Woven material including bonding fibers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017224064-A1
Application number	US-201515501926-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 12, 2015
Priority date	Aug 9, 2014
Publication date	Aug 10, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A woven material ( 100 ) including bonding fibers ( 108 ) and a method of reinforcing woven material using bonding fibers is disclosed. The woven material ( 100 ) includes a plurality of warp threads ( 102 ), and at least one weft thread ( 104 ) coupled to the warp threads ( 102 ). The woven material ( 100 ) also includes a plurality of bonding fibers ( 108 ). The bonding fibers ( 108 ) are positioned in parallel with the warp threads ( 102 ), and/or in parallel with the weft thread(s) ( 104 ). Additionally, the bonding fibers ( 108 ) are formed from a material having a melting temperature that is lower than a melting temperature of the material(s) used to form the warp threads ( 102 ) and the weft thread(s) ( 104 ) of the woven material.

First claim

1 . A woven watch band comprising:
a plurality of warp threads; at least one weft thread coupled to the plurality of warp threads; and a bond formed between the warp threads and the weft threads from melted bonding fibers positioned at least one of: in parallel with the plurality of warp threads, and in parallel with the at least one weft thread.

2 . The woven watch band of claim 1 , wherein the bonding fibers include a melting temperature lower than a melting temperature of the plurality of warp threads.

3 . The woven watch band of claim 2 , wherein the melting temperature of the bonding fibers is lower than a melting temperature of the at least one weft thread.

4 . The woven watch band of claim 1 , wherein the bonding fibers include a material selected from the group consisting of polyamide, polyester, polypropylene, and thermoplastic polyurethane.

5 . The woven watch band of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of warp threads includes a material selected from a group consisting of polyamide, polyester, and polypropylene.

6 . The woven watch band of claim 1 , wherein the at least one weft thread includes a material selected from a group consisting of polyamide, polyester, and polypropylene.

7 . The woven watch band of claim 1 , wherein the bond is positioned within only a portion of the woven material.

8 . The woven watch band of claim 1 , further comprising a tapered portion formed by the plurality of warp threads and the at least one weft thread coupled to the plurality of warp threads,
wherein the bond is positioned within and adjacent to the tapered portion.

9 . The woven watch band of claim 1 , wherein the bonding fibers are positioned on an exterior surface of the woven material.

10 . The woven watch band of claim 9 , wherein the bonding fibers are substantially transparent.

11 . The woven watch band of claim 9 , wherein in response to the bonding fibers being positioned in parallel with the plurality of warp threads, the at least one weft thread is coupled to the bond.

12 . The woven watch band of claim 1 , wherein the bonding fibers are substantially surrounded by the plurality of warp threads, and
wherein the bonding fibers are substantially surrounded by the at least one weft thread coupled to the plurality of warp threads.

13 . The woven watch band of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wrap threads further comprise:
a first group of warp threads; and a second group of warp threads substantially surrounding the first group of warp threads.

14 . The woven watch band of claim 13 , wherein the at least one weft thread further comprises:
an interior weft thread portion coupled to the first group of warp threads; and an exterior weft thread portion coupled to the second group of warp threads.

15 . The woven watch band of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of bonding fibers further comprises at least one of:
a first collection of bonding fibers substantially surrounded by the first group of warp threads, and a second collection of bonding fibers positioned between the first group of warp threads and the second group of warp threads.

16 . A method of reinforcing a woven material, the method comprising:
providing the woven material including:
a plurality of warp threads; and
at least one weft thread coupled to the plurality of warp threads;
positioning a plurality of bonding fibers within at least a portion of the woven material; and melting the entirety of each of the plurality of bonding fibers.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the positioning of the plurality of bonding fibers within at least the portion of the woven material further comprises at least one of:
positioning the plurality of bonding fibers in parallel with the plurality of warp threads, and positioning the plurality of bonding fibers in parallel with the at least one weft thread.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein in response to positioning the bonding fibers in parallel with the plurality of warp threads, positioning the bonding fibers within an entire length of the woven material.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein in response to positioning the bonding fibers in parallel with the at least one weft thread, at least one of:
positioning the bonding fibers within at least a portion of the width of the woven material, and positioning the bonding fibers within at least a portion of the length of the woven material.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the melting of the plurality of bonding fibers positioned within at least the portion of the woven material further comprises:
exposing the woven material including the plurality of bonding fibers to an external heat source; substantially liquefying only the bonding fibers positioned within the woven material using the external heat source; bonding the liquefied bonding fibers to at least one of: the plurality of warp threads of the woven material, and the at least one weft thread of the woven material; and discontinuing the exposure of the woven material to the external heat source to allow the liquefied bonding fibers to harden.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Hamada Yoji
• Coxeter Peter F
• Su ying-liang
• Siahaan Edward
• Mattson Whitney D
• Matsuyuki Naoto

Classifications

• D03D3/005

  Tapes or ribbons not otherwise provided for (D03D1/0005, D03D1/0011, D03D1/06, D03D1/08, D03D1/0094 take precedence) · CPC title

• D03D1/00

  Woven fabrics designed to make specified articles · CPC title

• D03D11/00

  Double or multi-ply fabrics not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• D10B2331/04

  polyesters, e.g. polyethylene terephthalate [PET] · CPC title

• A44C5/0053 Primary

  Flexible straps · CPC title