Thermoplastic non-woven textile elements

• US 10,138,582 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2015
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Dua, Bhupesh, Hawkinson, Karen
• Primary Examiner(s): Salvatore, Lynda
• Application Number:
  US14/956,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20160145783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 442415
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 1/08 Details
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/06 Trousers
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2500/30 Non-woven
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/00 Footwear characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/04 braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/14 made of plastics A43B1/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0255 assembled by gluing or thermo bonding
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/026 Laminated layers
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/027 with a part of the upper particularly flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/24 Ornamental buckles; Other ornaments for shoes without fastening function
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0078 provided with logos, letters, signatures or the like decoration A43B23/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 9/16 Footwear with soles moulded on to uppers or welded on to uppers without adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/022 Particular heating or welding methods not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/18 using heated tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/003 Protecting areas of the parts to be joined from overheating B29C66/348, B29C66/8744 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1282 comprising at least one overlap joint-segment
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/12841 comprising at least two butt joint-segments
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/133 Fin-type joints, the parts to be joined being flexible the parts to be joined being rigid B29C66/1312
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/14 the joint having the same thickness as the thickness of the parts to be joined B29C66/1142 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/244 : said joint lines being non-straight, e.g. forming non-closed contours
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/303 : the joint involving an anchoring effect B29C66/341, B29C65/56 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/30326 : in the form of porosity
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/43 : Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles B29C66/45 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/431 : Joining the articles to themselves B29C66/4322 and B29C66/4332 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/433 : Casing-in, i.e. enclosing an element between two sheets by an outlined seam for bookbinding B42C11/06; for packaging B65B; by laminating B32B37/00; enclosing tubular articles between substantially flat elements B29C66/53261
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/45 : Joining of substantially the whole surface of the articles methods or apparatus for laminating B32B37/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/472 : said single elements being substantially flat
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/4722 : Fixing strips to surfaces other than edge faces fixing strips to edge faces B29C63/0026
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/4724 : said single elements being appliques, e.g. in the form of a text or drawing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 : characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/723 : being multi-layered B29C66/7292, B29C66/72941 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/727 : being porous, e.g. foam
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/729 : Textile or other fibrous material made from plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7294 : Non woven mats, e.g. felt
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7392 : characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 : characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7394 : characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoset
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81422 : being convex
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81423 : being concave
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81435 : comprising several parallel ridges, e.g. for crimping comprising a single ridge B29C66/81427
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8226 : Cam mechanisms; Wedges; Eccentric mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/83221 : cooperating reciprocating tools, each tool reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8362 : Rollers, cylinders or drums moving relative to and tangentially to the parts to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/00 : Producing footwear
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/00 : Use of polyalkenes or derivatives thereof as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/0633 : LDPE, i.e. low density polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/0683 : UHMWPE, i.e. ultra high molecular weight polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 : PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2033/08 : Polymers of acrylic acid esters, e.g. PMA, i.e. polymethylacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 : Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 : Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/00 : Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/10 : Aromatic polyamides [polyaramides] or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/4842 : Outerwear
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/4857 : Trousers
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/50 : Footwear, e.g. shoes or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/02 : Synthetic macromolecular fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0253 : Polyolefin fibres vinyl or acrylic copolymers B32B2262/0223 or B32B2262/0246
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0261 : Polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0269 : Aromatic polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0276 : Polyester fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0292 : Polyurethane fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/106 : Carbon fibres, e.g. graphite fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/12 : Conjugate fibres, e.g. core/sheath or side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/14 : Mixture of at least two fibres made of different materials
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/02 : Organic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/0214 : Materials belonging to B32B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/50 : having particular mechanical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/51 : Elastic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2437/00 : Clothing anti-ballistic clothing B32B2571/02
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2437/02 : Gloves, shoes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 : next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/263 : characterised by a layer having non-uniform thickness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/30 : characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/02 : characterised by structural features of a fibrous or filamentary layer layer formed of metallic wires B32B15/02; layer formed of natural mineral fibres B32B19/02; layer formed of wood fibres B32B21/02
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 : Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/024 : Woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/04 : characterised by a layer being specifically extensible by reason of its structure or arrangement , e.g. by reason of the chemical nature of the fibres or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/06 : characterised by a fibrous or filamentary layer mechanically connected, e.g. by needling to another layer, e.g. of fibres, of paper
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/08 : the fibres or filaments of a layer being of different substances , e.g. conjugate fibres, mixture of different fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/142 : Variation across the area of the layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/22 : characterised by the presence of two or more layers which are next to each other and are fibrous, filamentary, formed of particles or foamed layer formed of natural mineral fibres or particles next to a foam layer B32B19/047, next to a layer made of particles B32B19/048, or next to a fibrous or filamentary layer B32B19/06; paper layer or cardboard layer next to a paper layer or cardboard layer B32B29/005, next to a foam layer B32B29/007, next to a fibrous or filamentary layer B32B29/02, or next to a particulate layer B32B29/04
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/24 : one layer being a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/245 : another layer next to it being a foam layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 : another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 : using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/52 : by applying or inserting filamentary binding elements
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/558 : in combination with mechanical or physical treatments other than embossing
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 13/00 : Other non-woven fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 3/14 : with bonds between thermoplastic yarns or filaments produced by welding
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 3/153 : Mixed yarns or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 5/08 : characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres or yarns
• CPC Class Codes: D06H 5/00 : Seaming textile materials splicing webs B65H21/00; seaming felts in paper-making machines D21F7/10
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2331/10 : polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/033 : Three dimensional fabric, e.g. forming or comprising cavities in or protrusions from the basic planar configuration, or deviations from the cylindrical shape as generally imposed by the fabric forming process
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/19 : Sheets or webs edge spliced or joined
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2481 : including layer of mechanically interengaged strands, strand-portions or strand-like strips
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24826 : Spot bonds connect components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/608 : Including strand or fiber material which is of specific structural definition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/652 : Nonwoven fabric is coated, impregnated, or autogenously bonded
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/69 : Autogenously bonded nonwoven fabric

