Abrasion resistant material and manufacturing method

Abstract

An abrasion-resistant material includes a first layer including a first textile material and a second layer including a second textile material. The second layer is arranged on the first layer, wherein the first layer and the second layer are at least partially heat bonded to each other. The first textile material exhibits a first shrinkability and the second textile material exhibits a second shrinkability, wherein the first shrinkability is greater than the second shrinkability, when at least partially heat bonding the first layer and the second layer.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an abrasion-resistant material, the method comprising: providing a first layer comprising a first textile material; providing a second layer comprising a second textile material; arranging the second layer on the first layer; and heat bonding the first layer and the second layer at least partially to each other such that the heat bonding activates a first shrinkability of the first textile material and a second shrinkability of the second textile material, wherein the heat bonding causes shrinking of the first layer or the second layer; wherein the first textile material exhibits the first shrinkability during the heat bonding and the second textile material exhibits the second shrinkability during the heat bonding, wherein the first shrinkability is greater than the second shrinkability, when at least partially heat bonding the first layer and the second layer, and wherein at least one selected from a group consisting of the first material and the second material is a woven fabric; and wherein the second layer is formed as a mesh having a mesh size, wherein the mesh is arranged in a lattice structure defining openings that are larger than the mesh size.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat bonding comprises: applying a pressure of up to 1 bar at a temperature between 100 to 200 C. for a time duration of at least 10 seconds.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat bonding comprises: applying a pressure of 0.5 to 0.7 bar at a temperature between 150 to 180 C. for a time duration of 20 to 40 seconds.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: inserting a non-stick protective foil between the first layer or the second layer and a heat press.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: removing the abrasion-resistant material from a heat press within a period shorter than 10% of the time duration of the heat bonding, after the time duration of the heat bonding expired.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat bonding causes a shrinking of the first layer and the second layer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat bonding causes a first change of surface area of the first layer and a second change of surface area of the second layer, and wherein an absolute value of the first change of surface area is greater than an absolute value of the second change of surface area.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first textile material exhibits a first stretchability and the second textile material exhibits a second stretchability; wherein the first stretchability is greater than the second stretchability.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first material is a fabric of a thermoplastic yarn and the second material is a fabric of a yarn that includes polyester and a thermoplastic other than polyester.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein either the first material or the second material is knitted fabric.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising constructing an article of footwear comprising the heat bonded first layer and second layer, wherein the second layer is arranged externally to the first layer, and the first layer is exposed through the openings of the lattice structure of the second layer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein: the heat bonding is performed on a first region wherein the first layer and second layer overlap and on a second region wherein the first layer and the second layer overlap; and wherein the head bonding comprises applying a different temperature or duration of heat to the first region than to the second region.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein: the heat bonding is performed on a first region wherein the first layer and second layer overlap and on a second region wherein the first layer and the second layer overlap; and wherein the first layer comprises the first material in the first region and in the second region the first layer is constructed of a different material that does not exhibit the first shrinkability.

14. A method of manufacturing an abrasion-resistant material, the method comprising: providing a first layer comprising a first textile material; providing a second layer comprising a second textile material; arranging the second layer on the first layer; and heat bonding the first layer and the second layer at least partially to each other such that the heat bonding activates a first shrinkability of the first textile material and a second shrinkability of the second textile material, wherein the heat bonding causes shrinking of the first layer or the second layer; wherein the first textile material exhibits the first shrinkability during the heat bonding and the second textile material exhibits the second shrinkability during the heat bonding, wherein the first shrinkability is greater than the second shrinkability, when at least partially heat bonding the first layer and the second layer, and wherein at least one selected from a group consisting of the first material and the second material is a knitted fabric; and wherein the second layer is formed as a mesh having a mesh size, wherein the mesh is arranged in a lattice structure defining openings that are larger than the mesh size.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein either the first material or the second material is woven fabric.

Description

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) Aspects of the present invention are descried in more detail in the following by reference to the accompanying figures.

(2) FIG. 1a shows an illustration of a second layer arranged on a first layer prior to heat bonding.

(3) FIG. 1b shows two embodiments illustrating the first and second layer heat bonded to each other.

(4) FIG. 2 shows another embodiment illustrating a different first and second layer heat bonded to each other.

(5) FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment illustrating an abrasion resistant material in direct comparison to a known standard material.

(6) FIG. 4 shows an illustration of an upper of a shoe including a further embodiment of the present invention attached to the upper of the shoe.

