FORM 2
THE PATENT ACT 1970
(39 of 1970)
AND
The Patents Rules, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10 and rulel3)
1. TITLE OF THE INVENTION:
"SEMI-ABSORBENT, SEMI-RESISTANT, BREATHABLE FABRIC"
2. APPLICANT:
(a) NAME: WELSPUN INDIA LIMITED
(b)NATIONALITY: Indian Company incorporated under the Indian Companies ACT, 1956
(c) ADDRESS: Welspun House, 6th Floor, Kamala City, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai - 400013, Maharashtra, India.
3. PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION:
The following specification particularly describes the Invention and the manner in which it is to be performed

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
The present invention relates to the field of textile material that has application in moisture management, breathability & water resistance. In particular, the present invention relates to Semi Absorbent, Semi Resistant & Breathable single layer fabric, such that the surface of the fabric quickly spreads the absorbed liquid to a wider area at the same time ensuring that the liquid does not percolate through to the other side of the fabric under gravitational force. The invention farther relates to a process for manufacturing the said fabric.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:
In case of conventional textile fabric used in mattress pad, hosiery items and other apparels the top layer remains normal fabric and bottom layer generally contain water proof laminated non-woven fabrics. In between these two layers generally poly wadding remains to give bulky and soft feel and comfort properties. During daily uses, if by mistake/accidentally any liquid substances like tea, coffee, soft drinks or any other liquid falls over bed, the fitted sheet absorb the same and the liquid get transferred to the top layer which allows the liquid to pass through the wadding layer and the liquid finally is entrapped above the bottom layer and inside the wadding. This liquid remains inside the wadding layer and may gradually start giving pungent smell and may exhibits lot of bacterial and fungus growth, it can also generate lot of dust mites inside which causes allergen.
US 5735145 disclose a multi-layer weft knit fabric for absorbing moisture and wicking it from a first fabric layer to a second layer as well as a method for making the fabric. The multi-layer fabric includes a first hydrophobic layer and a second hydrophilic layer, with the layers being secured together by a series of courses forming spacer yarns which maintain the fabric layers in a spaced relationship relative to each other. The spacer yarns are adapted to wick moisture from the hydrophobic layer to the hydrophilic layer. The spacer yarns are preferably knit-in or laid-in to the respective knit fabric layers, and a plastic water-resistant layer is secured proximate the hydrophilic fabric layer. A method of integrally knitting the multi-layer fabric on a circular knitting machine is also

described. US'145 is related to weft knitted multilayer fabric which is selected from of polyester, nylon, polypropylene.
US6806214 claims a mattress cover including a composite textile fabric layer consisting of a hydrophobic material and a hydrophilic material, the single fabric layer including an inner exposed surface of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic materials that is predominantly the hydrophobic material which is polypropylene, and an outer surface of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic materials that is predominantly the hydrophilic material which is one of polyester and cotton, the fabric providing a one-way liquid transport system, transporting liquid away from the inner surface towards the outer surface. US'214 however relates to composite fabric. The Fabric is hydrophilic and hydrophobic on both the sides, and is having the properties due to weaving or knitting techniques.
US20070261173 discloses a spacer fabric in combination with an infant mattress pad. The spacer fabric has three parts or components knitted together to form a fabric with two breathable outer fabric layers and a breathable cushioned middle defined by yarns interconnecting the two layers. The spacer fabric is incorporated into an infant mattress pad in order to create an infant safety and comfort system designed to help reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and also to provide infants with enhanced comfort.
US 6,277,770 claim an allergen-barrier fabric comprising: a fabric substrate, woven from 0 to 45% continuous synthetic filament yarns and 55 to 100% natural or synthetic spun yarns, wherein the fabric provides a barrier to mite-induced allergen particles. The allergen-barrier fabric further comprises a fluoro -chemical finish on the fabric, wherein the finish provides protection against fluid stains.
US 6,511,927 claims a breathable and waterproof textile laminate, said laminate comprising a microporous membrane comprising a hydrophobic film having a plurality of pores of a size large enough to allow water vapor to pass there through but small enough to resist the passage of liquid water; nonporous layer bonded to said microporous membrane, which is expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, with a first adhesive to protect the microporous membrane from contaminants, said nonporous layer comprising a

