Method of fabricating a textile structure of varying thickness

Abstract

A method of fabricating a textile structure of varying thickness, the method including weaving a fiber texture in the form of a strip and winding the fiber texture under tension onto a mandrel, the fiber texture including a greater-thickness portion presenting greater thickness. During winding of the fiber texture on the mandrel, an interleaving element is interposed between adjacent turns of the fiber texture on the mandrel, the interleaving element extending in the width direction of the fiber texture over a portion of the texture that lies outside the greater-thickness portion. The interleaving element presents, over the portion of the texture situated outside the greater-thickness portion, a thickness that corresponds at least to the difference between the thickness of the greater-thickness portion and the thickness of the portion of the texture situated outside the greater-thickness portion.

1 . A method of fabricating a textile structure of varying thickness, the method comprising using a loom to weave a fiber texture in the form of a strip extending lengthwise along a longitudinal axis and widthwise along an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and winding the fiber texture under tension at the outlet from the loom onto a mandrel, the fiber texture including a greater-thickness portion presenting greater thickness, wherein, during winding of the fiber texture on the mandrel, an interleaving element is interposed between adjacent turns of the fiber texture on the mandrel, the interleaving element extending in the width direction of the fiber texture over a portion of the texture that lies outside said greater-thickness portion and, over the portion of the texture situated outside the greater-thickness portion, wherein the interleaving element presents a thickness that corresponds at least approximately to a difference between a thickness of said greater-thickness portion and a thickness of the portion of the texture situated outside said greater-thickness portion, and wherein the interleaving element is made of a material that is deformable. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the deformable material is constituted by an elastomer. 
     
     
         3 . A textile structure of varying thickness comprising a fiber texture wound on a mandrel and including a greater-thickness portion presenting greater thickness, wherein an interleaving element is interposed between adjacent turns of the fiber texture on the mandrel, the interleaving element extending in a width direction of the fiber texture over a portion of the texture that lies outside said greater-thickness portion and, over the portion of the texture situated outside the greater-thickness portion, wherein the interleaving element presents a thickness that corresponds at least to a difference between a thickness of said greater-thickness portion and a thickness of the portion of the texture situated outside said greater-thickness portion, and wherein the interleaving element is made of a material that is deformable and waterproof. 
     
     
         4 . The textile structure according to  claim 3 , wherein the deformable and waterproof material is constituted by an elastomer.