(7) FIG. 5 shows an illustration of a shoe including an abrasion resistant material according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(8) In the following, exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail with reference to an abrasion resistant material. While specific feature combinations are described in the following with respect to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to such embodiments. In particular, not all features have to be present for realizing the invention, and the embodiments may be modified by combining certain features of one embodiment with one or more features of another embodiment.

(9) FIG. 1a depicts two layers 110, 120 of textile material arranged loosely on top of each other prior to heat bonding. The first layer 110 at the bottom includes a first textile material and may be composed of a uniform net of meshes 113, which is also depicted in an enlarged illustration on the right side of FIG. 1a. The textile material of the first layer 110 may be a thermoplastic material, in particular a thermoplastic polyurethane, TPU. The second layer 120 on top includes a second textile material and may be composed of openings 123 larger than an average mesh size (not shown) of this layer or the mesh size 113 of the first layer 110. The textile material of the second layer 120 may be a polyester core with a thermoplastic coating. In some embodiments, the thermoplastic coating may include a thermoplastic material different to the thermoplastic material of the first layer 110. In another embodiment, the thermoplastic coating may be a TPU.

(10) The first textile material may exhibit a larger stretchability than the second textile material. One way of characterizing the stretchability of a textile material is to pull apart a stripe having a predefined dimension of textile material from both ends, using a force that is smaller than a force needed to tear the textile material. By characterizing two different textile materials having identical predefined dimensions and applying the same force, a comparison of the resulting length of the textile materials enables to determine which lengthens more and thus is defined to have a larger stretchability.

(11) The first textile material may exhibit a larger shrinkability than the second textile material, when heat bonding both layers 110, 120 at least partially. One way of characterizing the shrinkability of a textile material is to determine the change in surface area of the textile material during an application of heat. By starting with two different textile materials having the same size of surface area and applying the same temperature and pressure to both textile materials for the same amount of time, the one with a smaller resulting surface area is defined to have a larger shrinkability.

(12) In some embodiments, the aspect of the larger shrinkability of the first textile material compared to the second textile material may lead to a strong bonding between both layers 110, 120 when heat bonded at least partially to each other. It may be noted that the shrinkability of the second layer 120 may also be zero. Furthermore, if the methods are performed in accordance with the present invention, the resulting material may provide a versatile abrasion resistant material that is flexible and can be easily shaped.

(13) FIG. 1b depicts an illustration of the first 111 and second 121 layer shown in FIG. 1a after heat bonding. The heat bonding may include applying a pressure up to 1 bar at a temperature of 100 C. to 200 C. for a time duration of at least 10 seconds. During the heat bonding of both layers 111, 121, the second textile material may melt at least partly, which may lead to a puffed or swollen appearance of the second textile material as depicted in FIG. 1b. Additionally or alternatively, the first textile material may shrink during the heat bonding. These two aspects, partly melting of the second textile material and shrinking of the first textile material may create a strong bond between both layers 111, 121 and may form the abrasion resistant material 100 of the present invention.

(14) By varying the parameters of the heat bonding, namely temperature, pressure and time, different effects and looks may be achieved. For example, an increase in temperature may lead to a higher degree of melting of the second textile material resulting in a more puffed or swollen look and a stronger degree of abrasion resistance. Similar effects may be possible by an increase of time duration. In some embodiments the heat bonding may be applied to an entire arrangement of two layers 111, 121 as depicted in FIG. 1b, wherein the above-mentioned effects may be achieved homogeneously on the entire arrangement. The openings 122 of the second layer 121 may still be larger than the average mesh size of the second layer 121 after heat bonding in some embodiments.

(15) In another embodiment, heat bonding using different parameters may be applied to various regions of an arrangement of the two layers 211, 221, wherein the above-mentioned effects may thus appear differently at the various regions. For example, FIG. 2 depicts an embodiment that includes two regions 230, 240. A first region 240 in a central part of the arrangement and a second region 230 around the central part. Using a higher temperature and/or a longer duration of the heat bonding applied to the first region 240 when compared to the second region 230, may result in a higher abrasion resistance and a more puffed or swollen appearance of the second textile material. Various embodiments may include a different number of regions arranged differently than depicted in FIG. 2. The openings 224 of the first region 240 of the second layer 221 may have a different size and shape than the openings 222 of the second region 230 of the second layer 221. In some embodiments the transition between various regions 230, 240 may be abrupt, wherein in other embodiments the transition may be gradually or smooth. This enables not only to vary the intended amount of abrasion resistance for different parts of e.g. a shoe or sports apparel, but also provides a method to create different looks and appearances of e.g. a shoe or sports apparel having the abrasion resistant material 200.

