US-12624498-B2 - Metalized fabric that dissipates and scatters infrared light and methods or making and using the same

US12624498B2US 12624498 B2US12624498 B2US 12624498B2US-12624498-B2

Abstract

A metalized fabric and method for metallization of fabric. The fabric is formed using two threads with different affinities for metallization, but which threads are not metalized prior to forming into the fabric. The threads will typically be woven using an unbalanced weave to provide one side of the fabric with a resultant greater amount of metallization than the other but this is not required. Once the resultant fabric is metalized, it will typically be more suitable for consistent color dying than fabric which was formed from both metalized and unmetallized threads.

Inventors

Bennett Fisher
Carl Jones
Jodi Wallis
Dino Aimino
Thomas Dougal
Greg Gianforcaro
David Curry

Assignees

NOBLE BIOMATERIALS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240112

Claims (12)

1 . A method for producing a metalized fabric, the method comprising: providing a first non-metalized thread having a first affinity for metallization; providing a second non-metalized thread having a second affinity for metallization, said second affinity being greater than said first affinity; forming said first thread and said second thread into a fabric; and after forming said fabric, metalizing said first thread in said formed fabric to a first amount and said second thread in said formed fabric to a second amount, wherein said second amount of metallization of said second thread is greater than said first amount of metallization of said first thread; and wherein both said first thread and said second thread each have some metallization after said metalizing.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein said forming comprises weaving said first thread with said second thread.
3 . The method of claim 2 wherein said weaving creates a balanced weave with a generally equal amount of both said first thread and said second thread on both said opposing sides.
4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising: dying said metalized fabric after said metallization.
5 . The method of claim 1 wherein said first thread comprises nylon.
6 . The method of claim 5 wherein said second thread comprises polyester.
7 . The method of claim 5 wherein said second thread comprises a treated nylon.
8 . The method of claim 1 wherein said metallization comprises autocatalysis.
9 . The method of claim 1 wherein said metalized fabric serves to scatter infrared (IR) waves incident on said fabric.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein after metallization, said first thread has a thinner layer of metallization as compared to said metallization of said second thread.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said metallization of said first thread and said second thread occurs during immersion of said formed fabric in a bath.
12 . The method of claim 1 wherein: said fabric has a first surface and a second opposing surface; and said second opposing surface includes more metallization than said first surface.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/161,364 filed Jan. 28, 2021 which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/966,855, filed Jan. 28, 2020. The entire disclosure of all the above documents is incorporated herein by reference. 1. Field of the Invention This disclosure is related to the field of metalized fabrics. More particularly this disclosure is related to metalized fabrics that dissipate and scatter infrared light to provide infrared deception abilities and methods of making and using the same. 2. Description of the Related Art Humans have used various forms of camouflage for thousands of years. Camouflage may be the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making persons or objects hard to see or detect (also known as crypsis), or by disguising them as something else (mimesis). Camouflage, as used herein will focus on the former type of camouflage, which has the goal of making persons or objects hard to see or detect. Objects, as used herein, will refer to persons and other tangible things. Often, camouflage is used to visibly conceal someone or something so that the camouflaged subject may remain unnoticed or unrecognized for its nature (e.g., being recognized as being a person) by observers. Such concealment is typically intended to conceal something or someone from being detected by a person or system that senses using visible light. As human vision, a visible light detection system, is typically the most advanced human sense, visible light detection (and thus visible light concealment) has been paramount in camouflage for centuries. Visible camouflage, as used herein, is focused on providing visible deception to observation via visible light. Typically, such visible camouflage is capable of preventing or reducing the chances of detection by someone using eyesight to observe the area where the camouflage is being used. Human eyes are capable of detecting what is commonly called “visible light,” or light having a wavelength of about 380 run to about 740 nm. An observer may detect an object or person by detecting differences between the reflected light from the object or person being observed and the light reflected from the background of that object or person. In all cases, the observer will be observing within the visible light spectrum and objects that are opaque to (and reflective of) visible light. One of the most important aspects of camouflage is often not that an object be unable to be individually identified, as would be the case with a disguise, but that the object being camouflaged reflects light in a fashion corresponding to a situation as if the object was not there. This typically means mimicking the background of the object, or portraying the object as a different object, so that light reflected from the object appears the same as light reflected off the background of the object or off the object the camouflaged thing is supposed to be “seen as.” Said another way, ideally camouflage would mirror the appearance of the background that resides directly beyond the object along the line that extends from an observer through the object. In such a perfect scenario which is often the subject of science fiction stories and movie making special effects, the object would truly be “invisible” to an observer as the camouflage perfectly represents the appearance of the background or allows the user to “see through” the object as if it was not there. It is important to recognize that in practical situations visible light camouflage is often not designed to completely hide the observed thing (e.g., as would be the case if it was wholly placed into a cave or other hideout) or to make it “invisible” as discussed above, but instead to allow it to be seen but not identified for what it is, or, more often, that it is unnatural to the environment in which it is placed. The United States military (as well as hunters and others with similar goals of being undetected) has long used visible camouflage to protect military equipment such as vehicles, guns, ships, aircraft, and buildings, as well as individual soldiers and their positions. Generally, the purpose of the visible camouflage in military applications is to prevent military persons or things from being noticed or observed by current or potential enemies or combatants who are using eyesight (or the visible light spectrum) to detect the subjects being visibly camouflaged. Visible light camouflage can also be used to obscure the object in a manner that makes it difficult to target or attack with a weapon because it is difficult to distinguish the boundary of the object being targeted or, in more modern scenarios, difficult for algorithmic targeting systems which use light reflection to locate it. In most cases, paints are applied to the subjects being visibly camouflaged to make the colors of the subj