hydrophilic material capable of allowing the diffusion of water vapor there through; and a fabric layer adhered to one of the microporous membrane and the nonporous layer with a second adhesive; wherein one of the first and second adhesives comprises a hydrophilic adhesive and the other comprises a non -breathable discontinuous non hydrophilic adhesive. There are four fabric layers which are laminated with ePTFE layer.
US 2012/0276797 claims a barrier fabric, which is selected from cotton textile and/or a mixture of cotton and polyester, with a nano-fibrous layer for mechanical retention of organic substances, wherein it is formed by a sandwich structure containing a basic material from unwoven fabric of "spun bond" type to which at least one nano-fibrous layer is arranged, selected from the group comprising a hydrophilic polymer, a hydrophobic polymer, or in the case of double-layer arrangement, a combination of the hydrophilic polymer in one layer and the hydrophobic polymer in the other layer, and where the nanofibrous layer is equipped with a protective covering layer, and where the individual layers of the sandwich are connected to each other, and where the nano-fibrous layer used as a barrier against penetration of allergens produced by the dust mites through the upholstery material of mattresses, pillows, bedclothes or soft furnishings. The hydrophobic polymer material is selected from polyurethane or from PVDF fluoro-polymer, or from their co-polymers respectively. The nano fibrous layer is made from the hydrophilic polymer PA6 of the polyamide group.
The fabrics known in the article exhibit (a) either of the three properties water absorbent, breathability and water resistant properties; (b) certain fabrics are partially water resistant or partially water absorbent on both the sides; (c ) multiple fabric layers are used to get water absorbent, breathability and water resistant properties; (d) Lamination technique is used to impart any of these properties in the fabric and (e) Different fibers are used to impart these properties through knitting & weaving technique.
In view of the above limitations of the fabric material, there remains a need in the art to develop a fabric having properties of absorbency, breathability & water resistance at the same time which can thus impart hygienic properties to the fabric and ensure comfort to the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
In quest to obtain the aforementioned qualities in the fabric material, the present invention provide semi absorbent, semi resistant & breathable compact, single layer, woven fabric comprising of water absorbent upper side and water resistant back side, wherein the said single layer fabric is water absorbent and breathable but at the same time does not allow water to seep through to the other side of the fabric under gravitational force.
In another aspect, the present invention provide a process for preparation of compact, single layer, woven fabric comprising of (a) conventional bleaching route; (b) subjecting the upper side of the fabric to hydrophilic softener treatment and (c) treating back side of the fabric with fluorocarbon under controlled condition.
DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES:
Figure 1: cross section of single layer fabric of the present invention. In the figure (a) is a water absorbent side and (b) is water resistant side.
Figure 2: depict construction showing the interlacement between warp (c ) & weft (d) yarn. It also demonstrates how the fabric of the instant invention ensures the absorbent area (a) on one side and the water resistant area (b) on the other side of a single layer of fabric.
Figure 3: is a cross sectional schematic view with a liquid droplet (e) on the fabric surface.
Figure 4: is a cross sectional schematic view with a liquid droplet (e) spreading across the fabric but remaining only on the absorbent portion (a) and the bottom resistant portion (b) of the fabric not allowing the liquid to seep into the mattress.
Figure 5: is a cross sectional view of a mattress pad made from instant fabric, (f) denotes the wadding layer, (g) normal non-woven fabric, (s) denotes skirt fabric or edge fabric.

Figure 6: is a cross sectional view of conventional mattress pad. (i) is a normal top layer fabric, (f) is a wadding layer, (e ) is a liquid drop, (h) is water proof fabric (laminated), (g) is a normal non- woven fabric, (s) denotes skirt fabric or edge fabric .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:
The invention will now be described in detail in connection with certain preferred and optional embodiments, so that various aspects thereof may be more fully understood and appreciated. However, any skilled person will appreciate the extent to which such embodiments could be extrapolated in practice.
The term 'Semi' as used herein in the specification refers to the fabric whose absorbent or water resistant properties lies approximately in the range of 40 % to 60 %
The present invention discloses Semi Absorbent, Semi Resistant & Breathable single layer fabric where the absorbency and breathability of the fabric ensures comfort properties whereas the property of not allowing the water to seep through the fabric imparts hygienic properties.
In an embodiment, the present invention relate to compact, single layer, woven fabric that is semi absorbent, semi resistant & breathable, comprising of water absorbent hydrophilic upper side and water resistant hydrophobic back side, wherein the said upper side of the fabric, is liquid absorbent, quickly spreads the absorbed liquid to a wider area but at the same time does not allow the liquid to seep through to the other side of the fabric under gravitational force. (Figure 4)
The fiber for the fabric is selected from natural fibres, synthetic fibres or regenerated fibres such as cotton, rayon, polyester, or any other such fiber blends. The fabric weave can be plain, satin, twill, dobby, jacquard etc. The fabric may have different characteristics depending on the material used and can be woven from 120TC to 1200TC. The finish can be done on the fabric made from 30s yarn Count to 120s yarn Count.

