Included are multiple component elastic fibers prepared by a solution-spinning process such as dry spinning or wet spinner of spandex fibers including polyurethaneurea and polyurethane compositions. These fibers have a cross-section including at least two separate regions with definable boundaries wherein at least one region defined by the boundaries of the cross-section includes a polyurethaneurea or polyurethane composition. One region of the fiber includes a fusibility improvement additive to enhance adhesion to itself or to a substrate.

A knitted textile having a first layer including a first yarn with a thermoplastic composition integrally formed with a second layer including a second yarn, the first yarn forming an array of knitted patterns defining voids through the first layer to the second layer. The first layer may be heat treated to form a film. Treatment of the first layer may change zonal and directional tensile properties of the knitted textile. The Poisson's ratio of the knitted textile may be greater than or equal to zero in a first axis and/or a second axis, before and/or after treatment. Articles of apparel, including articles of footwear and garments incorporating the knitted textile, and methods of forming the knitted textiles and articles are disclosed.

The invention relates to a process for producing non-woven fabric-like composite materials, novel non-woven fabric-like composite materials, articles made therefrom and their use. In particular the fabric-like composite materials are derived from shredded polymer-glued or polymer-coated paper products and coffee grounds as raw material.

Films, fibers, filaments, yarns and textiles including thermoplastic elastomeric compositions are described, as are methods of making the films, fibers, filaments, yarns and textiles. These films, fibers, filaments, yarns and textiles can be used to make articles of apparel, footwear, and sporting equipment. When thermoformed, the thermoplastic elastomeric compositions can impart abrasion resistance, traction, and other advantageous properties to the articles. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

Footwear with integrally knit uppers having features for increasing containment around a wearer's foot, improving strength and durability, and incorporating touch feedback through increased coefficient of friction while removing weight due to traditional additional components. The knitted component may be radially knitted so that courses converge towards a common area, like the throat region of the upper. Additionally, a fusible yarn may be knit on at least the exterior-facing surface of a containment area of the knitted component to create additional lock-down along lines of containment. Further, tensile elements may be incorporated within the containment area to provide strength and lock-down along desired lines of containment. Additionally, the fusible yarn may be a grip yarn that creates areas with greater coefficients of friction.

A knitted component having an outer perimeter and a common portion, which may be a centrally-located region, such as a throat region and/or a collar region. A plurality of courses of the knitted component extend between the between the outer perimeter and the common portion such that the courses may be radially-extending outwards from the common portion. One or more continuous strand may be inlaid within the knit courses to form a plurality of strand segments that extend within respective ones of the plurality of courses of the knitted component between the outer perimeter and the common portion of the knitted component.

A method for producing a woven fabric comprises weaving fibers in a warp direction and a weft direction to form a fabric having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the warp fibers and weft fibers each comprises one or more filaments of a synthetic polymer having substantially uniform cross-sectional composition. At least a portion of the filaments in the fibers on the top and/or bottom surface of the fabric are then fused together in the presence of a heat transfer liquid or vapor added during the fusing step or added in a prior step of the fabric production process and retained by the filaments. The fusing step produces a treated fabric having a tensile strength in both the warp and weft directions of 1000 N or greater and having, in the absence of any coating, a static air permeability (SAP) of 3 l/dm.sup.2/min or lower.

A thermoplastic polyurethane coated yarn having excellent adhesive strength in which hydrophobic nano-silica is mixed. The nano-silica is contained in the range of 0.2-5 parts per hundred resin (phr) and the nano-silica having a primary particle size of in a range of 1-100 nm. The thermoplastic polyurethane coating yarn mixed with the hydrophobic nano-silica of the present invention is uniformly coated with a thermoplastic polyurethane resin containing nano-silica containing a hydrophobic functional group on the surface of the core yarn, whereby the core yarn is biased to one side. Since no coating or uncoating occurs, the product quality and productivity are excellent, in addition to excellent durability and wear resistance of the thermoplastic polyurethane, mechanical strength and chemical resistance are improved.

The present disclosure provides an upper for an article of footwear. The upper may include a knit element defining a portion of at least one of an exterior surface of the upper and an opposite interior surface of the upper. An inlaid strand may extend through the knit element, and a tongue and the knit element may have a common yarn at least at a forward portion of the tongue, and the tongue may extend through a throat area of the upper.

A method for heat-setting and laminating a 3D knitted fabric, which fabric has hot-melt adhesive yarn, on a carrier device for an interior component of a motor vehicle, includes the following steps: arranging the 3D knitted fabric on the carrier device in a laminating apparatus; activating the hot-melt adhesive yarn by way of the laminating apparatus for the heat-setting of the 3D knitted fabric; laminating the heat-set 3D knitted fabric on the carrier device by way of the laminating apparatus. A laminating apparatus for performing the heat-setting and laminating of the 3D knitted fabric on the carrier device is provided.