Methods of joining textiles and other elements incorporating a thermoplastic polymer material
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An article comprising:
- a first material element comprising at least ninety-five percent of a first thermoplastic polymer material, the first material element being one of a woven textile and a knitted textile;
a second material element; and
a seam where a strand extends through each of the first material element and the second material element, the strand being at least partially formed from a second thermoplastic polymer material,wherein the first material element is thermal bonded to the second material element with the first thermoplastic polymer material at the seam, and the strand is thermal bonded to the first material element and the second material element with the second thermoplastic polymer material at the seam, andwherein the thickness of the seam is less than or equal to the combined thickness of the first material element and the second material element before they are thermal bonded to each other.
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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.
258 Citations
27 Claims
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1. An article comprising:
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a first material element comprising at least ninety-five percent of a first thermoplastic polymer material, the first material element being one of a woven textile and a knitted textile; a second material element; and a seam where a strand extends through each of the first material element and the second material element, the strand being at least partially formed from a second thermoplastic polymer material, wherein the first material element is thermal bonded to the second material element with the first thermoplastic polymer material at the seam, and the strand is thermal bonded to the first material element and the second material element with the second thermoplastic polymer material at the seam, and wherein the thickness of the seam is less than or equal to the combined thickness of the first material element and the second material element before they are thermal bonded to each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An article comprising:
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a first textile element comprising at least ninety-five percent of a first thermoplastic polymer material; a second textile element; and a seam where a strand is stitched to each of the first textile element and the second textile element, the strand being at least partially formed from 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 textile element is thermal bonded to the second textile element with the first thermoplastic polymer material at the seam, and the strand is thermal bonded to the first textile element and the second textile element with the second thermoplastic polymer material at the seam, and wherein the thickness of the seam is less than or equal to the combined thickness of the first textile element and the second textile element before they are thermal bonded to each other. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An article comprising:
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a first textile element at least partially formed from a first thermoplastic polymer material; a second textile element; and a seam where (a) the first textile element and the second textile element are thermal bonded to each other with the first thermoplastic polymer material, and (b) a second thermoplastic polymer material is thermal bonded to the first textile element and the second textile element, a melting temperature of the second thermoplastic polymer material being lower than a melting temperature of the first thermoplastic polymer material, wherein the thickness of the seam is less than or equal to the combined thickness of the first textile element and the second textile element before they are thermal bonded to each other. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An article comprising:
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a pair of textile elements at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material with a first melting temperature; and a seam where a strand joins the textile elements to each other, the strand being at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material with a second melting temperature that is lower than the first melting temperature, the textile elements being thermal bonded to each other at the seam, and the strand being thermal bonded to the textile elements at the seam, wherein the seam has a planar or flat configuration. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification