Methods Of Joining Textiles And Other Elements Incorporating A Thermoplastic Polymer Material
First Claim
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1. An article comprising:
- a first material element at least partially formed from 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.
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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.
87 Citations
34 Claims
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1. An article comprising:
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a first material element at least partially formed from 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. - 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 at least partially formed from 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. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. 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. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. 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. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of joining comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of joining comprising:
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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; 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. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification