Multilayered Woven Fabric as well as Corresponding Production Method

Abstract

The invention relates to a woven fabric of warp and weft threads with a construction in warp thread direction of at least first, second and third warp threads ( 11, 13, 12 ) running above one another, wherein: the third warp threads ( 12 ) always extend between the first and second warp threads ( 11, 13 ), the weft threads ( 16 ) are guided through alternating loom sheds ( 35, 36, 37, 38 ) between as well as below and above these at least three warp threads ( 11, 13, 12 ), and the third warp threads ( 12 ) consist of a different material than the first and the second warp threads ( 11, 13 ). Similarly the invention relates to a method for producing a multilayered woven fabric of warp and weft threads by means of a weaving machine.

1 . Woven fabric of warp and weft threads with a construction in warp thread direction of at least first, second and third warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ,  12 ) running above one another, wherein:
 the third warp threads ( 12 ) always extend between the first and second warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ),   the weft threads ( 16 ) are guided through alternating loom sheds ( 35 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38 ) between as well as below and above these at least three warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ,  12 ), and   the third warp threads ( 12 ) consist of a different material than the first and second warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ).   
     
     
         2 . Woven fabric according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the third warp threads ( 12 ) contain a high performance material, for example carbon or glass, and preferably consist completely of such a high performance material. 
     
     
         3 . Woven fabric according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the third warp threads ( 12 ) are embodied as tapes or rovings. 
     
     
         4 . Woven fabric according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the first and/or the second warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ) contain at least one thermoplastic material and preferably consist completely of at least one thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         5 . Woven fabric according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the first and second warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ) are embodied as tapes. 
     
     
         6 . Woven fabric according to  claim 1 , characterized in that at least some, preferably all, weft threads ( 16 ) contain at least one thermoplastic material and preferably consist completely of at least one thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         7 . Woven fabric according to  claim 1 , characterized in that at least one of the warp threads and/or at least some of the weft threads contain at least one thermoplastic material that is selected from one or more members of the following group: olefin homo- or copolymers, for example polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA), polyurethane (PU), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polylactate (PLA), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyvinyl chloride (PVC). 
     
     
         8 . Woven fabric according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the first, second and third warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ,  12 ) as well as preferably also the weft threads ( 16 ) comprise such a width and are woven into the woven fabric in such a manner so that the third warp threads ( 12 ) are enclosed completely by the first and second warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ) as well as the weft threads ( 16 ). 
     
     
         9 . Woven fabric according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the first and second warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ) are at least exactly as wide as the third warp threads ( 12 ) and in that the first and the second warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ) completely cover the third warp threads ( 12 ) in top plan view and in bottom plan view. 
     
     
         10 . Woven fabric according to  claim 1 , characterized in that in addition to the first, second and third warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ,  12 ) at least fourth warp threads are present, which are arranged always between the first and second warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ) and always in the same constant position, that is to say either above or below, with respect to the third warp threads ( 12 ) in the woven fabric. 
     
     
         11 . Method for producing a multilayered woven fabric of warp and weft threads by means of a weaving machine, wherein the method encompasses the following steps:
 a plurality of warp thread bundles that run next to one another in the weft thread direction and that at least consist of first, second and third warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ,  12 ) respectively running above one another, are supplied to a shedding arrangement,   in its weaving cycles, the shedding arrangement opens alternating sheds between the respective at least three warp threads as well as below and above these, in order to guide weft threads ( 16 ) through these sheds,   wherein the third warp threads ( 12 ) consist of a different material than the first and the second warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ), and   wherein the first and second warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ) preferably contain a thermoplastic material, while the third warp threads ( 12 ) preferably contain a high performance material, for example carbon or glass.   
     
     
         12 . Method according to  claim 11 , characterized in that as the material for the first and/or the second warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ) and/or the weft threads ( 16 ) at least one thermoplastic material is used, which is selected from one or more members of the following group: olefin homo- or copolymers, for example polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA), polyurethane (PU), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polylactate (PLA), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyvinyl chloride (PVC). 
     