In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to compact, single layer, woven fabric that is semi absorbent, semi resistant & breathable which is made from 100% cotton. The method for fabrication of the fabric comprises interlacement of warp and weft yarn (Figure 2) through weaving that ensures this property. The weaving procedure employed is any of the weaving technologies known in the art. Further, the hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties are imparted with the help of chemical processing on the fabric used and not with the usage of hydrophilic or hydrophobic yarn.
In another embodiment, the present invention discloses a process for fabrication of semi absorbent, semi resistant & breathable single layer fabric comprising:
(a) subjecting upper side of the treated fabric to hydrophilic Amino functional siloxane softener.
(b) treating back side of the treated fabric with fluorocarbon compound under low pressure, wherein the fluorocarbon compound penetrates up to approximate 50% of fabric thickness; and
(c) drying and curing at 150°C for 3-5 minutes to obtain the desired product.
The silicone softeners used in the process to impart hydrophilicity to the upper side of the fabric is selected from Amino functional polysiloxane.
The fluorocarbon compound is made by mixing 2 components viz. (i) fluorocarbon emulsion and (ii) Paste consisting of Acrylic Cross linking Polymer 10%; Urea 3%; Handle modifier and softener 2%; synthetic thickening agentl.8%; Fixing agent 0.5% ; antifoaming agent 0.5%; Liquor Ammonial% and Water 81.2%.
Depending on the requirement and fabric quality the ratio for making fluorocarbon paste can vary from 10-40% of Fluorocarbon emulsion: 60-90% of Paste. Preferably, the two components are mixed in 25:75 ratio before applying it on to the fabric.
According to the process, the woven cotton fabric is subjected to singeing de-sizing, washing and processing through conventional bleaching route, and mercerizing. This is followed by subjecting the upper side (a) of the fiber to hydrophilic softener treatment. The softener ensures the hand-feel and hydrophilic ensures the absorbency of the fabric

even after finishing. The fabric is further subjected to fluorocarbon treatment at back side (b) of the fabric such that the fluorocarbon compound penetrates up to approximately 50% of fabric thickness which is about 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm . The fluorocarbons are applied in the paste form through rotary/flat/bed printing m/c . The paste of fluorocarbon can also be applied through coating, spray applications etc. The fabric is dried and cured at 150°C for 3-5 minutes to obtain the desired results in the fabric.
During the curing process the fluorocarbons are fixed on to the fabric which ensures the washing durability. Since the fluorocarbons are penetrated up to approximately 50% fabric thickness, the water resistance characteristics are developed on below side B across approximate thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm shown in figure 1 & 2. The upper side (a) remains hydrophilic as the same is treated with hydrophilic softener.
Figure 3 & Figure 4 illustrates absorption of the liquid on upper side of the fabric wherein the absorbed liquid gets spread in the absorbent area (a). The area (b) is fluorocarbon treated area which does not absorb the liquid. Due to this property, the fabric of the instant invention ensures that the liquid does not seep through the area (b) though it absorbs the liquid in the area (a) and spreads only over the top area (a) of the fabric. The absorbent side (a) ensures the all comfort property by absorbing the sweat/perspiration during sleep, whereas the treated area (b) restricts the liquid. Thus the fabric is semi absorbent, semi resistant and breathable.
Further, Figure 5 illustrates the application of instant fabric in textile products like mattress pad. The instant single layered fabric is stitched at the top side of the mattress pad with absorbent side (a) of the invented fabric on top side and water resistant side (b) in the inner side of the mattress pad. The wadding (f) is quilted with nonwoven fabric (g) on top and bottom side. This quilted wadding is then attached to the invented fabric on all four sides along with skirt. If liquid (e) spills over the mattress pad it absorbs and spreads across the absorbent area (a), whereas the water resistant area (b) ensures that the liquid does not seep through the inner side of the pad. Due to this the wadding (f) and nonwoven (g) remains dry and hygienic.

