Nonwoven Garment Arrays With Entangled Seams for Stable Insulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional insulating garments are costly, time-intensive, and environmentally inefficient due to the use of multiple materials and processes, and they often result in material waste and limited recyclability, especially when featuring repeating visual arrangements.
Innovation Solution
A composite nonwoven textile with non-linear entangled seams is produced using an entanglement system that forms seams without adhesives or stitching, utilizing a conveyance system with entanglement stations and heads to entangle fibers from one layer through a fill material into another, allowing for varied visual arrangements and easy recyclability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional linear seams with adhesives and stitching are used to join textile panels, then the garment structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the manufacturing cost is high, production time is long, and environmental impact is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate manufacturing operations (adhesive application, heat pressing, stitching, and baffle filling) into a single integrated nonwoven bonding process. The bonded nonwoven layers are formed directly in the desired garment configuration with insulation integrated throughout, eliminating the need for sequential assembly steps and reducing production time while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The nonwoven bonding process serves multiple functions simultaneously: it joins textile layers, creates insulation chambers, secures insulation material, and forms the final garment structure in one operation. This multi-functional approach replaces the traditional multi-step process that required separate operations for each function, thereby improving productivity without complicating the manufacturing method.
2Reliability
If multiple disparate materials (textile panels, adhesives, stitching threads, fill materials) are used to form the garment, then the garment structure is stable and durable, but the recyclability is limited and material waste is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses homogeneous or compatible materials throughout the garment construction - primarily nonwoven textile layers bonded together with integrated insulation. By eliminating disparate materials like adhesives, stitching threads, and separate fill materials, the garment becomes easier to recycle while maintaining structural stability through the bonded nonwoven construction that distributes mechanical loads across the entire structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The simplified single-material or compatible-material construction enables easy discarding and recovery of the garment material for recycling. Without mixed materials that require separation, the entire garment can be processed together through recycling streams, improving ease of repair and recyclability while the bonded nonwoven structure maintains sufficient reliability for garment performance.
3Shape
If repeating visual arrangements of elements (printed components, seams) are applied to textile materials, then the garment appearance is uniform and aesthetically consistent, but material waste increases to ensure consistent positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric or irregular patterning in the nonwoven bonding process that does not require precise repeating arrangements. The bonded nonwoven construction allows for varied visual arrangements where elements can be positioned differently on each garment without requiring material waste to ensure consistency, as the overall aesthetic is achieved through the organic bonded structure rather than rigid repeating patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process allows for dynamic positioning of visual elements during the bonding process, where the exact location and arrangement of bonded patterns can vary between garments without compromising appearance. This dynamic approach eliminates the need for fixed, repeating visual arrangements that would require material waste to ensure consistent positioning across the garment lot.
4Reliability
If traditional manufacturing processes (spinning yarns, weaving/knitting textiles, applying adhesive, heat pressing, stitching, filling baffles) are used, then the garment has good structural integrity, but the energy costs and carbon footprint are high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple energy-intensive processes (spinning, weaving/knitting, adhesive application, heat pressing, stitching, and filling) into a single or fewer nonwoven bonding operations. The bonded nonwoven layers are formed directly in the desired configuration with integrated insulation, maintaining structural integrity while dramatically reducing the cumulative energy consumption and carbon footprint associated with each separate traditional manufacturing step.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental parameters of the manufacturing process by transitioning from a multi-step process with many process parameters (yarn spinning parameters, weaving/knitting parameters, adhesive application parameters, heat pressing parameters, stitching parameters, filling parameters) to a simplified nonwoven bonding process with fewer parameters. This parameter reduction decreases the total energy input required while the bonded nonwoven construction maintains adequate structural integrity for garment performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method reduces manufacturing costs and carbon footprint, enables easy recycling, and minimizes material waste by using fewer materials and processes, while allowing for complex visual designs and tailored insulation properties.
Implementation Method 1
an entanglement system that forms seams without adhesives or stitching, utilizing a conveyance system with entanglement stations and heads to entangle fibers from one layer through a fill material into another
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects herein are directed to a composite nonwoven textile that includes non-linear entangled seams and method and systems for producing the same. The composite nonwoven textile includes at least a first nonwoven layer, a second layer, and a fill material positioned between the first nonwoven layer and the second layer. When the composite nonwoven textile is formed into a garment, the regions between the non-linear entangled seams may help store and retain heat to provide insulation, and the non-linear entangled seams may help prevent shifting or drift of the fill material.