     
         13 . Method according to  claim 11 , characterized in that in addition to several heddles ( 1 ) of the weaving machine arranged next to one another in weft direction (S), behind at least some of the abovementioned heddles ( 1 ), heddles ( 2 ,  3 ) arranged in the warp direction (K) behind at least some of the abovementioned heddles ( 1 ) are provided, and in that respectively at least one warp thread ( 11 ,  12 ,  13 ) is guided through each one of the heddles ( 1 ,  2 ,  3 ) respectively arranged behind one another in such manner, whereby several warp threads ( 11 ,  12 ,  13 ) are guided above one another in the warp direction (K), whereby the heddles ( 1 ,  2 ,  3 ) arranged behind one another respectively in a row are alternately repeatedly moved upward and downward and are thereby individually positioned in Z-direction, whereby one after another different loom sheds ( 35 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38 ) are realized between warp threads ( 11 ,  12 ,  13 ) running above one another, through which weft threads ( 16 ) are inserted. 
     
     
         14 . Method according to  claim 13 , characterized in that it encompasses the following steps:
 at least one front heddle ( 1 ) arranged closer to the machine outlet in the running direction of the warp threads ( 11 ,  12 ,  13 ) with at least one, preferably exactly one, heddle eye ( 21 ) with smaller height for threading through a first warp thread ( 11 ) and deflecting this first warp thread ( 11 ) through a repeated upward and downward movement in Z-direction, and with at least one elongated hole ( 31   a ) with larger height that extends in Z-direction and that is arranged above or below the said at least one heddle eye ( 21 ) for the position-fixed or deflection-free through-guiding of at least one second warp thread ( 13 ), is provided,   at least one rear heddle ( 3 ) arranged behind the front heddle ( 1 ) and closer to the machine inlet in the running direction of the warp threads ( 11 ,  12 ,  13 ) with at least one, preferably exactly one, heddle eye ( 23 ) with smaller height for threading through the said second warp thread ( 13 ) and deflecting this second warp thread ( 13 ) in Z-direction, and with at least one elongated hole ( 33   b ) with larger height that extends in Z-direction and that is arranged above or below the said at least one heddle eye ( 23 ) for the position-fixed or deflection-free through-guiding of at least the said first warp thread ( 11 ), is provided,   at least one middle heddle ( 2 ) is provided in said rows of heddles ( 1 ,  2 ,  3 ) between the said front and rear heddle ( 1 ,  3 ) for the guiding in Z-direction of then in total at least three warp threads ( 11 ,  12 ,  13 ) running above one another, whereby this at least one middle heddle ( 2 ) comprises at least one, preferably exactly one, heddle eye ( 22 ) for the guiding and deflecting of an associated third warp thread ( 12 ) and an elongated hole ( 32   a ) above and an elongated hole ( 32   b ) below its respective said at least one heddle eye ( 22 ) for the deflection-free through-guiding of at least the first and second warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ), whereby the first and the second warp thread ( 11 ,  13 ) in running direction of the warp threads are threaded through the respective at least one heddle eye ( 21 ,  23 ) of the front or respectively rear heddle ( 1 ,  3 ) or of the rear or respectively front heddle ( 3 ,  1 ), and the remaining warp threads ( 12 ) lying between the first and second warp thread ( 11 ,  13 ), thus the third warp thread ( 12 ) in the case of only one middle heddle ( 2 ), are guided in increasing or decreasing sequence through the respective at least one heddle eye ( 22 ) of the middle heddle ( 2 ),   loom sheds ( 35 ,  36 ,  37   38 ), alternately defined by repeated reciprocal relative movements of the front, the at least one middle and the rear heddle ( 1 ,  2 ,  3 ) in Z-direction, are formed between the at least three first, second and third warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ,  12 ) running above one another, for the purpose of the weft insertion.   
     
     
         15 . Method according to  claim 11 , characterized in that the third warp threads ( 12 ) are covered completely from above and from below by the first and second warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ) as well as the weft threads ( 16 ). 
     
     
         16 . Method according to  claim 11 , characterized in that the mass or volume ratio of third ( 12 ) to first and second warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ) is set to be constant over the entire woven fabric surface, wherein this ratio is especially adjustable by the selection of the thickness of the first and second warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ). 
     
     
         17 . Method for processing a woven fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the woven fabric ( 18 ) is applied by draping onto a curved or otherwise configured three-dimensional structure. 
     
     
         18 . Method for processing a woven fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second warp threads ( 11 ,  13 ) as well as preferably at least some of the weft threads ( 16 ) contain at least one thermoplastic material, wherein through heating above the melting point of the at least one thermoplastic material, the woven fabric is transformed into a three-dimensional shaped structural component. 
     
     
         19 . Shaped structural component produced by the method according to  claim 18 .