(16) FIG. 3 depicts another embodiment that includes a third region 301 and a fourth region 350, wherein the transition between both regions is abrupt. The third region 301 includes the abrasion resistant material 300 with a puffed or swollen appearance and openings 322 in the second layer 321. The openings 322 may enable a translucent effect in which parts of the first layer 311 are visible and therefore may provide a method to create different designs and looks using various colors to manufacture the abrasion resistant material 300. The fourth region 350 includes a second layer 352, which is identical to the second layer 321 of the third region 301. However, the first layer 351 of the fourth region 350 may be manufactured from a standard material not exhibiting the first shrinkability. Therefore, heat bonding such a first layer 351 of a standard material and the second layer 352 of the present invention may not provide a material with a high abrasion resistance as depicted in the fourth region 350 of FIG. 3 with a non-puffed or non-swollen appearance.

(17) FIG. 4 depicts an embodiment of abrasion resistant material attached to a medial or lateral side of an upper 450 of a shoe. This may enable to provide a shoe, in particular a sports shoe, having a higher durability and thus lasting longer by using patches of the abrasion resistant material 400 of the present invention at areas of the shoe that are more prone to higher wear and tear. In some embodiments, the outer layer of e.g. sports equipment, apparel or shoes may also include a fusible layer, as for example the first 451 and second layer 452 of upper 450, so that the abrasion resistant material 400 may be directly attached to the outer layer using heat bonding. This may provide an attachment without the need of sewing or gluing. Similar to FIG. 3, the abrasion resistant material 400 may have openings 422 in the second layer 421, so that the first layer 411 may be visible.

(18) FIG. 5 depicts a front part of a shoe 570 having a sole 560 and the abrasion resistant material 500 attached to an upper 550 of the shoe 570. This may enable to protect regions of the shoe 570, as for example a medial and lateral forefoot region, that are exposed to a rugged usage during sports activity. It is known that for example tennis players drag their shoes frequently by sliding over the rough surface of a tennis court when trying to reach a ball. This may expose the upper 550 of a tennis shoe 570 to a high degree of abrasion, in particular when playing on a clay court. By providing such an upper 550 of a tennis shoe 570 with an abrasion resistant material 500, particularly at highly stressed regions, the overall lifetime of the shoe 570 may be prolonged. This may reduce the amount of waste and thus provide an eco-friendlier version of a shoe 570 by an attachment of the abrasion resistant material 500. In some embodiments the materials used for the production of the first yarn to manufacture the first layer 511 and the second yarn to manufacture the second layer 521 may be recycled material. The second layer 521 may comprise openings 522 which may provide an improved air permeability and ventilation through the meshes of the first layer 511 for a foot of an athlete wearing the shoe 570 comprising the abrasion resistant material 500.

(19) In addition to the high performance of the abrasion resistant material 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 of the present invention, the abrasion resistant material may also provide a great visual appeal and the possibility to create interesting patterns and designs on e.g. sports equipment, apparel or shoes 570 by using textile materials with different colors. Further, by varying the parameters of the heat bonding, different looks and structures may easily be accomplished, for example openings 122, 222, 224, 322, 422, 522 with different sizes and shapes or similar. Furthermore, the methods described herein, may provide an abrasion resistant material 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, which in contrast to the use of an ordinary TPU foil may offer a high degree of flexibility to e.g. sports equipment, apparel or shoes when covered with the abrasion resistant material 100, 200, 300, 400, 500.

(20) Some embodiments described herein relate to an abrasion-resistant material that includes a first layer including a first textile material, and a second layer including a second textile material, wherein the second layer is arranged on the first layer, wherein the first layer and the second layer are at least partially heat bonded to each other, wherein the first textile material exhibits a first shrinkability and the second textile material exhibits a second shrinkability, and wherein the first shrinkability is greater than the second shrinkability when at least partially heat bonding the first layer and the second layer.

(21) In any of the various embodiments described herein, at least a part of the first layer or the second layer may be woven.

(22) In any of the various embodiments described herein, the second textile material may melt at least partially during the heat bonding.

(23) In any of the various embodiments described herein, the first textile material may include a first yarn and the second textile material may include a second yarn, and the first yarn may include a first thermoplastic material. In some embodiments, the first yarn may include only the first thermoplastic material.