阅读说明：本技术 用于粘合织物的编织低熔点纱线 (Woven low melt yarn for bonded fabrics ) 是由 艾莉森·E·鲍尔斯 于 2019-12-27 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开的实施例提供用于生产和使用包括低熔点纱线的针织物的系统和方法,用于在没有胶粘剂的情况下粘合织物。根据一个实施例,针织物可包括第一材料的第一聚合物纱线,第一聚合物纱线形成针织物的基部,以及第二材料的第二聚合物纱线。第二材料可以不同于第一材料并且可以具有比第一材料更低的熔化温度。第一聚合物纱线可与第二聚合物纱线编织以形成织物。在对针织物施加热量时,第二聚合物纱线可以形成对其自身的粘性和内聚机械连接,并且在不使用胶粘剂的情况下在织物内形成紧密编织的结构结合。(Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for producing and using knitted fabrics including low melt yarns for bonding fabrics without adhesives. According to one embodiment, a knitted fabric may include a first polymer yarn of a first material, the first polymer yarn forming a base of the knitted fabric, and a second polymer yarn of a second material. The second material may be different from the first material and may have a lower melting temperature than the first material. The first polymeric yarn may be woven with the second polymeric yarn to form a fabric. Upon application of heat to the knit fabric, the second polymer yarn can form a cohesive and cohesive mechanical bond to itself and form a tightly woven structural bond within the fabric without the use of adhesives.)

1. A knitted fabric, characterized in that it comprises:

a first polymeric yarn of a first material forming a base of the knitted fabric; and

a second polymer yarn of a second material different from the first material and having a lower melting temperature than the first material, the first polymer yarn being knitted together with the second polymer yarn to form a fabric, and upon application of heat to the knitted fabric, the second polymer yarn forms an adhesive and cohesive mechanical connection to itself and forms a tightly woven structural bond within the fabric without the use of an adhesive.

2. The knitted fabric of claim 1, wherein the knitted fabric is elastic and the first polymeric yarn is movable relative to the second polymeric yarn prior to applying heat to the knitted fabric.

3. The knitted fabric of claim 1, wherein the first polymeric yarn is knitted with the second polymeric yarn by knitting.

4. The knitted fabric of claim 1, wherein the first polymeric yarn is a polyester-based yarn.

5. The knitted fabric of claim 1, wherein the first polymeric yarn is a nylon yarn.

6. The knitted fabric of claim 1, wherein the first polymer yarn is a cotton yarn.

7. The knitted fabric of claim 1, wherein the second polymer yarn comprises a copolyimide yarn.

8. The knitted fabric of claim 7, wherein the co-polyimide yarn comprises Grilon K85.

9. An article, characterized in that the article comprises:

a shell forming an outer surface of the article; and

a knit covering surrounding at least a portion of the outer surface of the article, the knit covering comprising first polymeric yarns of a first material forming a base of the knit and second polymeric yarns of a second material different from the first material and having a lower melting temperature than the first material, the first polymeric yarns being knit together with the second polymeric yarns to form a fabric, the second polymeric yarns forming an adhesive and cohesive mechanical connection to themselves upon application of heat to the knit covering and forming a tightly knit structural bond within the fabric without the use of an adhesive.

10. The article of claim 9, wherein the knit cover is elastic and the first polymeric yarn is movable relative to the second polymeric yarn prior to application of heat to the knit.

11. The article of claim 10, wherein the first polymeric yarn is knitted with the second polymeric yarn by knitting.

12. The article of claim 11, wherein the knitted fabric cover is placed over the article and positioned around a portion of the outer surface of the article prior to applying heat to the knitted fabric cover.

