Pile Fabric with Entwined Loop Piles for Softness and Retention

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing pile fabrics face challenges in achieving both a soft touch feeling and durability, with non-twisted yarns leading to fluff coming out and fine count yarns resulting in reduced water absorbency and pile yarn coming out due to low rigidity and increased friction.

Innovation Solution

A pile fabric structure with twisted yarns having a twisting coefficient of 2.5 or greater and a pile height 50 times the diameter, featuring snarls on neighboring loop piles that entwine together, arranged with a gap not exceeding 0.5 mm, to enhance pile retention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If non-twisted yarn is used for pile yarn to achieve soft touch feeling, then softness is improved, but fluff comes out and durability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesoft touch feelingVSAvoidpile retention property
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the twisting parameter by using yarn with a small twisting coefficient (2.0 or more but less than 6.0), which is lower than conventional twisted yarn but higher than non-twisted yarn. This parameter adjustment allows the yarn to maintain enough twist to prevent fluff from coming out while still providing a soft touch feeling, thus resolving the contradiction between softness and durability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If fine count yarn is used for pile yarn to achieve soft touch feeling, then softness is improved, but water absorbency decreases and pile yarn comes out easily

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesoft touch feelingVSAvoidpile retention property
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the yarn count parameter to English 50 to 120 count, which is finer than conventional yarns. Combined with the specific twisting coefficient range, this allows the fine yarn to maintain sufficient rigidity through controlled twisting, preventing easy coming out while preserving the softness associated with fine count yarn.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If twisted yarn is used for pile yarn to improve durability, then pile retention is improved, but soft touch feeling is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepile retention propertyVSAvoidsoft touch feeling
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention optimizes the twisting coefficient to a specific range (2.0 or more but less than 6.0), which is lower than conventional heavily twisted yarns. This reduced twist level maintains durability and pile retention while significantly improving softness, thus resolving the contradiction between durability and softness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Ease of operation

If pile height is increased to improve soft touch feeling, then softness is improved, but rigidity decreases and pile yarn comes out easily

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesoft touch feelingVSAvoidpile retention property
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention sets the pile height to 50 times or more the diameter of the pile yarn, creating tall loops that provide softness. The controlled twisting coefficient compensates for the reduced rigidity from increased height, preventing easy coming out while maintaining the soft touch feeling associated with high piles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3733940B1Pile fabric and manufacturing method of making the same
Publication Date: 2025.07.30 UCHINO CO LTD
  • EP3733940B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3733940B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3733940B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

Provided is a pile fabric that can provide both a soft touch feel and durability (pile retention and/or suppression of pile loss). The pile fabric is provided with a base structure formed from a warp and weft and a loop pile formed from pile yarn. The pile yarn is twisted yarn with a twist factor of 2.0 or greater. When the pile yarn is untwisted yarn or weakly twisted yarn, insoluble yarn prior to water soluble yarn elimination is twisted yarn with a twist factor of 2.0 or greater. The proportion of pile height to pile yarn diameter is 40x or greater. The gap between adjacent pile yarn strands is 0.5 mm or less. The pile yarn is 50 - 120 English yarn count. The loop pile has snarling, and the snarling for adjacent piles is entangled.