Belt-shaped woven structure and method of producing the same

Abstract

A belt-shaped woven structure formed by weaving a non-heat fusible synthetic fiber and a heat fusible synthetic fiber containing in a surface portion thereof a heat fusible component having a softening point lower by 30° C. or more than that of the non-heat fusible synthetic fiber. The heat fusible synthetic fiber is used in at least a part of weft threads forming the woven structure, so that a heat treatment on the woven structure at a temperature higher than the softening point of the heat fusible component fusion bonds the heat fusible synthetic fibers to each other or the heat fusible synthetic fiber and the non-heat fusible fiber. A method of efficiently producing the belt-shaped woven structure such as a seatbelt webbing which is capable of maintaining long-lasting lateral rigidity after repeated use, less prone to twisting, flexible and easy to handle.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
   
   
       12 . A belt-shaped woven structure formed by weaving a non-heat fusible synthetic fiber and a heat fusible synthetic fiber containing in a surface portion thereof a heat fusible component having a softening point lower by 30° C. or more than that of the non-heat fusible synthetic fiber, the woven structure having the heat fusible synthetic fiber in at least a part of weft threads thereof, so that a heat treatment on the woven structure at a temperature higher than the softening point of the heat fusible component fusion bonds the heat fusible synthetic fibers to each other or the heat fusible synthetic fiber and the non-heat fusible fiber. 
   
   
       13 . A belt-shaped woven structure as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the heat fusible component in the heat fusible synthetic fiber is present in a proportion of not less than 5% by weight with respect to a whole amount of the weft threads of the woven structure. 
   
   
       14 . A belt-shaped woven structure as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein not less than 15% of the heat fusible component is exposed on the surface of the heat fusible synthetic fiber. 
   
   
       15 . A belt-shaped woven structure as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein not less than 15% of the heat fusible component is exposed on the surface of the heat fusible synthetic fiber. 
   
   
       16 . A belt-shaped woven structure as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the weft threads of the woven structure comprise a polyester multifilament having a fineness of 500 to 3000 dtex and include a heat fusible component having a softening point of 120 to 220° C. 
   
   
       17 . A belt-shaped woven structure as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the weft threads of the woven structure comprise a polyester multifilament having a fineness of 500 to 3000 dtex and include a heat fusible component having a softening point of 120 to 220° C. 
   
   
       18 . A belt-shaped woven structure as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the heat fusible synthetic fiber is a core-sheath type polyester multifilament comprising a copolyester mainly containing polyethylene terephthalate as a sheath component and a homopolyester as a core component, and the non-heat fusible synthetic fiber is a homopolyester multifilament. 
   
   
       19 . A belt-shaped woven structure as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the heat fusible synthetic fiber is a core-sheath type polyester multifilament comprising a copolyester mainly containing polyethylene terephthalate as a sheath component and a homopolyester as a core component, and the non-heat fusible synthetic fiber is a homopolyester multifilament. 
   
   
       20 . A belt-shaped woven structure as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the heat fusible synthetic fiber is a polyester multifilament comprising a polyethylene terephthalate copolymer which is copolymerized with a tertiary component and having a softening point of not greater than 200° C. and a boiling water shrinkage factor (BWS) of 10 to 40%. 
   
   
       21 . A belt-shaped woven structure as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the heat fusible synthetic fiber is a polyester multifilament comprising a polyethylene terephthalate copolymer which is copolymerized with a tertiary component and having a softening point of not greater than 200° C. and a boiling water shrinkage factor (BWS) of 10 to 40%. 
   
   
       22 . A belt-shaped woven structure as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the heat fusible synthetic fiber is a polyester multifilament comprising a polyethylene terephthalate copolymer which is copolymerized with a tertiary component and having a softening point of not greater than 200° C. and a dry heat shrinkage stress of 0.1 to 1.0 cN/dtex. 
   
   
       23 . A belt-shaped woven structure as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the heat fusible synthetic fiber is a polyester multifilament comprising a polyethylene terephthalate copolymer which is copolymerized with a tertiary component and having a softening point of not greater than 200° C. and a dry heat shrinkage stress of 0.1 to 1.0 cN/dtex. 
   
   
       24 . A belt-shaped woven structure as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the heat fusible synthetic fiber is a polyester multifilament comprising a polyethylene terephthalate copolymer which is copolymerized with a tertiary component and having a softening point of not greater than 200° C. and a dry heat shrinkage factor at 180° C. of not less than 15%. 
   
   
       25 . A belt-shaped woven structure as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the heat fusible synthetic fiber is a polyester multifilament comprising a polyethylene terephthalate copolymer which is copolymerized with a tertiary component and having a softening point of not greater than 200° C. and a dry heat shrinkage factor at 180° C. of not less than 15%. 
   
   
       26 . A belt-shaped woven structure as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the woven structure is woven by means of a needle loom. 
   
   
       27 . A belt-shaped woven structure as set forth in  claim 13  wherein the woven structure is woven by means of a needle loom. 
   
   
       28 . A method of producing a belt-shaped woven structure according to  claim 24 , wherein a polyester multifilament having a fineness of 250 to 1500 dtex is interwoven as a heat fusible synthetic fiber in at least a part of weft threads of the woven structure by means of a needle loom. 
   
   
       29 . A method of producing a belt-shaped woven structure according to  claim 25 , wherein a polyester multifilament having a fineness of 250 to 1500 dtex is interwoven as a heat fusible synthetic fiber in at least a part of weft threads of the woven structure by means of a needle loom. 
   
   
       30 . A method of producing a belt-shaped woven structure as set forth in  claim 28 , wherein the heat fusible synthetic fiber has a monofilament fineness of 3 to 25 dtex. 
   
   
       31 . A method of producing a belt-shaped woven structure as set forth in  claim 29 , wherein the heat fusible synthetic fiber has a monofilament fineness of 3 to 25 dtex.