Synthetic Leather Fiber Structure With Location-Specific Properties
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stock materials used to form engineered articles require cutting, layering, and combining discrete pieces, leading to increased costs, bulk, waste, and limited design options due to uniform functional characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A fiber-bound engineered material is created through entangling fibers to form a non-uniform material with intended characteristics at specific locations, using techniques like barbed-needle, structured-needle, and fluid entanglement, without additional adhesives or connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If stock materials are cut into individual pieces and layered/combined to form engineered articles, then design options and functional characteristics can be achieved, but costs increase, bulk increases, waste increases, and manufacturing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the continuous fiber layer into different zones with different fiber properties, orientations, or compositions during the laying process. This allows creation of engineered materials with spatially varying characteristics without cutting the material into separate pieces, thereby maintaining manufacturing efficiency while achieving design flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by varying fiber properties, density, orientation, or composition at different locations within the continuous fiber layer. This enables different functional characteristics to be achieved at different zones of the material, providing design options while avoiding the need to layer multiple discrete pieces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If stock materials are cut into individual pieces and layered/combined, then engineered articles with specific functional characteristics can be formed, but material waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-positioning fibers with specific properties, orientations, or compositions into the continuous fiber layer before consolidation. This allows functional characteristics to be built into the material structure in advance, eliminating the need for subsequent cutting and assembly operations that would generate waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by varying fiber properties (such as orientation, density, composition, or length) at different locations within the continuous fiber layer during the laying process. This creates materials with spatially varying functional characteristics while utilizing the entire continuous fiber length, minimizing waste.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform stock materials are used, then manufacturing is simple, but design options and location-specific functional characteristics are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by enabling the fiber laying system to dynamically adjust fiber properties, orientation, density, or composition during the manufacturing process. This allows a single continuous manufacturing operation to produce materials with spatially varying characteristics, maintaining ease of manufacture while increasing design versatility.
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 resulting material is lightweight, customizable, efficient to manufacture, and allows for unique functional characteristics at intended locations, reducing waste and manufacturing inefficiencies.
Implementation Method 1
A fiber layer is entangled with additional fibers in a manner that creates a mechanical connection between the entangled fibers. This entanglement allows the fibers to bind without supplemental adhesives, interlacing, or connections.
Data Source
AI summary
A fiber bound engineered material is provided that imparts an intended characteristic at an intended relative location. A fiber layer is entangled with additional fibers in a manner to create a non-uniform engineered material. The lack of uniformity of a fiber bound engineered material may be accomplished through manipulation of the fibers and/or through fiber binding a scrim. The fiber layer binds with additional fibers through entanglement such that a mechanical connection between the entangled fibers is provided. This entanglement allows the fibers to bind without supplemental adhesives, interlacing, or connections. Variations in the fibers and/or inclusion of scrim material prior to entanglement allows for an intended characteristic (e.g., a functional characteristic) at an intended relative location (e.g., a position determined by an article to be formed therefrom).