The conventional water proof mattress pad as shown in Figure 6 is constructed with normal fabric (i) on the top side and non- woven fabric (g) at the back side. The normal fabric (i), wadding (f) and normal nonwoven fabric (g) is quilted together and attached to the laminated water resistant nonwoven fabric (h) from all four sides along with skirt. If any liquid (e) spills over the mattress pad, it gradually penetrates inside the mattress pad and gets entrapped inside the nonwoven (h) and top layer. After certain period of time the entrapped liquid starts giving pungent smells and bacteria grows inside the pad due to wet and damp condition.
The finished fabric of the instant invention is water absorbent at the upper side which allows the water to absorb and spread whereas the same will not pass through the other side. The said fabric is breathable also. The fabric of the present invention stops moisture before reaching fill and allows air flow for temperature comfort. It is anti- allergen and provides superior mattress protection.
The fabric of the present invention can be used for mattress pad, pillows, sheets, comforters, mattress, in apparels, sports wears, industrials fabrics, geo textiles which ensure comfort to the user and impart hygienic properties.
The following example is for the purpose of illustration of the invention only and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention.
Example 1: Method of Fabrication
The cotton fabric is constructed with 60s warp yarn and 80s count weft yarn and with final thread count 400TC. The woven cotton fabric is subjected to singeing de-sizing, washing and processing through conventional bleaching route, and mercerizing. This is followed by subjecting the upper side (a) of the fabric to hydrophilic amino functional polysiloxane softener treatment. The fluorocarbon is applied in the paste form through rotary flat-bed printing machine on back side (b) of the fabric such that the fluorocarbon compound penetrates up to 0.1 mm to 0.2mm thickness of the fabric. The fabric is dried and cured at 150°C for 3-5 minutes.

WE CLAIM.
1. Semi absorbent, semi resistant & breathable single layer fabric comprising, water absorbent hydrophilic upper side and hydrophobic back side, wherein the said upper side of the fabric, is liquid absorbent, quickly spreads the absorbed liquid to a wider area but at the same time does not allow the liquid to seep through to the other side of the fabric under gravitational force,
2. The semi absorbent, semi resistant & breathable single layer fabric according to claim 1, wherein the fabric is selected from natural fibres, synthetic fibres or regenerated fibres.
3. The semi absorbent, semi resistant & breathable single layer fabric according to claim 1, wherein the fabric is woven.
4. The semi absorbent, semi resistant & breathable single layer fabric according to claim 1, wherein the thread count of the fabric is in the range of 120TC to 1200TC
5. The semi absorbent, semi resistant & breathable single layer fabric according to claim 1, wherein the yarn count of the fabric is in the range of 30s count to 120s count.
6. A process for fabrication of semi absorbent, semi resistant & breathable single layer fabric comprising;
i. subjecting the upper side of the treated fabric to hydrophilic amino
functional polysiloxane softener; ii. treating back side of the treated fabric with fluorocarbon compound under
low pressure, wherein the fluorocarbon compound penetrates up to 50%
of the fabric thickness; and iii. drying and curing at 150°C for 3-5 minutes to obtain semi absorbent, semi
resistant & breathable single layer fabric.

7. The process according to claim 5, wherein fluorocarbon compound comprises; (i) fluorocarbon emulsion, and (ii) Paste consisting of Acrylic Cross linking Polymer 10%; Urea 3%; Handle modifier and softener 2%; synthetic thickening agentl .8%; Fixing agent 0.5% ; antifoaming agent 0.5%; Liquor Ammonial% and Water 81.2%.
8. The process according to claim 6, wherein the ratio of fluorocarbon emulsion to the paste is 25:75.
9. Use of Semi absorbent, semi resistant and breathable single layer fabric of claim 1 for mattress pad, pillows, sheets, comforters, mattress, in apparels, sports wears, industrials fabrics, geo textiles.