13. The article of claim 9, wherein the first polymer yarn is a polyester-based yarn.

14. The article of claim 9, wherein the first polymer yarn is a nylon yarn.

15. The article of claim 9, wherein the first polymer yarn is a cotton yarn.

16. The article of claim 9, wherein the second polymer yarn comprises a copolyimide yarn.

17. The article of claim 15, wherein the article comprises a speaker.

18. A method for producing and using a knitted fabric, characterized in that the method comprises:

knitting first polymeric yarns of a first material with second polymeric yarns of a second material into a knit, the first polymeric yarns forming a base of the knit, the first polymeric yarns being knit together with the second polymeric yarns to form a fabric, the second material being different from the first material and having a lower melting temperature than the first material, wherein the knit is elastic and the first polymeric yarns are movable relative to the second polymeric yarns;

forming the knit fabric into a covering for an article;

placing the cover over the article;

applying heat to the covering, the heat melting the second polymer yarn to form an adhesive and cohesive mechanical bond to itself and to form a tightly woven structural bond within the fabric and around the article without the use of adhesives.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first material comprises polyester, nylon, or cotton.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second material comprises a polyimide.

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and systems for producing and using knitted fabrics, and more particularly, to producing and using knitted fabrics including low melt yarns for bonding fabrics without adhesives.

Background

Many different articles or articles have a hard outer shell covered with fabric to provide an aesthetic or pleasing tactile sensation. For example, various smart speakers and/or audio speakers are covered in whole or in part by fabric. Typically, these fabric covers are secured to the surface of the article with an adhesive. However, glue adhesives are messy and difficult to apply. Accordingly, there is a need for improved methods and systems for producing and using knitted fabrics.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for producing and using knitted fabrics including low melt yarns for bonding fabrics without adhesives. According to one embodiment, a knitted fabric may include a first polymer yarn of a first material and a second polymer yarn of a second material. According to one embodiment, the first polymeric yarn may be knitted with the second polymeric yarn by knitting.

The first polymeric yarn may form the base of the knit and may be knit with the second polymeric yarn to form the fabric. The second material may be different from the first material and may have a lower melting temperature than the first material. For example, the first polymeric yarn may be a polyester-based yarn, a nylon yarn, or a cotton yarn. The second polymeric yarn may comprise a copolyimide yarn, such as Grilon K85.

The knit may be elastic and the first polymeric yarn may move relative to the second polymeric yarn prior to applying heat to the knit. Upon application of heat to the knit fabric, the second polymer yarn can form an adhesive and cohesive mechanical bond to itself and form a tightly woven structural bond within the fabric without the use of an adhesive.

According to another embodiment, an article may include a housing, such as a speaker, forming an exterior surface of the article. The knitted fabric cover may surround at least a portion of the outer surface of the article. The knitted fabric cover may include a first polymer yarn of a first material and a second polymer yarn of a second material knitted with the second polymer yarn to form a fabric. For example, the first polymeric yarn may be knitted with the second polymeric yarn by knitting.

The first polymeric yarn may form the base of the knitted fabric. The second material may be different from the first material and may have a lower melting temperature than the first material. For example, the first material may be polyester yarn, nylon, or cotton. The second material may comprise a copolyimide.

The knitted fabric cover may be elastic and the first polymeric yarn may move relative to the second polymeric yarn prior to applying heat to the knitted fabric. Thus, the knitted fabric cover may be placed on the article and positioned around a portion of the outer surface of the article prior to applying heat to the knitted fabric cover. Once in place and upon application of heat to the knitted fabric cover, the second polymer yarn can form an adhesive and cohesive mechanical bond to itself and form a tightly woven structural bond within the fabric without the use of adhesives.

According to yet another embodiment, a method for producing and using a knitted fabric may include knitting a first polymeric yarn of a first material and a second polymeric yarn of a second material into the knitted fabric. The first polymeric yarn may form the base of the knitted fabric and may be knitted with the second polymeric yarn to form the fabric. The second material may be different from the first material and have a lower melting temperature than the first material. For example, the first material may comprise polyester, nylon, or cotton, and the second material may comprise a copolyimide. The knit may be elastic and the first polymeric yarn may move relative to the second polymeric yarn.

