A shear band and a non-pneumatic tire is described which includes a ground contacting annular tread portion; a shear band, and a connecting web positioned between a hub and the shear band. The shear band is preferably comprised of a three-dimensional spacer fabric having a first and second layer connected by connecting members. The three-dimensional spacer fabric has a defined depth. The three-dimensional spacer structure further includes a plurality of cells formed between the connecting members, and wherein one or more of the cells are filled with a filler material. The filler material may be foam or a thermoplastic elastomer.

A non-pneumatic tire which includes a ground contacting annular tread portion; a shear band, and a connecting web positioned between a hub and the shear band. The shear band is preferably comprised of a three dimensional spacer fabric having a first and second layer, wherein the first and second layers have reinforcing members which are inextensible.

A shear band comprising a three-dimensional spacer structure, wherein the three-dimensional spacer structure is formed from a first and second layer of material, each layer of material having first reinforcement members which extend in a first and direction, and second reinforcement members which extend in a second direction, wherein each layer of material is connected to each other by a plurality of connecting reinforcement members which extend in a third direction, wherein the shear band further comprises a first membrane layer located radially outward of the three-dimensional spacer structure. The invention further comprises a non-pneumatic tire which includes the above described shear band.

A shaped knitted fabric (1a-1f) is provided comprising at least one first layer (10), into which a plurality of linear or flat, for example, strip-shaped, electroconductive structures (10a, 10b, 10c, 11a, 11b, 11c) made of an electroconductive yarn and linear or flat, for example strip-shaped, non-electroconductive structures (12) made of a non-electroconductive yarn are knitted such that the electroconductive structures (10a, 10b, 10c, 11a, 11b, 11c) are electrically insulated from one another, wherein each of the electroconductive structures (10a, 10b, 10c, 11a, 11b, 11c) can individually be electrically contacted and connected to an evaluation circuit (50).

Described are shoes, particularly a sports shoe, having an upper and at least one of an outer sole and a midsole connected to the upper. As examples, the outer sole is knitted in a unitary fashion with the upper. As further examples, an insert is positioned within the one-piece knitwear, wherein the insert comprises a profile that increases traction of the outer sole.

An article of footwear including a full monofilament upper is described. The full monofilament upper incorporates a knitted component including a monofilament knit element. The monofilament knit element is formed by knitting with a monofilament strand. The monofilament knit element is formed of unitary knit construction with the remaining portions of the knitted component, including peripheral portions that are knit using a natural or synthetic twisted fiber yarn. An inlaid tensile element can extend through the knitted component, including portions of the monofilament knit element. The monofilament knit element may be knitted with a monofilament strand according to a variety of knit structures. A fusible strand may be knit with the monofilament knit element. Upon heating, the fusible strand can combine and surround the monofilament strand within the monofilament knit element.

A touch-sensitive textile device that is configured to detect the occurrence of a touch, the location of a touch, and/or the force of a touch on the touch-sensitive textile device. In some embodiments, the touch-sensitive textile device includes a first set of conductive threads oriented along a first direction, and a second set of conductive threads interwoven with the first set of conductive threads and oriented along a second direction. The device may also include a sensing circuit that is operatively coupled to the first and second set of conductive threads. The sensing circuit may be configured to apply a drive signal to the first and second set of conductive threads. The sensing circuit may also be configured to detect a touch or near touch based on a variation in an electrical measurement using the first or second set of conductive threads.

A plastic fabric using a different-melting point core-sheath structure fiber comprises a top layer fabric, a support layer, and a bottom layer fabric. The top layer fabric is fabricated with a different-melting point fiber, which comprises a core-sheath structure including a core and a sheath wrapping the core. The core has a melting point higher than that of the sheath. The bottom layer fabric is disposed on one side of the top layer fabric. The support layer is disposed between the top layer fabric and the bottom layer fabric. As the core has a melting point higher than that of the sheath, the different-melting point fiber has superior dimensional stability and permanent shape memory after heat treatment for plastic shaping.

A knitted spacer fabric has two transversely spaced knitted layers and first and second spacer yarns extending transversely between and connecting the knitted layers. Both knitted layers are formed by metal braid that is arranged such that laminar electrical and thermal conduction is provided by the metal braid in both knitted layers, and the first spacer yarns are also formed by metal braid.

A textile pressure sensor for the capacitive measuring of a pressure distribution of objects of any shape, in particular body parts, on a surface is proposed, having a first structure (30a) which is conductive at least in regions and a second structure (30b) which is conductive at least in regions, wherein the first and the second structure which are conductive at least in regions are separated from each other by a dielectric intermediate element (48), and wherein conductive regions of the first structure (30a) form capacitors with opposite conductive regions of the second structure (30b). The textile pressure sensor is distinguished in that the first and/or the second structure (30a, 30b) which is conductive at least in regions is designed as a knitted fabric.