Woven materials having tapered portions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9745676-B2
Application number	US-201615062027-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2016
Priority date	Mar 6, 2015
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

Woven material having tapered portions and altering the weave pattern and/or material construction in the tapered portion. The woven material includes a first width portion comprising a first weave pattern formed in a plurality of layers of warp threads. The plurality of layers of warp threads include two distinct outer columns of warp threads, and inner columns of warp threads positioned between the two distinct outer columns. The woven material may also include a tapered width portion formed adjacent the uniform portion. The tapered portion includes the first weave pattern formed in the plurality of layers of warp threads of the inner columns of warp threads, and a second weave pattern formed in at least a portion of the plurality of layers of warp threads of the two distinct outer columns of warp threads. The second weave pattern may be distinct from the first weave pattern.

First claim

We claim:

1. A woven watch band comprising:
outer columns of warp threads;
inner columns of warp threads positioned between the outer columns of warp threads;
a uniform width portion, in which a first weave pattern is formed in a plurality of layers of warp threads of the outer columns and of the inner columns; and
a tapered width portion formed adjacent the uniform width portion, in which the first weave pattern is formed in the plurality of layers of warp threads of the inner columns and a second weave pattern is formed in at least a portion of the plurality of layers of warp threads of the outer columns,
wherein the second weave pattern is distinct from the first weave pattern.

2. The woven watch band of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of layers of warp threads of the outer columns and of the inner columns comprises:
a first layer of warp threads forming a top surface;
a second layer of warp threads positioned adjacent the first layer;
a third layer of warp threads positioned adjacent the second layer; and
a fourth layer of warp threads positioned adjacent the third layer, the fourth layer forming a bottom surface;
wherein at least one weft thread is positioned between the warp threads over a length of each of the four layers of warp threads.

3. The woven watch band of claim 2 , wherein the first weave pattern further comprises:
the warp thread alternating between being positioned above and below the at least one weft thread.

4. The woven watch band of claim 2 , wherein the second weave pattern is formed in the four layers of warp threads in each of the outer columns of warp threads.

5. The woven watch band of claim 2 , wherein the second weave pattern is formed in at least two layers of the four layers of warp threads in each of the outer columns of warp threads.

6. The woven watch band of claim 5 , wherein the second weave pattern is formed in:
the second layer of warp threads in each of the outer columns of warp threads; and
the third layer of warp threads in each of the outer columns of warp threads.

7. The woven watch band of claim 6 , wherein the first weave pattern is formed in:
the first layer of warp threads in each of the outer columns of warp threads; and
the fourth layer of warp threads in each of the outer columns of warp threads.

8. The woven watch band of claim 5 , wherein the second weave pattern is formed in:
the first layer of warp threads in each of the outer columns of warp threads; and
the fourth layer of warp threads in each of the outer columns of warp threads.

9. The woven watch band of claim 8 , wherein the first weave pattern is formed in:
the second layer of warp threads in each of the outer columns of warp threads; and
the third layer of warp threads in each of the outer columns of warp threads.

10. The woven watch band of claim 2 , wherein the second weave pattern further comprises the warp threads of the outer columns alternating between being positioned:
in a first position with respect to the at least one weft thread for a first predetermined length; and
in a second position with respect to the at least one weft thread for a second predetermined length; the second position distinct from the first position.

11. The woven watch band of claim 10 , wherein the first position with respect to the at least one weft thread comprises one of:
positioned above the at least one weft thread, or
positioned below the at least one weft thread.

12. The woven watch band of claim 10 , wherein the first predetermined length further comprises:
two distinct passes of the at least one weft thread positioned between the four layers of warp threads.

13. The woven watch band of claim 12 , wherein the second predetermined length further comprises one of:
a single pass of the at least one weft thread positioned between the four layers of warp threads, or
two passes of the at least one weft thread positioned between the four layers of warp threads.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Hatanaka Motohide
• Su ying-liang
• Hamada Yoji

Classifications

• D03D15/08

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic

• D03D3/06

  Fabrics of varying width · CPC title

• D03D11/00 Primary

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

• D03D13/004

  with weave pattern being non-standard or providing special effects · CPC title

• D03D15/56

  elastic · CPC title