Woven fabric structure

Abstract

The present invention relates to a woven fabric structure including at least one array of warp yarns interwoven with at east one array of substantially orthogonally extending weft yarns, wherein each end of a warp yarn is extended beyond the last weft to form either a binder or a seam loop which can be interdigitated with similar seam loops of the opposing fabric end and joined by at least one pintle wire passed through a tunnel formed by the interdigitated seam loops. The inventive woven fabric structure is characterized in that the seam loops and the binders of the warp yarns possess a ratio above 1:1 and below 4:1.

1 . A woven fabric structure comprising: 
 at least one array of a plurality of weft yarns; and    at least one array of a plurality of warp yarns interwoven with and extending substantially orthogonally to said at least one array of said plurality of weft yarns, said plurality of warp yarns including at least one binder and a first plurality of seam loops, each of said plurality of warp yarns having at least one end extending beyond a last said weft yarn, said at least one end comprising one of said binder and said seam loop, each said binder and each said seam loop being configured for interdigitating with a similar second plurality of seam loops of an opposing fabric end and for joining by at least one pintle wire passed through a tunnel defined by interdigitated said first and second pluralities of seam loops, said first plurality of seam loops and said at least one binder defining a ratio of said first plurality of seam loops to said at least one binder, said ratio being above 1:1 and below 4:1.    
   
   
       2 . The woven fabric structure according to  claim 1 , wherein said ratio is one of 3:1, 2:1, and 3:2.  
   
   
       3 . The woven fabric structure according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of warp yarns for said first plurality of seam loops is one of a flat and a profiled yarn with overall dimensions between 0.25 and 1.0 mm in height and between 0.5 and 2.0 mm in width.  
   
   
       4 . The woven fabric structure according to  claim 3 , wherein each of said plurality of warp yarns comprises one of a rectangular-shaped cross-section and a profile-shaped cross-section.  
   
   
       5 . The woven fabric structure according to  claim 3 , wherein each of said plurality of warp yarns has a cross-sectional area between 0.125 and 2.0 mm 2 .  
   
   
       6 . The woven fabric structure according to  claim 3 , wherein each of said plurality of warp yarns and each of said plurality of weft yarns has one of a same, a similar, and a different shape relative to one another and one of a same, a similar, and a different cross-sectional area relative to one another.  
   
   
       7 . The woven fabric structure according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of warp yarns for said first plurality of seam loops is a round yarn with a diameter between 0.25 and 1.0 mm.  
   
   
       8 . The woven fabric structure according to  claim 7 , wherein each of said plurality of warp yarns comprises a circular-shaped cross-section.  
   
   
       9 . The woven fabric structure according to  claim 7 , wherein each of said plurality of warp yarns has a cross-sectional area between 0.05 and 0.79 mm 2  for said round yarns.  
   
   
       10 . A papermachine clothing comprising: 
 a first and second woven fabric each comprising: 
 at least one array of a plurality of weft yarns;  
 at least one array of a plurality of warp yarns interwoven with and extending substantially orthogonally to said at least one array of said plurality of weft yarns, said plurality of warp yarns including at least one binder and a first plurality of seam loops, each of said plurality of warp yarns having at least one end extending beyond a last said weft yarn, said at least one end comprising one of said binder and said seam loop, each said binder and each said seam loop being configured for interdigitating with a similar second plurality of seam loops of an opposing fabric end and for joining by at least one pintle wire passed through a tunnel defined by interdigitated said first and second pluralities of seam loops, said first plurality of seam loops and said at least one binder defining a ratio of said first plurality of seam loops to said at least one binder, said ratio being above 1:1 and below 4:1; and  
   wherein said first and said second woven fabrics include a seam therebetween, said seam comprising an interdigitation of at least one of said binder and said seam loop of said first and second woven fabrics and a pintle wire through a tunnel defined by interdigitated said pluralities of seam loops of said first and second woven fabrics.