Patent ID: 9422666
Filing Date: 2016-08-23
CPC Classification: D03D,D21F

Claim Text:
1. A woven through-air dryer (TAD) fabric, which fabric is woven according to a repeat pattern so as to provide a fabric having first and second generally planar surfaces, a machine direction and a cross-machine direction which directions are mutually perpendicular and coplanar with the first and second surfaces, wherein in the pattern repeat, warp and weft yarns are interwoven to provide a plurality of warp and weft yarn knuckles forming the first generally planar fabric surface and, pockets defined between two adjacent pairs of warp and weft yarn knuckles, the pockets having an area that is defined by the pairs of warp and weft yarn knuckles and a depth which is recessed below the first planar surface, wherein in each repeat of the pattern: a) the pockets are comprised of first pockets having a first open area exposed on the first fabric surface and second pockets having a second open area exposed on the first fabric surface; b) the bottom surface of each of the pockets is defined by a single one of the warp yarns and at least one of the weft yarns and is recessed below the generally planar first fabric surface; c) a perimeter of each of the first and second pockets is defined by two of the warp yarn knuckles and two of the weft yarn knuckles; d) each of the warp yarn knuckles defining the perimeter of a respective one of the first and second pockets is separated from an adjacent one of the warp yarn knuckles defining the perimeter of said respective one of the first and second pockets by a single one of the warp yarns; e) a number of the first pockets in the pattern repeat is equal to a number of the second pockets; f) the open area defined by the perimeter of the first pockets is different from the open area defined by the perimeter of the second pockets; g) the first pockets and the second pockets are both arranged in a diagonal twill pattern on the first fabric surface; h) the two warp yarn knuckles and the two weft yarn knuckles defining the perimeters of each of the first and second pockets are arranged such that: