Methods of joining textiles and other elements incorporating a thermoplastic polymer material

• US 9,579,848 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2014
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Dua, Bhupesh, Davis, Carrie L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tucker, Philip
• Assistant Examiner(s): Slawski, Brian R
• Application Number:
  US14/168,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20140209233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 156/60, 156/73.1, 156/73.2, 156/91, 156/92, 156/93, 156/155, 156/272.2, 156/272.8, 156/275.1, 156/290, 156/291, 156/308.2, 156/308.4, 156/309.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 27/245 made by welding or gluing joining of plastics by welding or gluing B29C65/00; sewing machines for concurrently making thread and welded seams D05B17/00; thermal or chemical fixing of seams and hems D06M
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0205 characterised by the material material of the lining A43B23/07, material of toe stiffeners or heel stiffeners A43B23/08
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/04 Dielectric heating, e.g. high-frequency welding , i.e. radio frequency welding of plastic materials having dielectric properties, e.g. PVC
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/14 using wave energy , i.e. electromagnetic radiation, or particle radiation using mechanical waves B29C65/06; using ultrasonic waves B29C65/08; pressing means transparent to electromagnetic radiation B29C66/81267
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/16 Laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/18 using heated tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/62 Stitching
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/72 by combined operations or combined techniques, e.g. welding and stitching
• 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 66/135 Single hemmed joints, i.e. one of the parts to be joined being hemmed in the joint area
• 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 66/223 being in the form of a triangle wave or of a sawtooth wave, e.g. zigzagged
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/244 said joint lines being non-straight, e.g. forming non-closed contours
• 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 66/45 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 66/71 : characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/727 : 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 66/73116 : of different melting point, i.e. the melting point of one of the parts to be joined being different from the melting point of the other part
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73118 : of different glass transition temperature, i.e. the glass transition temperature of one of the parts to be joined being different from the glass transition temperature of the other part
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 : characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81411 : characterised by its cross-section, e.g. transversal or longitudinal, being non-flat
• 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 66/83221 : cooperating reciprocating tools, each tool reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91411 : of the parts to be joined, e.g. the joining process taking the temperature of the parts to be joined into account
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91443 : following a temperature-time profile B29C65/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91933 : higher than said fusion temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91935 : lower than said fusion temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91943 : higher than said glass transition temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91951 : in explicit relation to time, e.g. temperature-time diagrams
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 : Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/4842 : Outerwear
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/50 : Footwear, e.g. shoes or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/004 : by physically contacting the layers, e.g. by the use of heated platens or rollers
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/402 : the adhesive being one component of the yarn, i.e. thermoplastic yarn
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/16 : synthetic threads
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/041 : thermoplastic; thermosetting
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/043 : Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249921 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/30 : Woven fabric [i.e., woven strand or strip material]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3065 : Including strand which is of specific structural definition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/40 : Knit fabric [i.e., knit strand or strip material]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/425 : Including strand which is of specific structural definition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/69 : Autogenously bonded nonwoven fabric

Abstract

A yarn or thread may include a plurality of substantially aligned filaments, with at least ninety-five percent of a material of the filaments being a thermoplastic polymer material. Various woven textiles and knitted textiles may be formed from the yarn or thread. The woven textiles or knitted textiles may be thermal bonded to other elements to form seams. A strand that is at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material may extend through the seam, and the strand may be thermal bonded at the seam. The woven textiles or knitted textiles may be shaped or molded, incorporated into products, and recycled to form other products.

Claims

1. A method of joining comprising:

stitching a pair of textile elements together with a strand to form a seam; and

heating and compressing the textile elements and the strand at the seam to (a) form a thermal bond between the textile elements and (b) melt the strand, wherein the textile elements and the strand include thermoplastic polyurethane materials.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the step of heating and compressing includes heating the seam to a temperature that is (a) above a glass transition temperature and below a melting temperature of a thermoplastic polymer material in at least one of the textile elements and (b) above a melting temperature of a thermoplastic polymer material in the strand.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein (a) at least one of the textile elements includes a first thermoplastic polymer material and (b) the strand includes a second thermoplastic polymer material, a melting temperature of the first thermoplastic polymer material being higher than a melting temperature of the second thermoplastic polymer material.

