Patent ID: 7357157

Claim:
A two-layer fabric comprising a first upper surface side warp that is woven by upper surface side wefts, a first lower warp binding yarn that is woven by both the upper surface side wefts and lower surface side wefts, a second upper surface side warp that is woven by the upper surface side wefts and a second lower warp binding yarn that is woven by both the upper surface side wefts and the lower surface side wefts, wherein in a repeating unit: the first upper surface side warp and the first lower warp binding yarn form a first pair of warps, the second upper surface side warp and the second lower warp binding yarn form a second pair of warps, the first pair of warps and the second pair of warps are arranged adjacent to each other, and the first upper surface side warp, the first lower warp binding yarn, the second upper surface side warp and the second lower warp binding yarn are arranged in this order; the first upper surface side warp alone forms a first upper surface side warp design; the second upper surface side warp forms at least one latent portion in which the second upper surface side warp passes between at least three upper surface side wefts and at least one lower surface side weft and between two knuckles, each of which is formed by the second upper surface side warp that passes over one of the upper surface side wefts, the first lower warp binding yarn and the second lower warp binding yarn form a first knuckle and a second knuckle respectively by passing over one or two upper surface side weft or wefts at a position not adjacent to the two knuckles of the second upper surface side warp in the latent portion, wherein the first and second knuckles are formed at different positions; and the first lower warp binding yarn, the second upper surface side warp and the second lower warp binding yarn cooperatively form a second upper surface side warp design similar to the first upper surface side warp design on the upper surface side surface.