Textile Thinned Regions Using Hot Melt Bonding and Solvent Weakening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional nonwoven textile products, such as felt, tend to break apart easily when subjected to stresses or chemical exposure due to their dense nature, limiting their applicability in certain applications.
Innovation Solution
A textile product with selectively thinned or weakened regions is created by incorporating hot melt fibers that are melted and bonded with textile fibers using heat, while a solvent is applied to unprotected areas to thin or weaken them, maintaining the integrity of protected regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional nonwoven textile products are used, then they provide dense structure, but they break apart under stress or chemical exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different treatments to different regions of the textile product. Hot melt material is applied to specific localized regions to create protected areas with enhanced integrity, while other regions remain untreated or are selectively thinned. This local differentiation allows the product to maintain strength where needed while achieving other functional properties elsewhere.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by combining the original textile fibers with hot melt material in specific regions. This composite approach integrates two different materials with complementary properties: the textile fibers provide the base structure while the hot melt material reinforces specific areas to prevent breaking apart under stress or chemical exposure.
2Reliability
If hot melt material is applied to protect textile regions, then integrity is maintained in protected areas, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical bonding or assembly processes with a thermal process. By using hot melt material that is applied and then thermally bonded, the manufacturing process simplifies compared to traditional mechanical fastening or complex weaving techniques. The thermal application method is easier to control and implement than alternative protection methods.
3Adaptability or versatility
If solvent is applied to thin textile regions, then acoustic and light transmissivity are improved, but textile strength in thinned regions decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the textile product into distinct functional regions: protected regions with hot melt material that maintain full strength, and thinned regions where solvent is applied to achieve transmissivity. This segmentation allows different parts of the same product to have different properties - some areas optimized for strength while others optimized for acoustic and light transmission.
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
This approach allows for the creation of textiles with varying densities and properties, enabling applications such as acoustic transmissivity and light transmissivity, while maintaining stiffness in protected areas, enhancing the product's functionality and durability.
Implementation Method 1
applying heat to a textile having associated hot melt fibers, thereby melting the hot melt fibers
Implementation Method 2
melted and bonded with textile fibers using heat
Implementation Method 3
modifying a mechanical property of a portion of the textile by introducing a solvent to the textile
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments described herein may take the form of a textile fabric, including: a first region defined by a first plurality of textile fibers; a second region adjacent the first region and being formed from a second plurality of textile fibers and a hot melt material adjacent the second plurality of textile fibers; wherein the first region is free of hot melt material. Other embodiments may take the form of a method for fabricating a textile product, including the operations of: applying heat to a textile having associated hot melt fibers, thereby melting the hot melt fibers; modifying a mechanical property of a portion of the textile by introducing a solvent to the textile; and stopping an action of the solvent on the textile when the mechanical property reaches a target.