Ultralight Flat-Weave Fabric with Multi-Directional Stress Absorption

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current textile technologies face challenges in producing ultralight woven fabrics with high mechanical properties, as conventional looms are not designed to handle flat tapes, and existing methods result in inefficient stress absorption and weight distribution when using high-performance fibers like carbon fibers.

Innovation Solution

The development of an ultralight flat-weave fabric with multiple weft directions intersecting at specific angles relative to the warp, utilizing flat tapes with a rectangular cross-section, which allows for stress absorption in six directions without overlapping fabrics, and optimizing the weight-to-surface area ratio to 2 through precise geometric parameters.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Weight of moving object

If conventional looms are used to produce woven fabrics from circular cross-section yarns, then the manufacturing process is simple and well-established, but the fabric cannot achieve ultralight weight with high-performance fibres like carbon fibres

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefabric weightVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the geometric parameter of the fibre cross-section from circular to flat tape with rectangular cross-section, enabling ultralight weight achievement while maintaining manufacturability through specialized loom design

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces dynamic control of tape orientation during weaving, ensuring the tape remains flat and does not rotate during the weaving process, which requires additional control mechanisms in the loom design

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Weight of moving object

If flat tapes with rectangular cross-section are used instead of circular yarns, then ultralight weight can be achieved, but the loom design becomes completely different and more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefabric weightVSAvoidloom design complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic control systems in the loom to maintain tape flatness and prevent rotation during weaving, adding control mechanisms but enabling ultralight fabric production

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the weaving process into controlled stages where tape orientation and position are independently managed, reducing overall system complexity through modular control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Strength

If multiple biaxial woven fabrics are overlapped to increase stress absorption directions, then more stress directions can be covered, but the weight per unit surface area increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestress absorptionVSAvoidweight per unit surface area
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple weft directions within a single fabric layer, allowing stress absorption in six directions without overlapping multiple fabrics, thus maintaining ultralight weight while achieving comprehensive stress distribution

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds the dimension of multiple weft angles within a single layer, transitioning from single-direction to multi-directional stress absorption without increasing layer count, thereby avoiding weight multiplication

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP2835456B1Ultralight flat-weave fabric comprising two weft directions
Publication Date: 2018.12.12 GALAN LLONGUERAS JORDI
  • EP2835456B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2835456B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2835456B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to an ultralight flat-weave fabric comprising: more than one weft directions that intersect with one another to form a particular angle in relation to the warp, and a warp. According to the invention, the weft and warp are supplied with fibres or fabrics having a cross-section in the form of a flat tape. In this way, it is possible to produce a woven fabric in which two weft tapes having different directions are combined with the warp tape, such that stresses in six different directions are absorbed in a single fabric laver without multiple fabrics having to be overlapped. The woven fabric is completely covered, has a weight-to-surface area ratio of 2 and, as a result, is very light.