Woven-body floating island

Abstract

A floating island and its method of manufacture, said floating island comprising: warp strands; and weft strands, said weft strands being woven with said warp strands to produce a single-layer woven body having inter-strand spaces; wherein each of said strands is a first strand that is comprised of a plurality of nonwoven polymer fibers that are packed into a rectilinear or a curvilinear cross section, a second strand that is comprised of a closed-cell polymer foam that contains closed-cell pores, a third strand that is comprised of an open-cell polymer foam that to contains open-cell pores, a fourth strand that is comprised of a bi-cellular polyester foam that contains both closed-cell pores and open-cell pores, a polymer foam strand that is comprised of a closed-cell thermosetting foam comprising a polymer fiber additive, or a polymer foam strand having closed-cell pores and comprising protruding fingers.

1 . A floating island comprising:
 a plurality of warp strands, each warp strand having a warp strand diameter; and   a plurality of weft strands, each weft strand having a weft strand diameter, said plurality of weft strands being woven with said plurality of warp strands to produce a single-layer woven body having inter-strand spaces;   wherein each of said pluralities of strands is selected from a group consisting of:
 a plurality of first strands, each of which first strands being comprised of a plurality of nonwoven polymer fibers that are packed into a rectilinear cross section or a curvilinear cross section, 
 a plurality of second strands, each of which second strands being comprised of a closed-cell polymer foam that contains closed-cell pore spaces, 
 a plurality of third strands, each of which third strands being comprised of an open-cell polymer foam that contains open-cell pore spaces, 
 a plurality of fourth strands, each of which fourth strands being comprised of a bi-cellular polyester foam that contains both closed-cell pore spaces and open-cell pore spaces, 
 a plurality of first extruded polymer foam strands, each of which first extruded polymer foam strands being comprised of a closed-cell thermosetting foam having a polymer fiber additive, and 
 a plurality of second extruded polymer foam strands, each of which second extruded polymer foam strands having closed-cell pore spaces and comprising protruding fingers. 
   
     
     
         2 . The floating island of  claim 1  wherein said warp strand diameter differs from and said weft strand diameter. 
     
     
         3 . The floating island of  claim 1  wherein said warp strands is a single type and said weft strands are a different single type. 
     
     
         4 . A floating island comprising:
 a plurality of warp strands; and   a plurality of weft strand that are woven with said plurality of warp strands to produce a single-layer woven body having inter-strand spaces;   wherein each of said pluralities of strands is comprised of a plurality of individual strands, each of which individual strands being comprised of a plurality of nonwoven polymer fibers that are packed into a rectilinear cross section or a curvilinear cross section.   
     
     
         5 . The floating island of  claim 4  wherein said nonwoven polymer fibers are extruded thermoplastic fibers. 
     
     
         6 . The floating island of  claim 5  wherein said extruded thermoplastic fibers are extruded polyethylene fibers, extruded polypropylene fibers extruded polyester fibers. 
     
     
         7 . A floating island comprising:
 a plurality of warp strands; and   a plurality of weft strands that are woven with said plurality of warp strands to produce a single-layer woven body having inter-strand spaces;   wherein each of said pluralities of strands is comprised of a plurality of individual strands, each of which individual strands comprising a closed-cell polymer foam that contains closed-cell pore spaces.   
     
     
         8 . The floating island of  claim 7  wherein said closed-cell polymer foam is a polyethylene foam, a polypropylene foam or a ethylene propylene diene monomer foam. 
     
     
         9 . A floating island comprising:
 a plurality of warp strands; and   a plurality of weft strands that are woven with said plurality of warp strands to produce a single-layer woven body having inter-strand spaces;   wherein each of said pluralities of strands is comprised of a plurality of individual strands, each of which individual strands comprising a bi-cellular polyester foam that contains both closed-cell pore spaces and open-cell pore spaces.   
     
     
         10 . A floating island comprising:
 a plurality of warp strands; and   a plurality of weft strands that are woven with said plurality of warp strands to produce a single-layer woven body having inter-strand spaces;   wherein each of said pluralities of strands is comprised of a plurality of individual strands, each individual strand comprising a closed-cell thermosetting foam having a polymer fiber additive.   
     
     
         11 . The floating island of  claim 10  wherein said polymer fiber additive is a plurality of polyester fibers. 
     
     
         12 . A floating island comprising:
 a plurality of warp strands; and   a plurality of weft strands that are woven with said plurality of warp strands to produce a single-layer woven body having inter-strand spaces;   wherein each of said pluralities of strands comprises extruded polymer foam strands having closed-cell pore spaces and comprising protruding fingers.   
     
     
         13 . A composite floating island comprising:
 a plurality of the floating islands of  claim 1 , stacked vertically one upon the other.   
     
     
         14 . The floating island of  claim 1  wherein said warp strand diameter is within the range from about ⅛ inch to about one foot. 
     
     
         15 . The floating island of  claim 1  wherein said weft strand diameter is within the range from about ⅛ inch to about one foot. 
     
     
         16 . A method of manufacturing floating island, said method comprising:
 selecting a plurality of warp strands;   selecting a plurality of weft strands; and   weaving said plurality of weft strands with said plurality of warp strands to produce a single-layer woven body having inter-strand spaces;   wherein each of said pluralities of strands is selected from a group consisting of:
 a plurality of first strands, each of which first strands being comprised of a plurality of nonwoven polymer fibers that are packed into a rectilinear cross section or a curvilinear cross section, 
 a plurality of second strands, each of which second strands being comprised of a closed-cell polymer foam that contains closed-cell pore spaces, 
 a plurality of third strands, each of which third strands being comprised of an open-cell polymer foam that contains open-cell pore spaces, 
 a plurality of fourth strands, each of which fourth strands being comprised of a bi-cellular polyester foam that contains both closed-cell pore spaces and open-cell pore spaces, 
 a plurality of first extruded polymer foam strands, each of which first extruded polymer foam strands being comprised of a closed-cell thermosetting foam having a polymer fiber additive, and 
 a plurality of second extruded polymer foam strands, each of which second extruded polymer foam strands having closed-cell pore spaces and comprising protruding fingers. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the same strand is selected in each of said selecting steps. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein each of said pluralities of strands is comprised of a plurality of individual strands, each of which individual strands being comprised of a plurality of nonwoven polymer fibers that are packed into a rectilinear cross section or a curvilinear cross section. 
     
     
         19 . The method  claim 16  wherein each of said pluralities of strands is comprised of a plurality of individual strands, each of which individual strands comprising a closed-cell polymer foam that contains closed-cell pore spaces. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein each of said pluralities of strands is comprised of a plurality of individual strands, each of which individual strands comprising a bi-cellular polyester foam that contains both closed-cell pore spaces and open-cell pore spaces. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16  wherein each of said pluralities of strands is comprised of a plurality of individual strands, each individual strand comprising a closed-cell thermosetting foam having a polymer fiber additive. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16  wherein each of said pluralities of strands comprises extruded polymer foam strands having closed-cell pore spaces and comprising protruding fingers.