The knitted fabric may be formed as a covering of the article and may be placed on the article. The cover may be heated. The heat can melt the second polymer yarn to form an adhesive and cohesive mechanical bond to itself and form a tightly woven structural bond within the fabric and around the article without the use of adhesives.

Drawings

Figure 1 shows a view of a fabric including a woven low melt yarn according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 2 illustrates another view of a fabric including a woven low melt yarn according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary use of a fabric including a woven low melt yarn according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for producing and using a knitted fabric according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

In the drawings, similar components and/or features may have the same reference numerals. In addition, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a letter that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.

Detailed Description

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various embodiments disclosed herein. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the various embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced without some of these specific details. The following description provides exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope or applicability of the present disclosure. Moreover, the foregoing description omits a number of known structures and devices in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure. Such omissions should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be practiced in a variety of ways beyond the specific details set forth herein.

As used herein, the phrases "at least one," "one or more," "or" and/or "are open-ended expressions that are both related and disjunctive in operation. For example, the expressions "at least one of A, B and C", "at least one of A, B or C", "one or more of A, B and C", "one or more of A, B or C", "A, B and/or C" and "A, B or C" each refer to a alone, B alone, C, A and B together alone, a and C together, B and C together, or A, B and C together.

The terms "a" or "an" entity refer to one or more of that entity. Thus, the terms "a", "an", "one or more" and "at least one" may be used interchangeably herein. It should also be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," and "having" may be used interchangeably.

It should be understood that the term "device" as used herein should be given its broadest possible interpretation in accordance with 35u.s.c. section 112, paragraph 6. Accordingly, the claims including the term "means" are intended to cover all of the structures, materials, or acts set forth herein, as well as all equivalents thereof. Further, the structures, materials, or acts and their equivalents should include all matter described in the summary of the disclosure, brief description of the drawings, detailed description, abstract, and claims themselves.

Various additional details of embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. While the flow diagrams will be discussed and illustrated with respect to a particular sequence of events, it should be understood that changes, additions, and omissions to the sequence may be made without materially affecting the operation of the disclosed embodiments, configurations, and aspects.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a low melt yarn binder yarn incorporated into a fabric by weaving the yarn on one side of the fabric (which is done in a textile knit construction) during the weaving process. The fabric may be adhered to the rigid base by heat and pressure rather than glue. In some cases, two different polymeric yarn materials may be used, one of which has a higher melting temperature or Tg than the second polymeric yarn material, which when heated forms an adhesive and cohesive mechanical bond to itself, resulting in a tightly woven structural bond, eliminating the need for adhesive application to form the mechanical bond.

For example, in a construction, a polyester base yarn is knitted with a copolyamide yarn having material properties for adhesion (e.g., Grilon K85) or other material with similar properties (this is done in a textile knit construction). Other types of ground yarns may include, but are not limited to, nylon, cotton, and other fibers commonly used in textile construction. The constructed yarn can be knitted on knitting machines such as the Shima Seiki SWG091N2 wheelelevation knitting machine. Other machines may be used to perform similar operations.

A fabric according to embodiments described herein may retain elastic properties until heat activated to a desired rigid position, and the fabric may be free to move on the base to be properly positioned before it is adhered. The adhesive may be integrated during the creation of the fabric, rather than being added in an additional operation. Glue leakage and mess during bonding are minimized and the stiffness of the fabric can be increased. In addition, the fabric can maintain breathability and acoustic integrity by using adhesive only where there are yarns. One application for such a fabric may be a speaker cover such as those commonly used in product lines such as sony, Bose, Sonos, Dyson, Sennheiser, and the like. Other applications may include, but are not limited to, audio, automotive, medical, industrial, consumer, home, wearable, aerospace, where fabric packaging and integration is required.

