fibers contained within the web to crimp, undergo crimp recovery and/or shrink.

Heating the fibers causes the web to densify and shrink at least 5% in the weft and warp directions.

Other objects, features and aspects of the present invention are discussed in greater detail below.

Brief Description of the Drawings A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view with cutaway portions of the interior of an automobile

illustrating a headliner; Figure 2 is a perspective view with cutaway portions of a nonwoven web made in accordance with the present invention ; and Figure 3 is a perspective view with cutaway portions of a stitchbonded, moldable fabric made in accordance with the present invention; Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent same or analogous features or elements of the invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the present invention, which broader aspects are embodied in the exemplary construction.

In general, the present invention is directed to a moldable and durable stitchbonded fabric and to a process for making the fabric. By being moldable is meant that the fabric can be adhered to a contoured surface. For instance, the present invention is particularly well suited to serving as a headliner fabric for use in automobiles and other vehicles. It should be understood, however, that the fabric has other various uses, especially in applications where it is necessary to adhere or attach a fabric to a contoured or undulating surface. i For instance, besides being used as a headliner fabric, the moldable fabric of the present invention can also be used to cover visors, door panels and other parts contained within the interior of a vehicle. The fabric can also be used as a face fabric for vacuum cleaner casings, for hard side luggage, and for office panels.

The moldable fabric of the present invention is made from a nonwoven base web containing bulkable fibers. Generally speaking, the process involves stitchbonding and/or needling the nonwoven web followed by heat treatment. During heat treatment, the fibers bulk up causing the web to densify and shrink in the weft and warp directions.

The fabric product offers many advantages over prior art constructions, especially when used as a headliner fabric. For instance, the fabric is not only aesthetic, but is also stretchable, moldable, and tear resistant. After heat treatment, the surface of the fabric that has been subjected to a needlepunching and/or stitchbonding process becomes very smooth and takes on the appearance of a woven fabric. Of particular advantage, the fabric product of the present invention is recyclable being made, in one embodiment, entirely from recyclable polymers.

As described above, one of the primary uses for the moldable fabric of the present invention is as a headliner fabric in automobiles and other vehicles. Referring to Figure 1, the interior of an automobile generally 10 is illustrated. As shown, automobile 10 includes a roof 12 positioned above seats 14. Roof 12 can include, for instance, an outer shell 16 made from a metal or other hard material. Attached to shell 16 is a substrate 18 made from, for instance, a cardboard, a foam-like material, synthetic or natural fibers, fiberglass, or a composite made from mixtures of the above.

Substrate 18 is placed adjacent to shell 16 and is designed to give the interior roof of the vehicle a desired shape and appearance. For example, substrate 18 can include a surface with many contours that are formed into the substrate in order to not only assist in the placement of

attachments that are connected to the interior roof but also to give the inside of the vehicle a more pleasing and attractive appearance to a passenger seated in the vehicle.

Attached to the interior, contoured surface of substrate 18 is a headliner fabric 20. Headliner fabric 20 is adhered to the substrate by an adhesive or by any other suitable attaching mechanism. Headliner fabric 20 acts as an exterior covering over substrate 18 and is generally dyed a color that matches the interior upholstery of the car. The present invention is directed to a headliner fabric as shown in Figure 1 that is moldable, stretchable, tear resistant, and that has an aesthetic, woven-like appearance.

One preferred embodiment of forming a moldable fabric in accordance with the present invention will now be described in detail with particular reference to Figures 2 and 3. Referring to Figure 2, the moldable fabric of the present invention is made from a nonwoven base web 22 as shown.

Nonwoven web 22 contains bulkable fibers. By being bulkable it is meant that the fibers will cause the web to densify when exposed to energy, such as heat. For example, in one embodiment, any crimp present within the fibers will become exaggerated upon being exposed to heat. For instance, the fibers can undergo crimp recovery or can further crimp during heat treatment. Alternatively or in addition to crimping, the fibers may also undergo dimensional shrinkage during heat treatment, such as becoming thicker and shrinking in length. Any of these actions will cause a web made from the fibers to densify as the term is used herein.

The bulkable fibers used to produce webs in accordance with the present invention can be made from various materials. For instance, the web can

contain bulkable synthetic fibers made from, for instance, polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, a polyamide, or glass. Alternatively, the web can contain natural fibers, such as wool, alone or in combination with synthetic fibers. The fibers that are used to form the web can be pre-crimped or can contain a latent crimp that is activated when the web is heated.

In one preferred embodiment, polyester fibers that have been mechanically crimped are used to form the web. When exposed to heat, the polyester fibers undergo crimp recovery, become further crimped, and shrink in the length direction causing the web to density.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, conjugate fibers can be incorporated into the nonwoven web. Conjugate fibers refer to bicomponent fibers that contain a first polymeric component and a second polymeric component in a side-by-side configuration or in an eccentric sheath and core arrangement. Conjugate fibers are constructed so that the fibers naturally crimp when exposed to heat. Specifically, the fibers are typically made from at least two different polymers that have different shrinkage properties and solidification rates. The difference in these properties causes the fiber to twist and coil when heated.

Polymers that can be used to form conjugate fibers include polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyamides. For example in one embodiment, conjugate fibers can be made from polyethylene and polypropylene components in a side-by-side relationship.

Besides bulkable fibers, nonwoven webs made in accordance with the present invention can contain other various fibers as desired. For instance,

non-bulkable fibers can be added to the web in order to vary or enhance particular properties.

The non-bulkable fibers can be made from the same polymers as described above but can be made in a manner so that the fibers do not undergo any significant changes when heated.

