Apparel And Other Products Incorporating A Thermoplastic Polymer Material

Abstract

A yarn or thread may include a plurality of substantially aligned filaments, with at least ninety-five percent of a material of the filaments being a thermoplastic polymer material. Various woven textiles and knitted textiles may be formed from the yarn or thread. The woven textiles or knitted textiles may be thermal bonded to other elements to form seams. A strand that is at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material may extend through the seam, and the strand may be thermal bonded at the seam. The woven textiles or knitted textiles may be shaped or molded, incorporated into products, and recycled to form other products.

1 . An article of apparel comprising a plurality of textile elements joined to each other at seams to form a structure for receiving a part of a wearer, the textile elements including strands that have a plurality of substantially aligned filaments formed from a thermoplastic polymer material. 
     
     
         2 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein the textile elements are thermal bonded to each other at the seams. 
     
     
         3 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein the seams include a joining strand that stitches the textile elements to each other, the joining strand including a thermoplastic polymer material. 
     
     
         4 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 3 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer material of the filaments and the thermoplastic polymer material of the joining strand are thermoplastic polyurethane materials. 
     
     
         5 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 3 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer material of the filaments has a higher melting temperature than the thermoplastic polymer material of the joining strand. 
     
     
         6 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 3 , wherein the joining strand is thermal bonded to the textile elements at the seams. 
     
     
         7 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein the seams include a thread that stitches the textile elements to each other, the thread including a plurality of substantially aligned filaments, at least ninety-five percent of a material of the filaments being a thermoplastic polymer material. 
     
     
         8 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the textile elements has a fused region and an unfused region, the filaments being thermal bonded to each other in the fused region, and the filaments being unbonded to each other in the unfused region. 
     
     
         9 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the textile elements has (a) an unfused region where the filaments are present and (b) a fused region where the thermoplastic polymer material of the filaments are melted and thermal bonded to form a non-filamentous area. 
     
     
         10 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein the apparel has a configuration of footwear with an upper and a sole structure secured to each other, the upper being at least partially formed from the textile elements. 
     
     
         11 . An article of apparel comprising:
 a pair of textile elements at least partially formed from a first thermoplastic polyurethane material; and   a seam where a strand joins the textile elements to each other, the strand being at least partially formed from a second thermoplastic polyurethane material,   
       the textile elements being thermal bonded to each other at the seam with the first thermoplastic polyurethane material, and the strand being thermal bonded to the textile elements at the seam with the second thermoplastic polyurethane material. 
     
     
         12 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 11 , wherein a melting temperature of the first polyurethane material is higher than a melting temperature of the second thermoplastic polyurethane material. 
     
     
         13 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 12 , wherein a glass-transition temperature of the first polyurethane material is higher than a glass-transition temperature of the second thermoplastic polyurethane material. 
     
     
         14 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 11 , wherein the textile elements are one of a woven textile and a knitted textile that includes at least one strand with a plurality of substantially aligned filaments formed from the first thermoplastic polymer material. 
     
     
         15 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 11 , wherein the first textile elements are formed from a plurality of filaments, at least ninety-five percent of a material of the filaments being the first thermoplastic polymer material. 
     
     
         16 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 11 , wherein the strand is a thread. 
     
     
         17 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 11 , wherein the apparel has a configuration of footwear with an upper and a sole structure secured to each other, the upper being at least partially formed from the textile elements. 
     
     
         18 . Footwear comprising:
 an upper having at least one textile element with a woven or knitted structure, the textile element including a strand with a plurality of substantially aligned filaments, at least ninety-five percent of a material of the filaments being a thermoplastic polymer material; and   a sole structure thermal bonded to the upper with the thermoplastic polymer material.   
     
     
         19 . The footwear recited in  claim 18 , wherein the sole structure is at least partially formed from the thermoplastic polymer material. 
     
     
         20 . The footwear recited in  claim 18 , wherein the textile element and another textile element are thermal bonded to each other at a seam with the thermoplastic polymer material. 
     
     
         21 . The footwear recited in  claim 18 , wherein a joining strand is stitched to a seam between the textile element and another textile element, the joining strand including a thermoplastic polymer material. 
     
     
         22 . Footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to each other, the upper comprising:
 a plurality of material elements joined to define a void for receiving a foot of a wearer, at least one of the material elements being a woven or knitted textile that is formed from a thermoplastic polymer material; and   a lace that engages a plurality of lace-receiving elements in a throat area of the upper, the lace being formed from at least one strand that includes a plurality of substantially aligned filaments, at least ninety-five percent of the filaments being formed from the thermoplastic polymer material.