Engineered woven fabric and article of clothing including the woven fabric

Abstract

Examples of an article of clothing including an engineered woven fabric are described. The article of clothing includes a single-layer woven portion and a double-layer woven portion seamlessly joined with the single-layer woven portion to form a pocket. The pocket includes closed side edges seamlessly joined with the single-layer woven portion and an opening. The single-layer woven portion is engineered with a first stretching modulus zone with a first level of stretchability and a second stretching modulus zone with a second level of stretchability, such that the first level of stretchability is greater than the second level of stretchability. The second stretching modulus zone is located around the closed edges of the pocket to provide support around the pocket.

1 . An article of clothing including an engineered woven fabric comprising:
 a single-layer woven portion having at least one warp yarn and at least one weft yarn, the single-layer woven portion engineered with a first stretching modulus zone with a first level of stretchability and a second stretching modulus zone with a second level of stretchability, the first level of stretchability being greater than the second level of stretchability; and   a double-layer woven portion seamlessly joined with the single layer woven portion having two independent woven layers each having at least one warp yarn and at least one weft yarn, the double-layer woven portion forming a pocket with closed edges seamlessly joined with the single-layer woven portion and an opening;   wherein the single-layer woven portion is engineered such that the second stretching modulus zone is disposed around the closed edges of the pocket to provide support around the pocket.   
     
     
         2 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the second stretching modulus zone is a no-stretch zone, a reverse twill weave, or a plain weave. 
     
     
         3 - 4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the first stretching modulus zone comprises an elastane yarn, wherein the elastane yarn is added in the warp direction and/or the weft direction of the first stretching modulus zone. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the first stretching modulus zone is a ripstop weave. 
     
     
         8 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the single-layer woven portion comprises at least one additional stretching modulus zone with a level of stretchability different from the first and the second level of stretchability. 
     
     
         9 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the single-layer woven portion comprises two or more warp yarns and two or more weft yarns, and/or wherein the double-layer woven portion comprises two or more warp yarns and two or more weft yarns. 
     
     
         10 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the double-layer woven portion is engineered with a third stretching modulus zone with a third level of stretchability and a fourth stretching module zone with a fourth level of stretchability, the third level of stretchability being greater than the fourth level of stretchability. 
     
     
         11 . The article of clothing of  claim 10 , wherein the fourth stretching modulus zone is a no-stretch modulus zone. 
     
     
         12 . The article of clothing of  claim 10 , wherein the third stretching modulus zone comprises an elastane yarn, wherein the elastane yarn is added in the warp direction and/or the weft direction of the third stretching modulus zone. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , further comprising a gradient in the level of stretchability of the single-layer woven portion that increases in stretchability as a distance from the opening of the pocket increases. 
     
     
         15 . The article of clothing of  claim 14 , wherein the second stretching modulus zone is a no-stretch zone disposed adjacent to the opening of the pocket;
 wherein the first stretching modulus zone is located a distance away from the opening of the pocket; and   wherein the gradient in the level of stretchability increases from the second level of stretchability in the second stretching modulus zone to the first level of stretchability in the first stretching modulus zone.   
     
     
         16 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein one woven layer of the two independent woven layers forming the double-layer woven portion has a level of stretchability that is greater than the other woven layer. 
     
     
         19 . An article of clothing including an engineered woven fabric comprising:
 a pocket formed in the engineered woven fabric, the pocket comprising a plurality of closed edges disposed around an outer perimeter of the pocket and a free edge that provides an opening into a cavity of the pocket;   a surrounding portion of the engineered woven fabric surrounding at least two closed edges of the plurality of closed edges around the outer perimeter of the pocket; and   at least one additional portion of the engineered woven fabric surrounding the surrounding portion;   wherein the at least one additional portion of the engineered woven fabric includes a first stretching modulus zone having a first level of stretchability;   wherein the surrounding portion includes a second stretching modulus zone having a second level of stretchability, the second level of stretchability being less than the first level of stretchability to provide support around the pocket.   
     
     
         20 . The article of clothing of  claim 19 , wherein the surrounding portion comprises a single-layer woven portion having at least one warp yarn and at least one weft yarn; and
 wherein the pocket comprises a double-layer woven portion having two independent woven layers each having at least one warp yarn and at least one weft yarn, the double-layer woven portion of the pocket being seamlessly joined with the single layer woven portion of the surrounding portion along each of the closed edges.   
     
     
         21 . The article of clothing of  claim 20 , wherein one woven layer of the two independent woven layers is detached from the other woven layer to form the free edge. 
     
     
         22 . The article of clothing of  claim 20 , wherein one woven layer of the two independent woven layers has a level of stretchability that is greater than the other woven layer. 
     
     
         23 . The article of clothing of  claim 22 , wherein the one woven layer of the two independent woven layers having the greater level of stretchability comprises one quarter of a total number of yarns forming the engineered woven fabric and the other woven layer comprises three quarters of the total number of yarns forming the engineered woven fabric. 
     
     
         24 . The article of clothing of  claim 19 , wherein the first stretching modulus zone is associated with a first weave pattern and the second stretching modulus zone is associated with a second weave pattern that is different from the first weave pattern. 
     
     
         25 . The article of clothing of  claim 19 , wherein the engineered woven fabric has a gradient in the level of stretchability that increases in stretchability as a distance from the opening of the pocket increases. 
     
     
         26 . A method of forming an article of clothing including an engineered woven fabric having a seamless pocket, the method comprising:
 weaving an engineered woven fabric comprising: (1) a single-layer woven portion having at least one warp yarn and at least one weft yarn, and (2) a double-layer woven portion having two independent woven layers each having at least one warp yarn and at least one weft yarn, wherein the double-layer woven portion is seamlessly joined with the single layer woven portion during the weaving process;   wherein weaving the single-layer woven portion further comprises:
 weaving a first stretching modulus zone in a first portion of the engineered woven fabric with a first level of stretchability; and 
 weaving a second stretching modulus zone in a second portion of the engineered woven fabric with a second level of stretchability, the first level of stretchability being greater than the second level of stretchability; 
   wherein weaving the double-layer woven portion further comprises forming a pocket in the engineered woven fabric with closed edges extending around an outer perimeter of the pocket, the closed edges being seamlessly joined with the single-layer woven portion; and   cutting one woven layer of the two independent woven layers along one edge of the closed edges extending around the outer perimeter of the pocket to detach the one woven layer and form a free edge, wherein the free edge provides an opening into a cavity formed between the two independent woven layers of the pocket.