In one embodiment, yarns can also be added or stitched into the web in order to create stability in one or more directions. The yarns can be, for instance, monofilament or multifilament yarns made form synthetic polymers. In one embodiment, the yarns can be incorporated into the web in a manner that forms a terry-like surface.

Generally speaking, the denier of the bulkable fibers used to make nonwoven web 22 should be as low as possible. Fibers having lower deniers will more evenly distribute throughout web 22 and will provide web 22 with a more uniform density and a softer hand. In this regard, for most applications, the denier of the fibers used to make nonwoven web 22 should be less than about 6, particularly from about 2 to about 6 and in one preferred embodiment at a denier of about 3. One commercial source of polyester fibers having a denier of about 3 and having the bulking characteristics desired for use in the present invention can be obtained from Intercontinental Polymers located in Lowland, Tennessee.

In forming nonwoven web 22, a batt of fibers as described above can be carded into a web. In forming the web, a carding machine will generally position the fibers parallel to each other and will stretch the fibers, which can remove a substantial amount of any initial crimp present within the fibers.

If desired, in order to increase the thickness and basis weight of the web, the nonwoven web can

be cross folded one or more times. Once cross folded, the multiple layers can be needle punched.

Needle punching is a process of converting batts or webs of loose fibers into a coherent nonwoven fabric using a plurality of needles. The needles are punched into the web causing fiber entanglement to occur between the various layers.

In one preferred embodiment, once nonwoven web 22 is formed, the web is stitchbonded. As used herein, stitchbonding refers to a process by which multiple rows of threaded or non-threaded needles are punched through the web to cause fiber entanglement. As opposed to needle punching, the needles form rows of knit-like loops into the fabric. When non-threaded, the needles pick up fibers after being punched into the web and move the fibers along the web to the point of the next penetration. Stitchbonding machines that are typically used in these processes are commonly referred to as fleece-knit machines, malivlies machines or malifleece machines.

Referring to Figure 3, a stitchbonded web 24 is illustrated. As shown, stitchbonded web 24 includes rows of knit-like loops formed during the process. The loops appear as a chain stitch giving the web the appearance of a knitted fabric.

In general, the stitchbonded rows appearing in web 24 should be spaced as close and as dense as possible. Increasing the number of stitchbonded rows generally improves the appearance of the fabric and increases the compactness of the web.

For most applications, web 24 of the present invention should have from about 12 stitchbonded rows per inch to about 28 stitchbonded rows per inch, and particularly should have at least 18 stitchbonded rows per inch.

Although stitchbonding is preferred, in an

alternative embodiment, the nonwoven web can be needlepunched only prior to further treatment.

Once needlepunched and/or stitchbonded, the base web of the present invention is then exposed to a source of energy such as heat in an amount sufficient to cause the fibers to bulk up and to cause the web to density and shrink.

For instance, in one embodiment, when web 24 contains polyester fibers, the web is heat treated at a temperature of from about 350 degrees F to about 450 degrees F and particularly at a temperature of from about 390 degrees F to about 410 degrees F. During heating, the web should be placed in a relaxed state, such as by being placed in a pleated configuration on a tenter frame. When exposed to the above temperatures, the polyester fibers as described above undergo crimp recovery after being stretched during formation of the web, can undergo further crimping, and/or can shrink in the lengthwise direction. In one embodiment, the heat treatment causes the fibers to become permanently crimped. By becoming permanently crimped it is meant that the crimp in the fibers becomes heat set such that it becomes very difficult to straighten out the fibers. In other words, when stretched, the fibers"bounce back"or recoil into a crimped position. In this manner, stitchbonded web 24 becomes stretchable, especially in the direction of the stitchbonded rows. By being stretchable, the fabric thereby becomes also very moldable making the fabric well suited for being adhered to contoured surfaces.

For most applications, when the web is heat treated, the web should shrink at least 5% in the warp and weft directions. In general, the web will shrink more in the direction in which more fibers are oriented. For most applications, this

represents the weft direction.

More particularly, during heat treatment, the web can shrink from about 5% to about 22% in at least one direction, and particularly from about 8% to about 20% in one direction. In one embodiment, the web can shrink from about 12% to about 20%, and particularly from about 12% to about 15% in the weft direction, while shrinking from about 5% to about 10% and particularly from about 8% to about 10% in the warp direction.

In general, better results are obtained as the amount of shrinkage is increased. Thus, in one preferred embodiment, the web is shrunk more than 15% in at least one direction, such as from about 15% to about 22%.

Besides making the fabric stretchable and moldable, heat treating the web also accomplishes many other advantages. For instance, densifying the web increases the abrasion resistance of the web. Further, the web obtains a more aesthetic appearance after being densified. In particular, during heat treatment, the fibers can retract and crimp causing the ends of the fibers to become intertwined into the middle of the fabric. This effect removes protruding fibers from the surface and greatly improves the smoothness of the web.

Fabrics made according to the above described process are well suited for being used as a headliner fabric as shown in Figure 1. For most applications, the final fabric product can have a basis weight from about 150 g/m2 to about 250 g/m2, and particularly from about 170g/m2 to about 220 g/m2. It should be understood, however, that the fabric is well suited for other applications as well. In particular, the fabric can be used in any application wherein a decorative fabric is needed to cover and be attached to a contoured surface.

For example, as described above, the fabric of the present invention can also be used to cover car visors, vehicle door panels, vacuum bag filter casings, office panels and luggage.

These and other modifications and variations to the present invention may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirt and scope of the present invention, which is more particularly set forth in the appended claims. In addition, it should be understood that aspects of the various embodiments may be interchanged both in whole or in part.

Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is by way of example only, and is not intended to limit the invention so further described in such appended claims.