Method of forming a molded nonwoven knitted material

Abstract

A nonwoven textile formed of first fibers and second fibers. The first fibers are standard polyester staple fibers and the second fibers are staple fibers of a blend of polyester material having a melt temperature below the material of the first fibers and above the mold temperature of a subsequent molding process. The nonwoven textile has a base area and a pile area extending from the base area. The pile area is the combination of first fibers and second fibers oriented generally perpendicular to the planar direction of the textile. The base area is a knitted portion of the first fibers and the second fibers. The nonwoven textile can also include a cover area being a knitted portion of the first fibers and second fibers disposed on the pile area opposite to the base area.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A nonwoven textile for use in a molding process having a mold temperature, said nonwoven textile comprising: 
 a plurality of first fibers having a first fiber melt temperature, the first melt temperature being greater than the mold temperature;    a plurality of second fibers having a second fiber melt temperature being lower than the first fiber melt temperature of said first fibers and greater than the mold temperature;    wherein a first plurality of said first fibers and said second fibers are secured together in a base area and a second plurality of said first fibers and said second fibers extend from said base area as a pile area; and    wherein said first fibers and said second fibers are bonded together into a planar textile.    
     
     
         2 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , wherein said first plurality of said first fibers and said second fibers in said base area are secured together with knitted loops of said first plurality of first fibers and second fibers.  
     
     
         3 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 2 , wherein the knitted loops of said base area have a stitch gauge of from about 12 gauge to about 30 gauge.  
     
     
         4 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 2 , wherein the knitted loops of said base area have a stitch gauge of from about 30 gauge to about 60 gauge.  
     
     
         5 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 2 , wherein the knitted loops of said base area have a stitch gauge of about 30 gauge or greater.  
     
     
         6 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , wherein said second plurality of said first fibers and said second fibers in said pile area are oriented about 45 and about 90 from the planar direction of the nonwoven textile.  
     
     
         7 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , wherein said second plurality of said first fibers and said second fibers in said pile area are oriented about perpendicular to the planar direction of the nonwoven textile.  
     
     
         8 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , wherein said first fibers comprise from about 30% to about 90% of the total weight of the nonwoven textile.  
     
     
         9 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , wherein said first fibers comprise from about 70% to about 90% of the total weight of the nonwoven textile.  
     
     
         10 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , wherein said first fibers comprise about 80% of the total weight of the nonwoven textile.  
     
     
         11 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , wherein said second fibers comprise from about 10% to about 70% of the total weight of the nonwoven textile.  
     
     
         12 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , wherein said second fibers comprise from about 10% to about 30% of the total weight of the nonwoven textile.  
     
     
         13 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , wherein said second fibers comprise about 20% of the total weight of the nonwoven textile.  
     
     
         14 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , wherein said first fibers and said second fibers are formed of the same based material.  
     
     
         15 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 14 , wherein said first fibers and said second fibers are both a polyester based material.  
     
     
         16 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 15 , wherein the second fibers are a blend of an aliphatic group and polyester.  
     
     
         17 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , wherein said first fibers are between about 1 denier per filament and about 18 denier per filament.  
     
     
         18 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , wherein said first fibers are about 6 denier per filament.  
     
     
         19 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , wherein said first fibers are about 15 denier per filament.  
     
     
         20 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , wherein said first fibers are hollow.  
     
     
         21 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , wherein said first fibers are a blend of different fibers formed from different materials.  
     
     
         22 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , wherein said second fibers are between about 1 denier per filament and about 18 denier per filament.  
     
     
         23 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , wherein said second fibers are about 3 denier per filament.  
     
     
         24 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , wherein the second fibers are a multicomponent fiber, with at least one of the components being the portion of the second fiber,having the second melt temperature.  
     
     
         25 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , wherein said second fibers are a blend of different fibers formed from different materials.  
     
     
         26 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 24 , wherein said second fibers have a core and a sheath, and wherein the component of the second fibers having the second melt temperature is the sheath.  
     
     
         27 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 1 , further including a third plurality of first fibers and second fibers being secured together as a cover area on the opposite end of the pile area from the base area.  
     
     
         28 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein said first plurality of said first fibers and said second fibers in said base area are secured together with knitted loops of said first plurality of first fibers and second fibers.  
     
     
         29 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 28 , wherein the knitted loops of said base area have a stitch gauge of from about 12 gauge to about 30 gauge.  
     
     
         30 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 28 , wherein the knitted loops of said base area have a stitch gauge of about 30 gauge or greater.  
     
     
         31 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 28 , wherein the knitted loops of said base area have a stitch gauge of from about 30 gauge to about 60 gauge.  
     
     
         32 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein said third plurality of said first fibers and said second fibers in said cover area are secured together with knitted loops of said third plurality of first fibers and second fibers.  
     
     
         33 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 32 , wherein the knitted loops of said base area have a stitch gauge of from about 12 gauge to about 30 gauge.  
     
     
         34 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 32 , wherein the knitted loops of said base area have a stitch gauge of about 30 gauge or greater.  
     
     
         35 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 32 , wherein the knitted loops of said base area have a stitch gauge of from about 30 gauge to about 60 gauge.  
     
     
         36 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein said second plurality of said first fibers and said second fibers in said pile area are oriented about 45 and about 90 from the planar direction of the nonwoven textile.  
     
     
         37 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein said second plurality of said first fibers and said second fibers in said pile area are oriented about perpendicular to the planar direction of the nonwoven textile.  
     
     
         38 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein said first fibers comprise from about 30% to about 90% of the total weight of the nonwoven textile.  
     
     
         39 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein said first fibers comprise from about 70% to about 90% of the total weight of the nonwoven textile.  
     
     
         40 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein said first fibers comprise about 80% of the total weight of the nonwoven textile.  
     
     
         41 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein said second fibers comprise from about 10% to about 70% of the total weight of the nonwoven textile.  
     
     
         42 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein said second fibers comprise from about 10% to about 30% of the total weight of the nonwoven textile.  
     
     
         43 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein said second fibers comprise about 20% of the total weight of the nonwoven textile.  
     
     
         44 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein said first fibers and said second fibers are formed of the same based material.  
     
     
         45 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 44 , wherein said first fibers and said second fibers are both a polyester based material.  
     
     
         46 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 45 , wherein the second fibers are a blend of an aliphatic group and polyester.  
     
     
         47 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein said first fibers are between about 1 denier per filament and about 18 denier per filament.  
     
     
         48 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein said first fibers are about 6 denier per filament.  
     
     
         49 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein said first fibers are about 15 denier per filament.  
     
     
         50 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein said first fibers are hollow.  
     
     
         51 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein said first fibers are a blend of different fibers formed from different materials.  
     
     
         52 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein said second fibers are between about 1 denier per filament and about 18 denier per filament.  
     
     
         53 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein said second fibers are about 3 denier per filament.  
     
     
         54 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein the second fibers are a multicomponent fiber, with at least one of the components being the portion of the second fiber having the second melt temperature.  
     
     
         55 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 54 , wherein said second fibers have a core and a sheath, and wherein the component of the second fibers having the second melt temperature is the sheath.  
     
     
         56 . The nonwoven textile according to  claim 27 , wherein said second fibers are a blend of different fibers formed from different materials.