Figure 1 shows a view of a fabric including a woven low melt yarn according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 illustrates another view of a fabric including a woven low melt yarn according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in these examples, knit fabric 100 may include first polymeric yarns 110 of a first material and second polymeric yarns 105 of a second material. According to one embodiment, first polymeric yarn 110 may be knitted with second polymeric yarn 105 by weaving.

The first polymeric yarn 110 may form the base of the knitted fabric 100 and may be knitted with the second polymeric yarn 105 to form a fabric. The second material may be different from the first material and may have a lower melting temperature than the first material. For example, the first polymer yarn 110 may be a polyester-based yarn, a nylon yarn, or a cotton yarn. For example, the second polymer yarn 105 may comprise a copolyimide yarn such as Grilon K85.

The knitted fabric 100 may be elastic and the first polymeric yarn 110 may move relative to the second polymeric yarn 105 prior to applying heat to the knitted fabric 100. Upon application of heat to the knitted fabric 100, the second polymer yarn 105 can form an adhesive and cohesive mechanical bond to itself and form a tightly woven structural bond within the fabric without the use of adhesives.

Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary use of a fabric including a woven low melt yarn according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in this example, the article 300 may include a housing, such as a speaker, that forms an exterior surface of the article 300. The knitted fabric cover may surround at least a portion of the outer surface of the article 300. The knitted fabric cover may include a first polymeric yarn 110 of a first material and a second polymeric yarn 105 of a second material knitted with the second polymeric yarn 105 to form a fabric. For example, the first polymeric yarn 110 may be knitted with the second polymeric yarn 105 by knitting.

The first polymeric yarn 110 may form the base of the knitted fabric 100. The second material may be different from the first material and may have a lower melting temperature than the first material. For example, the first material may be polyester yarn, nylon, or cotton. The second material may comprise a copolyimide.

The covering of the knitted fabric 100 may be elastic and the first polymeric yarn 110 may move relative to the second polymeric yarn 105 prior to applying heat to the knitted fabric 100. Thus, the knitted fabric cover may be placed over the article 300 and positioned around a portion of the outer surface of the article 300 prior to applying heat to the knitted fabric cover. Once in place and upon application of heat to the knitted fabric cover, the second polymer yarn 105 can form an adhesive and cohesive mechanical connection to itself and form a tightly woven structural bond within the fabric without the use of adhesives.

Fig. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for producing and using a knitted fabric according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in this example, producing and using knitted fabric 100 may include: in step 405, a first polymer yarn 110 of a first material and a second polymer yarn 105 of a second material are knitted into the knitted fabric 100. The first polymeric yarn 110 may form the base of the knitted fabric 100 and may be knitted with the second polymeric yarn 105 to form a fabric. The second material may be different from the first material and have a lower melting temperature than the first material. For example, the first material may comprise polyester, nylon, or cotton, and the second material may comprise a copolyimide. The knitted fabric 100 may be elastic and the first polymeric yarn 110 may move relative to the second polymeric yarn 105.

The knitted fabric 100 may be formed into a covering for the article 300, step 410, and the covering may be placed on the article 300, step 415. At step 420, heat may be applied to the cover. The heat may melt the second polymer yarns 105 to form an adhesive and cohesive mechanical bond to themselves and form a tightly woven structural bond within the fabric and around the article 300 without the use of adhesives.

The foregoing discussion has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intended to limit the disclosure to the form or forms disclosed herein. For example, in the foregoing detailed description, various features of the disclosure are grouped together in one or more aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. Features of aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations of the present disclosure may be combined in alternative aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations to those discussed above. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claims require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed aspect, embodiment, and/or configuration. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate preferred embodiment of the disclosure.

Moreover, although the description has included description of one or more aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations and certain variations and modifications, other variations, combinations, and modifications are within the scope of the disclosure, e.g., as may be within the skill and knowledge of those in the art, after understanding the present disclosure. It is intended to obtain rights which include alternative aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations to the extent permitted, including alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps, whether or not such alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps are disclosed herein, and without intending to publicly dedicate any patentable subject matter.