4. The method recited in claim 3, wherein the step of heating and compressing includes heating the seam to a temperature that is (a) above a glass transition temperature and below a melting temperature of the first thermoplastic polymer material and (b) above a melting temperature of the second thermoplastic polymer material.

5. The method recited in claim 4, wherein at least one of the textile elements is a non-woven textile formed from a plurality of filaments of the first thermoplastic polymer material.

6. The method recited in claim 1, further including a step of incorporating the textile elements into an article of apparel.

7. A method of joining comprising:

providing a first textile element and a second textile element, the first textile element being formed from a plurality of first filaments, at least ninety-five percent of a material of the first filaments being a first thermoplastic polymer material;

providing a strand that includes a plurality of substantially aligned second filaments, at least ninety-five percent of a material of the second filaments being a second thermoplastic polymer material, a melting temperature of the second thermoplastic polymer material being lower than a melting temperature of the first thermoplastic polymer material, wherein the first thermoplastic polymer material and the second thermoplastic polymer material include thermoplastic polyurethane materials;

stitching the first textile element and the second textile element together with the strand to form a seam;

heating the seam to a temperature that is (a) above a glass transition temperature of the first thermoplastic polymer material, (b) below a melting temperature of the first thermoplastic polymer material, and (c) above a melting temperature of the second thermoplastic polymer material; and

compressing the first textile element, the second textile element, and the strand at the seam.

8. The method recited in claim 7, wherein the steps of heating and compressing (a) form a thermal bond between the first textile element and the second textile element with the first thermoplastic polymer material and (b) melt the second thermoplastic polymer material of the strand.

9. The method recited in claim 7, wherein the second textile element is formed from a plurality of filaments that include the first thermoplastic polymer material.

10. The method recited in claim 7, further including a step of incorporating the first textile element and the second textile element into an article of apparel.

11. A method of making an article of apparel comprising:

providing a first textile element and a second textile element, the first textile element being formed from a plurality of first filaments, at least ninety-five percent of a material of the first filaments being a first thermoplastic polymer material;

providing a strand that includes a plurality of substantially aligned second filaments, at least ninety-five percent of a material of the second filaments being a second thermoplastic polymer material, a melting temperature of the second thermoplastic polymer material being lower than a melting temperature of the first thermoplastic polymer material, wherein the first thermoplastic polymer material and the second thermoplastic polymer material include thermoplastic polyurethane materials;

stitching the first textile element and the second textile element together with the strand to form a seam;

heating the seam to a temperature that is (a) above a glass transition temperature of the first thermoplastic polymer material, (b) below a melting temperature of the first thermoplastic polymer material, and (c) above a melting temperature of the second thermoplastic polymer material; and

forming a portion of the article of apparel by compressing the first textile element, the second textile element, and the strand at the seam.

12. The method of making an article of apparel of claim 11, wherein the steps of heating the seam and forming a portion of the article of apparel form a fused region of at least one of the first textile element and the second textile element.

13. The method of making an article of apparel of claim 11 further comprising a thermal bonding process to form a fused region in the article of apparel.

14. The method of making an article of apparel of claim 11 further comprising the step of securing a component to at least one of the first textile element and the second textile element.

15. The method of making an article of apparel of claim 14, where the step of securing is achieved by thermal bonding the component to at least one of the first textile element and the second textile element.

16. The method of making an article of apparel of claim 14, wherein the component is thermal bonded to at least one of an interior surface and an exterior surface of the article of apparel.

17. The method of making an article of apparel of claim 11, wherein the first textile element forms a portion of a torso region of the article of apparel and the second textile element forms a portion of an arm region, and wherein the step of stitching forms a shoulder seam.

18. The method of making an article of apparel of claim 11, wherein the first textile element forms a first portion of a torso region of the article of apparel and the second textile element forms a second portion of a torso region of the article of apparel, and wherein the step of stitching forms a side seam.