Abstract

A non-woven textile may be formed from a plurality of thermoplastic polymer filaments. The non-woven textile may have a first region and a second region, with the filaments of the first region being fused to a greater degree than the filaments of the second region. A variety of products, including apparel (e.g., shirts, pants, footwear), may incorporate the non-woven textile. In some of these products, the non-woven textile may be joined with another textile element to form a seam. More particularly, an edge area of the non-woven textile may be heatbonded with an edge area of the other textile element at the seam. In other products, the non-woven textile may be joined with another component, whether a textile or a non-textile.

Claims

1. A non-woven textile, comprising:

a plurality of filaments at least partially formed of thermoplastic polymer material including a thermoplastic polyurethane, the plurality of filaments at least partially forming a layer of the non-woven textile having a first surface and an opposite second surface, the first and second surfaces each being at least partially exposed,

wherein the plurality of filaments form a first region and a second region,

wherein each of the first region and the second region having a continuous area of at least one square centimeter,

wherein the plurality of filaments of the second region are fused to a greater degree than the plurality of filaments of the first region;

wherein the plurality of filaments forms a third region of the non-woven textile,

wherein the plurality of filaments of the third region is fused to a greater degree than the plurality of filaments of the second region.

2. The non-woven textile recited in claim 1, wherein a property of the plurality of filaments of the first region is that the plurality of filaments are able to stretch at least one-hundred percent prior to tensile failure.

3. The non-woven textile recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of filaments of the second region has a non-filamentous configuration.

4. The non-woven textile recited in claim 1, wherein a permeability of the second region is less than a permeability of the first region.

5. The non-woven textile recited in claim 1, wherein a stretch-resistance of the second region is greater than a stretch-resistance of the first region.

6. The non-woven textile recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the second region is joined to a second textile element.

7. The non-woven textile recited in claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of filaments of the non-woven textile is heatbonded to filaments of the second textile element.

8. The non-woven textile recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of filaments of the second region that are fused extends from the first surface to the second surface.

9. The non-woven textile recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of filaments is randomly distributed throughout the non-woven textile.

10. The non-woven textile recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of filaments of the second region remains in a partially filamentous state.

11. The non-woven textile recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of filaments of the second region remains in a filamentous state.

12. The non-woven textile recited in claim 1, wherein the second region forms a parallel striped configuration.